Harlesden railway station (Midland Railway)

This article is about the closed Midland Railway station. For the DC line/Bakerloo line stations, see Harlesden station and Stonebridge Park station.

Harlesden
The former Harlesden Station goods office
The former Harlesden Station goods office, demolished in 2011. The ticket office was off to the right, above the railway lines.
LocationHarlesden
Local authorityLondon Borough of Brent
Number of platforms2
Railway companies
Original companyMidland Railway
Pre-groupingMidland Railway
Key dates
3 August 1875 (1875-08-03)Opened as Harrow Road for Stonebridge Park and West Willesden
1 February 1876Renamed Harrow Road for Stonebridge Park and Harlesden
1 May 1878Renamed Harrow Road
1 October 1879Renamed Harrow Road for Stonebridge and Harlesden
1 November 1880Renamed Harrow Road for Stonebridge Park and Harlesden
1 July 1884Renamed Stonebridge Park for West Willesden and Harlesden
2 July 1888Closed
1 March 1893Reopened
1 February 1901Renamed Harlesden for West Willesden and Stonebridge Park
1 October 1902 (1902-10-01)Closed
Other information
London transport portal

Harlesden railway station was a station in northwest London on the south side of the southern section of a road called Craven Park, which is part of the A404 Harrow Road between Paddington and Wembley. The station was sometimes known as Harrow Road or as Stonebridge Park.

It was opened by the Midland Railway on the Dudding Hill Line on 3 August 1875,[1] partly to service the neighbouring exclusive Craven Park Estate.

Originally named Harrow Road for Stonebridge Park and West Willesden, the station was renamed several times: on 1 February 1876 it became Harrow Road for Stonebridge Park and Harlesden; on 1 May 1878 Harrow Road; on 1 October 1879 Harrow Road for Stonebridge and Harlesden; on 1 November 1880 Harrow Road for Stonebridge Park and Harlesden;[1] and on 1 July 1884 Stonebridge Park for West Willesden and Harlesden.[2] The station was closed on 2 July 1888.[3]

It was reopened on 1 March 1893,[3] and on 1 February 1901 it was renamed again, becoming Harlesden for West Willesden and Stonebridge Park.[2] It was finally closed to passengers for a second time on 1 October 1902,[1] after a sustained campaign by local people. The neighbouring goods sidings were in use for coal deliveries until the 1960s. The street level station buildings were demolished in the 1960s.[4] The former goods office still stood in 2010, although the interior and much of the roof was destroyed in a fire in December 2009. Some platform edges remain, although most were removed when the railway embankment was pinned to stop slippage in 2001.

The Dudding Hill Line remains in use for freight services today. The station stood on the later 1855 straightening of this road, which meant the railway had to be built under two roads of the same name.

It should not be confused with Harlesden station, an existing Network Rail station, some three or four hundred metres south, served by Bakerloo line and London Overground trains.


Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Acton Central
Line open, station open 		  Midland Railway
Dudding Hill Line 		  Dudding Hill
Line open, station closed
  1. ^ a b c Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 114. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  2. ^ a b Butt 1995, pp. 114, 221
  3. ^ a b Butt 1995, p. 221
  4. ^ Forgotten Stations of Greater London BY J.E.Connor and B.Halford