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Drayton Park, LONDON, N5 1NS

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Looking south, towards Moorgate, from the south end of platform 1. The railway is underground from here to the terminus at Moorgate. As clearance in the tunnels is insufficient for overhead electrification, the lines through them are electrified on the 750V DC third rail system, Drayton Park station being the changeover point between that and 25kV 50Hz AC overhead electrification.

Located at the Drayton Park approach to the Emirates Stadium, the home of Arsenal Football Club

Drayton Park station has an interesting history. Originally built by the Metropolitan Railway, the Great Northern and City line was built to take full-size rolling stock from an underground station at Finsbury Park to Moorgate. In 1933 it passed to London Transport, who worked the line with tube trains. In the mid-1970s the northern end at Finsbury Park was altered to join the surface lines, and British Railways took over the line, using these dual-voltage trains.

Looking south, towards Moorgate, from the south end of platform 2. The railway is underground from here to the terminus at Moorgate. As clearance in the tunnels is insufficient for overhead electrification, the lines through them are electrified on the 750V DC third rail system, Drayton Park station being the changeover point between that and 25kV 50Hz AC overhead electrification.

Great Northern electric unit 313028 arrives at Drayton Park from Welwyn Garden City, forming the 1404 departure from here to Moorgate. The 313s were Britain's first dual system (25kV 50Hz AC overhead and 750V DC third rail) electric units, and were built for the initial Great Northern electrification project in 1976. The line between here and Moorgate is electrified on the third rail system, hence the 313s being built to run on both systems. They also conform to the requirements of passengers trains used on underground railways, hence the provision of end doors and the fact that the two motor coaches are electrically separate when in third rail mode.

One of London's least-known stations, Drayton Park opened on 14 February 1904 on the Great Northern & City Railway, which passed into operation by the Metropolitan Railway in 1912. The GN&C was operated electrically from the start, using a four-rail insulated DC supply system with positive rail outside the running rails on one side, and negative rail on the other. This unique system survived into London Transport control in 1933, and not until 1939 was it changed to the LT standard 4-rail system, using tube-sized rolling stock. Drayton Park station in 2010 essentially retains the appearance it had when built, although the LT canopy added after 1933 rather spoils it.

Arsenal's new stadium, entrance on Hornsey road.