Watford Junction Station (WFJ)

Address: Station Road, Watford, Hertfordshire WD17 1EU
Opened: 5 May 1858
Station Code: WFJ
Fare Zone: A (Special Fares Apply)

London Overground Line(s) Served:

Watford DC Lines

Service Pattern(s):

4 trains per hour to London Euston via Willesden Junction

Interchange(s)

National Rail: Avanti West Coast services, London Northwestern Railway services & Southern Railway services.

Station History

Although a station opened by the London & Birmingham Railway has existed in the area since 1836, the station was relocated to the current site, accommodating the St Albans Abbey Line on 5 May 1858.` However, it was not until 1862 that the embryonic stages of the Watford DC Lines arrived when the Watford & Rickmansworth Railway commenced operation on their route from the station.

Following the takeover of the L&BR by the London and Northwestern Railway in 1846, the new company, to compete with local buses and trams, decided to build a new suburban line from Watford Junction Station to London Euston via Watford High Street, rejoining the main alignment at Bushey. The new line was constructed and was opened in 1912 with this being followed by the extension of London Underground’s Bakerloo Line to Watford Junction, providing a joint service, in April 1917.

Grouping of the railways was enacted under the Railways Act 1921, and the new London, Midland, and Scottish Railway assumed ownership of the station and its services on 1 January 1923. This was followed by Nationalisation in 1948 with the assumption of services by the London Midland Region of British Railways.

Operations continued unchanged over the following decades until, in September 1982, the Bakerloo Line services were withdrawn between Watford and Harrow & Wealdstone stations, leaving only British Rail serving the line. 1984 saw major changes at the station when the original Victorian buildings were demolished and replaced by the current office block building.

1982 also saw the sectorisation of the railways and three passenger operations were created. The Network Southeast operation assumed management of the Watford DC Lines service and began running train services on the line in 1986.

Network Southeast continued until privatisation of the railways on 1 April 1994 when the company was disbanded, being replaced by North London Railways which in turn was replaced on 2 March 1997 by Silverlink Trains, under their Metro branding.

The final change of operator occurred just over a decade later when, in November 2007, Transport for London assumed management of the service under the London Overground banner, although the station is managed by London Northwestern Railway.