Bowes Park station

Image: © Marathon Taken: 8 Apr 2015

The Alexandra Palace-Hertford-Stevenage loop was built mainly as a by-pass for the approaches to King's Cross on the main line from Hatfield and was built to main line standards for much of its length. However, it has never carried regular long-distance passenger services and has always primarily been a suburban branch, apart from when there is engineering work or other disruption on the East Coast Main Line through Hatfield. The line was opened as far as Enfield, which was then the terminus, on 1st April 1871. The line was extended to Cuffley from 4th April 1910 and on to Stevenage for freight on 4th March 1918, but passenger trains only started beyond Cuffley on 2nd June 1924. A map of 1880 shows Wood Green growing between Green Lanes and the railway to Enfield and so the Great Northern Railway opened Bowes Park station on 1st November 1880. The centre track was controlled from a small signal box and provided for rush-hour reversals. By the end of the 1890s the station was very busy with new streets extending almost as far as Palmers Green. Bowes Park is the only station on the entire Hertford Loop with an island platform. This view looks along the up half of the platform under the footbridge connecting the roads on either side with the central platform.

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