Showing posts with label Jubilee Line. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jubilee Line. Show all posts

Saturday 10 December 2022

ANNIVERSARY TODAY: Celebrating 90 years of the Stanmore Line

Guest post by local historian Philip Grant

 

From the 1932 edition of “Metro-Land”

 

From 5am on 10 December 1932, members of the public had the first chance to travel on the Metropolitan Railway’s new branch line, to and from Wembley Park. It was called the Stanmore Line, but you will know it as part of the Jubilee Line. Its 90th anniversary is perhaps a good time to share its story with you. 

 

The 1920s saw the rapid development of suburban housing estates around London, as people moved out of crowded conditions in the more central areas of the capital. Many of the new suburbs grew up around the railway out from Baker Street, in leafy countryside promoted as “Metro-Land” by the railway company. As districts like Wembley Park started to fill up with housing, developers were looking for new areas to build on, but they wanted good transport connections, to attract buyers for their homes.

 

An advert for Haymills’ Barn Hill Estate. (From the 1932 edition of “Metro-Land”)

 

In November 1929, the Metropolitan Railway Company announced that it wanted to build an extension from Wembley Park to Stanmore, which would give local commuters direct trains to London. Within twelve months, plans for the branch line were in place, and a price for the construction work of £168,628-17s-3d had been agreed with the contractors, Walter Scott & Middleton Ltd. The work began in January 1931.

 

A map showing the new extension to the Metropolitan Railway. (From the 1932 edition of “Metro-Land”)

 

The route could not go in a straight line, because Barn Hill was in the way, so the track had to curve around that before heading north-west, roughly parallel to and east of Honeypot Lane. This meant taking the railway along the valley of the Wealdstone Brook, which proved to be one of the project’s biggest problems. The brook meandered to and fro across the planned route, and first a concrete channel had to be constructed to divert the stream, so that it would run alongside the line around the base of the hill.

 

Diverting the brook, near what later became Uxendon Hill. (From the 1932 edition of “Metro-Land”)

 

Then, a long embankment had to be built down the valley, to provide a gentle gradient for the track to run along. This involved transporting thousands of tons of clay, dug out from the cutting where Kingsbury Station would be built, down a temporary single-track line. As can be seen in this photograph, a Ruston & Hornsby steam drag-line excavator was used to do the digging, and loading the clay into the trucks, pulled by an old Metropolitan Railway steam locomotive.

 

The excavator at work in Kingsbury, with Barn Hill in the distance. (From “Meccano Magazine”, 1934)

 

The work of shaping and compacting the embankment proved difficult. Heavy rain during the second half of 1931 caused delays, particularly because of machinery (including some “new” petrol and diesel excavators) slipping and sinking in the wet clay. And a second embankment had to be built, further up the line, through Canons Park, using the spoil dug out for the site of the station and sidings at Stanmore.

 

Work on the embankment, with bridges to take The Avenue over the brook and under the railway.
(From the 1932 edition of “Metro-Land”)

 

The work on the line had a very tight schedule, as the Metropolitan Railway had promised the Treasury, which was giving financial assistance through an unemployment relief scheme, that it would be open in twenty-one months. The “navvies” building the line worked from 7am to 5.30pm on weekdays, with a half-day to 12 noon on Saturday. For their 49½ hour week (excluding meal breaks) the labourers received 1/6d (one shilling and sixpence) an hour, with the skilled men such as bricklayers and carpenters getting up to 2/2d an hour.

 

By March 1932 the contractors still had most of the massive cutting between Kingsbury Road and Princes Avenue to excavate, and brought in double shifts. The night men worked from 6pm to 6.30am (with 1½ hours for meal breaks) from Monday to Saturday morning, so that the machinery was working 23 hours a day, with just half an hour between shifts for greasing and maintenance. 

