November 10, 2024

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Articles and News related to London's Emergency Services and Public Transport

London Underground Bank Station

Bank Station

Details of London Underground Bank Station, including Address, Lines Served, Service Pattern and History.

Bank Station



Address: Princes St, London
EC3V 3LA
Opened: 25th February 1900
Station Code: BAN
Fare Zone: 1


London Underground Line(s) Served:

Central Line
Northern Line (Bank Branch)
Waterloo & City Line


Service Pattern(s):

Central Line
9 trains Per Hour to West Ruislip
9 Trains Per Hour to Ealing Broadway
3 Trains Per Hour to Northolt
6 Trains Per Hour to Hainault
6 Trains Per Hour to Hainault via Newbury Park
3 Trains Per Hour to Loughton
9 Trains Per Hour to Epping

Northern Line
10 Trains Per Hour to Edgware
2 Trains Per Hour to Mill Hill East
8 Trains Per Hour to High Barnet
20 Trains Per Hour to Morden

Waterloo & City Line (M-F Only)
5 Trains Per Hour to Waterloo


Interchange(s)

Docklands Light Railway


London Underground Bank Station
London Underground Bank Station
London Underground Bank Station
London Underground Bank Station
London Underground Bank Station
London Underground Bank Station
London Underground Bank Station
London Underground Bank Station
London Underground Bank Station

Station History

Although the Waterloo & City Railway had constructed and opened its City Station under Queen Victoria Street on 8th August 1898, it was not until the City and South London Railway constructed its extension from London Bridge to Moorgate that a station called Bank was opened on 25th February 1900.

The Central London Railway arrived just over five months later, when they opened platforms at Bank on 30th July 1900 to act as the terminus of their line from Shepherds Bush. Also at this time, a connection was provided from the two separate booking halls to the W&CR platforms to allow interchange.

However, the platforms themselves were not connected between the routes and this was only achieved when a network of pedestrian subways, along with underground passageways and escalators were constructed in 1924.

Further change occurred a year later when the existing CLR and C&SLR booking halls were combined during the reconstruction of the Bank of England, when a new structure was provided, including an entrance in the wall of the Bank itself.

The formation of the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933 saw several changes made. The Central London Railway became the Central London Line, with the City & South London’s line from Kennington to Euston via the City being renamed the Hampstead-City Line. Major changes were also made at the station when on 8th September 1933, a connecting passageway and escalators were opened between Bank and Monument stations, making them the first (and so far only) pair of stations with a physical link.

The Hampstead-City Line was renamed alongside the other former C&SLR services, becoming the Northern Line on 28th August 1937.

Following the outbreak of World War II, Bank station became one of a number of deep-level stations used as air raid shelters. On 11th January 1940 the street above the station was struck by a large bomb killing 56 and injuring 111 people, mainly those sheltering there. After the removal of the debris, a temporary bridge was installed over the bomb crater and, although the station remained closed until two months later, services continued to run on the Central and Northern Lines.

The platforms of the Waterloo & City Railway, now operated by the London & South Western Railway, were renamed from City to Bank on 28th October 1940. Nationalisation of the railways saw the Waterloo and City become part of British Railways Southern Region on 1st January 1948.

Access to the W&C Line platforms was addressed in September 1960 when a pair of 303ft (92m) moving walkways were installed, although the original sloping access ramps were refurbished and retained for use.

Further change of operators following sectorisation saw the Waterloo & City Line become part of the London & Southeast sector in 1982, being renamed to Network Southeast on 10th June 1986.

With the opening of the Docklands Light Railway in August 1987, there was a desire to construct a branch into the City of London as the present terminus at Tower Gateway was not very well connected. The new branch connecting the existing network to Bank was opened in July 1991.

January 1994 saw the station undergo major refurbishment with new escaltors and lighting being installed along with repanelling of the station walkways and ticket hall, the works were completed in 1997. Also in 1994, the Waterloo & City line passed to London Underground ownership.

First proposed in 2008, a new step-free entrance on Cannon Street Station began construction in November 2015, followed by a rolling programme of improvements to station access commencing in 2016 due to TfL’s assertion that the station was reaching saturation point.

During these works, a new section of tunnel was bored for the Northern Line and the southbound platform was relocated, allowing the original platform to be converted into a passenger circulation space. Works also included the provision of new pedestrian tunnels between the Central and Northern Lines, along with new escalators between the Northern Line and DLR.

The works below ground were substantially completed by the end of of 2022, with the new Cannon Street entrance being opened for public use on 27th February 2023.