Holloway Road tube station
Encyclopedia
Holloway Road is a station on the London Underground
. It is on the Piccadilly Line
between Caledonian Road
and Arsenal
stations, and in Travelcard Zone 2
. The station opened on 15 December 1906.
The station was constructed by the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway
and was built with two lift shafts, but only one was ever used for lifts. The second shaft was the site of an experimental spiral escalator
which was built by the American inventor of escalators, Jesse W. Reno
. The experiment was not successful and was never used by the public. In the 1990s, remains of the escalator equipment were excavated from the base of the lift shaft. These are stored at the London Transport Museum Depot in Acton
. From the platforms, you can see a second exit which is no longer in use. This exit leads to the back of the used lift shaft.
The station is adjacent to the site of the former Holloway and Caledonian Road railway station.
The station is close to the new Emirates Stadium
, the new home of Arsenal
football club. As part of the planning permission £5m was due to be spent expanding the current station to cope with increased passenger numbers on match days. However subsequent studies showed that to ensure the station could cope with the numbers the lifts would have to be replaced with escalators which would cost £60m. As a result the redevelopment plans were put on hold and now at match times the station is exit only, and before a match eastbound trains do not call.
routes 43
, 153, 271
and 393 serve the station.
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
. It is on the Piccadilly Line
Piccadilly Line
The Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
between Caledonian Road
Caledonian Road tube station
Caledonian Road is a station on the Piccadilly Line of the London Underground, between King's Cross St. Pancras and Holloway Road, and in Travelcard Zone 2. It was opened on 15 December 1906 by the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway....
and Arsenal
Arsenal tube station
Arsenal tube station is a London Underground station located in Highbury, London. It is on the Piccadilly Line, in Travelcard Zone 2, between Holloway Road and Finsbury Park. Originally known as Gillespie Road, it was renamed in 1932 after Arsenal Football Club, who at the time played at the nearby...
stations, and in Travelcard Zone 2
Travelcard Zone 2
Fare zone 2 is an inner zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services.-Background:...
. The station opened on 15 December 1906.
The station was constructed by the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway
Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway
The Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway , also known as the Piccadilly tube, was a railway company established in 1902 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London. The GNP&BR was formed through a merger of two older companies, the Brompton and Piccadilly Circus...
and was built with two lift shafts, but only one was ever used for lifts. The second shaft was the site of an experimental spiral escalator
Escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.Escalators are used around the...
which was built by the American inventor of escalators, Jesse W. Reno
Jesse W. Reno
Jesse Wilford Reno invented the first working escalator in 1891 used at the Old Iron Pier, Coney Island, New York City...
. The experiment was not successful and was never used by the public. In the 1990s, remains of the escalator equipment were excavated from the base of the lift shaft. These are stored at the London Transport Museum Depot in Acton
Acton, London
Acton is a district of west London, England, located in the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross.At the time of the 2001 census, Acton, comprising the wards of East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 53,689 people...
. From the platforms, you can see a second exit which is no longer in use. This exit leads to the back of the used lift shaft.
The station is adjacent to the site of the former Holloway and Caledonian Road railway station.
The station is close to the new Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...
, the new home of Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
football club. As part of the planning permission £5m was due to be spent expanding the current station to cope with increased passenger numbers on match days. However subsequent studies showed that to ensure the station could cope with the numbers the lifts would have to be replaced with escalators which would cost £60m. As a result the redevelopment plans were put on hold and now at match times the station is exit only, and before a match eastbound trains do not call.
Refurbishment, 2007-2008
Refurbishment works completed in 2008 included the installation of a new public address system, replacement of aging customer information screens, and other aesthetic changes to improve the look, feel and security of the station. This includes improved lighting and a dramatic increase in the number of CCTV cameras.See also
- Leslie GreenLeslie GreenLeslie William Green was an English architect known especially for his design of iconic stations constructed on the London Underground railway system in central London during the first decade of the 20th century....
- architect of stations on the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway.
Transport connections
London BusesLondon Buses
London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, UK. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme...
routes 43
London Buses route 43
London Buses route 43 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
, 153, 271
London Buses route 271
London Buses route 271 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
and 393 serve the station.