 

 Work on the cutting north of Kingsbury Road, from the “Wembley News”, 12 August 1932.
(Brent Archives – local newspaper microfilms)

 

Neighbours in the recently built houses in Berkeley and Brampton Roads were not happy at their sleep being disrupted by the noise, but a deputation to the railway company from Kingsbury Council was told that it was unavoidable. The Treasury had agreed a twelve-week extension to the completion date for the Stanmore Line, and it had to open by December 1932.

 

On 9 December 1932 a large group of dignitaries and invited guests gathered at Wembley Park station to see the Minister of Transport declare the Stanmore Line open. The Metropolitan Railway’s Chairman, in top hat and tails, pulled a lever in the signal box (still there at the end of platform 3) to open the points, so that a special train could take them all on a tour of the new line and its stations, before returning to Baker Street for a celebratory dinner.

 

The Minister of Transport and other dignitaries visiting Kingsbury Station (note the design of the Metropolitan Railway sign!) on 9 December 1932. (Courtesy of London Transport Museum)

 

The total cost of building the Stanmore Line was around half a million pounds (including £142,791 for buying the land, and a separate contract for the signalling), equivalent to around £24.4m now. Paying passengers could travel on the line from the following morning. Stanmore, Canons Park and Kingsbury stations offered passengers 144 electric trains a day. Many were shuttle services to and from Wembley Park, but they included through trains to Baker Street in just 25 minutes. However, local residents complained at how expensive the fares were.

 

Season ticket prices from Kingsbury, from the “Wembley News”, 16 December 1932.
(Brent Archives – local newspaper microfilms)

 

The opening of the Stanmore Line did contribute to suburban development along its route, including a new neighbourhood called Queensbury, for which a station was opened in December 1934. By that time, the Metropolitan Railway lines had been taken over by the London Passenger Transport Board. Over time, this section of the Metropolitan Line became part of the Bakerloo Line (from 1939), before eventually being the northern end of the new Jubilee Line from 1 May 1979.

 

An advertisement for new homes near Kingsbury “Met” Station in 1934.

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this trip along the history of our local railway line. It could be seen as nostalgia, but it’s also an important part of the story which shaped the northern part of Brent as it is today. And don’t be too jealous of the house prices and train fares of ninety years ago. If you were living then, you’d be comfortably off if your salary was £200 a year!

 


Philip Grant.

Wednesday 17 February 2021

Have a look at the development proposals for the O2 Centre & car park, Finchley Road and try and spot 2,000 homes

The O2 Shopping Centre close to  Finchely Road station is outside of Brent but easily accessible on the east side of the borough from the Jubilee and Metropolitan Lines and a shopping venue for many with its large bookshop and Sainsbury's as well as a cinema. The main development would take place on the car park which runs up to Homebase.

The far-reaching proposals may be of interest to locals. (Click bottom right for full screen).

Two years ago the developers envisaged 1,000 homes on the site but this has been double to 2,000 in latest proposals. You would be forgiven if you thought from the slides that there are none proposed at all. Commentators fear that this number could only be realised through the building of tower blocks.


Thursday 23 July 2015

Weekend closures on Jubilee and Metropolitan lines



Jubilee line
On Saturday, there will be no service between Willesden Green and Stanmore, and on Sunday there will be no service between West Hampstead and Stanmore. This is while we renew points and replace track at Neasden.



Metropolitan line
Trains will not run between Aldgate and Harrow-on-the-Hill while we renew points and replace track at Neasden.

Monday 29 June 2015

All night weekend Jubilee Line from September 12th

TfL have published the NightTube map for services that will operate from the early hours of September 12th on Friday and Saturday nights.  Brent will be served by the Jubilee line. Trains will run at 10 minute intervals.


Further information LINK

Friday 10 April 2015

Met and Jubilee lines closed again this weekend

If the phrase  'Rail Replacement Bus Service' strikes dread into your heart, then sorry! Both the Metropolitan and Jubilee lines are closed again on Saturday and Sunday.



Jubilee line
There will be no service between Waterloo and Stanmore while we replace the tunnel lining at Bond Street, replace points at Neasden and track at Wembley Park.



