Chesham tube station
Encyclopedia
Chesham
lies at the end of the Metropolitan Line
Chesham branch
, and opened on 8 July 1889 as the original northern terminus of the Metropolitan Railway
from . The station is a Grade II listed building. There is no station starter signal at Chesham. The branch has no intermediate stations. The distance between Chesham and Chalfont & Latimer is the longest distance between adjacent stations on the whole tube network at 3.89 miles (6.3 km). Chesham station is the least used station on the Metropolitan Line at 429,000 passengers per annum.
It is a popular starting station for those participating in the Tube Challenge
.
, making it the furthest station out from Central London anywhere on the London Underground network (using Charing Cross as a central point). It is also both the northernmost and westernmost London Underground Station. Chesham replaced Ongar
as the furthest station when the latter closed in 1994.
For the whole week leading up to Christmas 2010 the Chesham Shuttle was reintroduced throughout the entire day because of problems with the through service in the extreme weather.
There had been an intention to extend the branch onwards to Tring
and make a connection to the LNWR Euston - Birmingham line
. Land for the purpose was bought along the proposed line of route (for some time there was a gap in the houses along Victoria Road where the railway line was supposed to have run, and pieces of what appears to be concrete embankment are still visible today), but no further progress was made, and with the extension of the main line onwards from Chalfont and Latimer towards Amersham the idea was abandoned.
There was a goods yard beyond the current site of the station; this now serves as the car park for the station and the town's Waitrose
.
Because of the plans for extension the station and the presence of the goods yard, Chesham used to have no fewer than three tracks (though only two platforms) and all three tracks remained well into the seventies (long after the yard was closed) as rather useless sidings. This three track layout may be clearly seen (in the early seventies) at the end of the opening credits of Metro-land
. Today there is only one platform and one track, the empty space that used to be platform one has now become a floral display (as visible in the picture). According to a plaque on the water tower, this garden won an award in 1993.
Ticket barriers were installed in the late 1990s.
The original Crossrail
plans involved Chesham being connected to Chalfont & Latimer station
by a shuttle service,(See Crossrail, Alternative routes) however this plan was dropped in the late 1990s.
Chesham
Chesham is a market town in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England. It is located 11 miles south-east of the county town of Aylesbury. Chesham is also a civil parish designated a town council within Chiltern district. It is situated in the Chess Valley and surrounded by farmland, as well as...
lies at the end of the Metropolitan Line
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
Chesham branch
Chesham branch
The Chesham branch is a short single-track railway branch line in Buckinghamshire, England. Although no part of it is within London and it runs entirely above ground, it is owned and operated by the London Underground...
, and opened on 8 July 1889 as the original northern terminus of the Metropolitan Railway
Metropolitan railway
Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...
from . The station is a Grade II listed building. There is no station starter signal at Chesham. The branch has no intermediate stations. The distance between Chesham and Chalfont & Latimer is the longest distance between adjacent stations on the whole tube network at 3.89 miles (6.3 km). Chesham station is the least used station on the Metropolitan Line at 429,000 passengers per annum.
It is a popular starting station for those participating in the Tube Challenge
Tube Challenge
The Tube Challenge is the accepted name for the Guinness World Record attempt to visit all the stations on the London Underground network in the fastest time possible. Participants do not have to travel along all lines to complete the challenge, merely to pass through all the stations on the system...
.
Location
Chesham is in Travelcard Zone 9 (previously zone D). It is 25 miles (40.2 km) north west of Charing CrossCharing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
, making it the furthest station out from Central London anywhere on the London Underground network (using Charing Cross as a central point). It is also both the northernmost and westernmost London Underground Station. Chesham replaced Ongar
Ongar tube station
Ongar tube station is a former London Underground station in the town of Chipping Ongar, Essex. Until its closure in 1994, it was the easternmost point of the Central line, and from 1961 until closure, it held the distinction of being the London Underground station farthest from Central...
as the furthest station when the latter closed in 1994.
Services
Since 12 December 2010, Chesham has had an 8-car Metropolitan line train every 30 minutes direct to London. In the morning and evening peak, this runs non-stop between Moor Park and Harrow-on-the-Hill, then Finchley Road and all stations to Aldgate. During off-peak times it also calls at Wembley Park, and terminates at . This is a major improvement to the timetable, as previously Chesham was served in the off-peak only by a 4-car shuttle service to Chalfont & Latimer, where passengers had to change on to a through train coming from Amersham. Although the reasons for the new service pattern were largely technical (the new rolling stock cannot be split into four-car trains), it is expected to increase Chesham's attractiveness to park-and-ride motorists who previously tended to drive to Amersham. This should help spread the load on local roads.For the whole week leading up to Christmas 2010 the Chesham Shuttle was reintroduced throughout the entire day because of problems with the through service in the extreme weather.
History
Tring railway station
Tring railway station is 1.5 miles outside the small town of Tring, close to the Grand Union Canal and actually nearer the village of Aldbury in Hertfordshire, England. The former Royal Station Hotel and Restaurant has been converted into residential accommodation and beyond that is a small...
and make a connection to the LNWR Euston - Birmingham line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
. Land for the purpose was bought along the proposed line of route (for some time there was a gap in the houses along Victoria Road where the railway line was supposed to have run, and pieces of what appears to be concrete embankment are still visible today), but no further progress was made, and with the extension of the main line onwards from Chalfont and Latimer towards Amersham the idea was abandoned.
There was a goods yard beyond the current site of the station; this now serves as the car park for the station and the town's Waitrose
Waitrose
Waitrose Limited is an upmarket chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom and is the food division of the British retailer and worker co-operative the John Lewis Partnership. Its head office is in Bracknell, Berkshire, England...
.
Because of the plans for extension the station and the presence of the goods yard, Chesham used to have no fewer than three tracks (though only two platforms) and all three tracks remained well into the seventies (long after the yard was closed) as rather useless sidings. This three track layout may be clearly seen (in the early seventies) at the end of the opening credits of Metro-land
Metro-land (TV)
Metro-land is a BBC documentary film written and narrated by the then Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman. It was directed by Edward Mirzoeff and first broadcast in colour on February 26, 1973...
. Today there is only one platform and one track, the empty space that used to be platform one has now become a floral display (as visible in the picture). According to a plaque on the water tower, this garden won an award in 1993.
Ticket barriers were installed in the late 1990s.
The original Crossrail
Crossrail
Crossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
plans involved Chesham being connected to Chalfont & Latimer station
Chalfont & Latimer station
Chalfont & Latimer station is a London Underground and National Rail station in Travelcard Zone 8 on the Metropolitan Line, in Buckinghamshire. It is the junction between the through service to and a shuttle service every half an hour to...
by a shuttle service,(See Crossrail, Alternative routes) however this plan was dropped in the late 1990s.