Kilburn station

Image: © Marathon Taken: 22 Jan 2014

The Metropolitan Railway was extended from Swiss Cottage via Kilburn to Willesden Green in 1879, and in the following year on to Harrow-on-the-Hill. An early railway guidebook stated that “Amongst the charms of Kilburn is its proximity to the country. Within half an hour’s walk, the pedestrian is among trees and fields and pleasant places.” Even in 1880 this must have seemed a slight exaggeration. In 1894 the Metropolitan Railway added a second pair of tracks between Finchley Road and Harrow; these now convey Chiltern Line trains out of Marylebone. Between 1913 and 1915 the Metropolitan Railway added two more tracks between Finchley Road and Wembley Park; two of the tracks were taken over by the Bakerloo line in 1939, and transferred to the Jubilee line in 1979. Kilburn station opened as Kilburn and Brondesbury on 24th November 1879, as part of the Metropolitan and St. John's Wood Railway which was run by the Metropolitan Railway. Following the merger of the Metropolitan Railway into London Transport in 1933, it then became part of the Stanmore branch of the Bakerloo Line on 20th November 1939, at which time the station was extensively rebuilt. The station was renamed to Kilburn on 25 September 1950, and was transferred to the Jubilee Line on its opening, on 1st May 1979. This is the view from the up Jubilee line platform and shows a fast Metropolitan line train heading towards Finchley Road.

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