Metropolitan line
Trains will not run between Aldgate and Rickmansworth/Watford to allow for points work at Neasden and track replacement work at Wembley Park and Moor Park.

Thursday 3 October 2013

Brent Civic Centre opening hit by line closures

The Brent Civic Centre was planned as a 'public transport destination'. Unfortunately the nearest tube station, Wembley Park, will be closed on Sunday when the grand opening ceremony takes place between noon and 7.30pm.

No Metropolitan trains are running between Aldgate and Northwood/Uxbridge and no Jubilee trains between Waterloo and Stanmore. The Overground will not run between Richmond and Camden Road via West Hampstead.

The Bakerloo should be running, albeit at its slow Sunday pace and there will be replacement bus services for the Met and Jubilee. South Brent people in Kilburn Park and Harlesden have the possibility of the 206 bus although it is not very frequent on Sundays. It stops close to the Civic Centre. Otherwise there is the 18 bus (alight at Wembley triangle and walk) and the 297, 83 and 182 stop at Wembley Park Station (walk along Olympic Way and turn right). There is a longer walk from  the 245 stop at Wembley ASDA via Bridge Park.

Thursday 22 August 2013

Brent to be hit by tube line closures over Bank Holiday weekend

The Bank Holiday and Carnival weekend promises to be fraught with travel problems for Brent residents:. This is the message from TfL:

Metropolitan line There is no service between Aldgate and Harrow‑on‑the-Hill on Sunday and Monday while we carry out track replacement work.

Jubilee line On Sunday and Monday, trains will not run between Willesden Green and Stanmore while we replace track on the adjacent Metropolitan line.

Piccadilly line There is no service between Acton Town and Rayners Lane while we replace track at North Ealing. (this means no service from Alperton)

To assist travel, the Metropolitan line will run an enhanced service, with trains every 10 minutes, between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge.

London Overground  If the planned industrial action goes ahead, on Sunday and Monday there will be no trains between Willesden Junction and Richmond/Clapham Junction as well as no service between Gospel Oak and Barking.

That leaves the delights of the Bakerloo and the Euston Watford Overground for Brent residents.There will of course be replacement bus services on the other routes so we can look forward to crowds of confused and dazed tourists from nearby hotels at Wembley Park station on Sunday and Monday - puzzled as to why transport closes down in London for the celebration of a Bank Holiday and Europe's biggest street Carnival.

Monday 8 October 2012

Boris Johnson ditches driverless trains plans according to reports today

It has been reported that Boris Johnson has withdrawn his plans for driverless underground trains which were due to be tested on the Jubilee Line.  See previous  blog from the RMT HERE

REPORT HERE

Sunday 19 August 2012

Now tube bosses kick up a stink about Wembley stench

The Brent and Kilburn Times reports that Jubilee Line bosses are now calling for action on the Wembley-Neasden Stink from Seneca's MRF , following complaints from passengers.

LINK

Seneca's publicity video below shows how close the Materials Recyclign Facility is to the railway line. Seneca hopes to build a biomass plant there in the future.

 

Thursday 9 February 2012

Wembley Park cut off again this weekend

Despite all the promises from TfL, Boris etc we have no trains AGAIN from Wembley Park station this weekend. There is no Metropolitan Line service Rickmansworth/Watford to Aldgate and no Jubilee between Stanmore and Willesden Green.

Saturday 26 June 2010

No Tube Services Please - We're Brentonians

The lack of tube services for Brentonians yet again this weekend caused local activist Dan to seek an explanation... 
 
At last, I've got it: it's part of a Transport for London / Brent Council / Boris Johnson initiative to get people off the tubes and onto their bikes to make the most of the glorious summer weather, and inhale more of that lovely EU limit-busting fine particulate matter that causes exacerbation of respiratory conditions, heart disease and premature death, thus keeping the NHS and funeral directors gainfully employed.