Angel London Underground
Entrance of the post-1992 Angel station on Islington High Street
Angel is located in Central London
Angel
Angel
Location of Angel in Central London
LocationAngel
Local authorityLondon Borough of Islington
Managed byLondon Underground
Number of platforms2
Fare zone1
London Underground annual entry and exit
2018Decrease 17.02 million[1]
2019Increase 17.71 million[2]
2020Decrease 5.26 million[3]
2021Increase 7.26 million[4]
2022Increase 12.37 million[5]
Key dates
17 November 1901 (1901-11-17)Opened
1990-92Rebuilt
Other information
External links
WGS8451°31′55″N 0°06′22″W / 51.532°N 0.106°W / 51.532; -0.106
 London transport portal

Angel is a London Underground station in the Angel area of the London Borough of Islington. It is on the Bank branch of the Northern line, between King's Cross St. Pancras and Old Street stations, in Travelcard Zone 1.[6] The station was originally built by the City & South London Railway (C&SLR) and opened on 17 November 1901. The station served as a terminus until the line was extended to Euston on 12 May 1907.

The station was rebuilt in 1992 to accommodate the large number of passengers using the station. As a result, it has an extra-wide southbound platform, surfaced over the original island platform which served both north- and south-bound trains. The station has the longest escalators on the Underground network,[7][8][9] and the fourth-longest in Western Europe.[10][11][12], and second longest in the United Kingdom after those in Heathrow Terminal 5.[13]

It is a candidate station on the proposed Crossrail 2 line from north Surrey and south-west London to south-east Hertfordshire.

Location

On Islington High Street, the station provides access to several nearby Off West End or Fringe theatre venues including the Old Red Lion Theatre, Sadler's Wells Theatre, the King's Head Theatre and the Almeida Theatre.[14] It is the nearest station to City University's main campus, Chapel Market,[14] and the antiques market and dealers of Camden Passage. Between Angel and Old Street is the disused City Road station.[15]

History

Angel station was originally built by the City & South London Railway (C&SLR), and opened on 17 November 1901[note 1] as the northern terminus of a new extension from Moorgate.[18][19] The station building was designed by Sydney Smith and was on the corner of City Road and Torrens Street.[20] On 12 May 1907, the C&SLR opened a further extension from Angel to Euston[18] and Angel became a through station.[19]

The island platform before rebuilding

As with many of the C&SLR's stations, it was originally built with a single central island platform serving two tracks in a single tunnel[7] – an arrangement still seen at Clapham North and Clapham Common. Access to the platforms from street level was via three Euston Anderson electric lifts before the rebuilding of the station. When the C&SLR line was closed for tunnel reconstruction in the early 1920s to accommodate larger trains,[18] the station façade was reclad with tiling and the lifts were replaced by new ones from Otis.[20]

Station rebuilding

The extra-wide southbound platform occupies the whole of the original station tunnel
The original surface building of Angel station in Torrens Street

For years since its opening, the station regularly suffered from overcrowding and had a very narrow island platform (12 feet (3.7 m) in width), which was considered a major safety issue and caused justified fear among passengers.[21] Consequently, the station was comprehensively rebuilt in the early 1990s.[15] A new section of tunnel was excavated for a new northbound platform, and the southbound platform was rebuilt to occupy the entire width of the original 30-foot (9 m) tunnel, leaving it wider than most deep-level platforms on the system.[note 2] The lifts and the original surface building on Torrens Street was closed, whilst the escalator shafts of the remodelled station were constructed as part of the basement of a new office block, the ground floor of which included the ticket hall and relocated entrance on Islington High Street. It opened on 10 August 1992, along with the new northbound platform; the enlarged southbound platform opened on 17 September 1992.[15] Because of the distance between the new entrance and the platforms, and their depth, two flights of escalators were required, aligned approximately at a right angle.[8] The old station building, although now sealed off to the public, houses ventilation systems and other mechanical services.

The station today

The sculpture in the ticket hall
The longest escalators on the Underground

The station's ticket hall has a sculpture of an Angel by Kevin Boys.

Escalators

Angel is one of fourteen stations to have only escalator access to the platforms.[22] With a vertical rise of 90 feet (27 m) and a length of 200 feet (61 m), the escalators at Angel station are the longest on the Underground,[8][9] and in the United Kingdom.[23]

In 2006, a Norwegian national skied down the station's escalator, hitting a top speed of approximately 30 miles per hour (48 km/h), while recording the stunt with a helmet-mounted camera.[24] While the video went viral on sites such as YouTube, it was condemned by London Underground, with a press statement issued stating 'this is a dangerous, stupid and irresponsible act that could have resulted in serious injury or death to not only the individual concerned but also other passengers'.[25]

Station improvements

The station was refurbished during 2007.[26] Additional CCTV cameras and Help Points were installed, bringing the total to 77 cameras in the station and nine Help Points, the latter upgraded with new induction loops to better aid hearing-impaired passengers.[26] In addition, new communications equipment was introduced and damaged signs were replaced with new ones.[26]

Former siding

When Angel was first opened, a long dead-end siding was provided for train stabling, converging from the left onto the northbound line just south of the station.[15][27] This was retained over the years but eventually it was closed on 23 January 1959 (along with the signal box at the south end of the platform) to simplify through running.[15] The siding lay derelict and unused until the rebuilding scheme.[15] Part of the siding was used as the northbound diversion tunnel, which branched off the existing northbound line, cut through into the end of the siding and continued along it until it branched off left to the new northbound platform.[15][note 3]

Services and connections

Train frequencies vary throughout the day, but generally operate every 3–6 minutes between 06:03 and 00:25 in both directions.[28][29][note 4]

London Bus routes and night routes serve the station.[30][31]

Future proposals

Angel is a proposed station on the Crossrail 2 (Chelsea-Hackney line) project,[32][33] providing an interchange between Crossrail 2 and the Northern Line. Depending on the route constructed, it would be between King's Cross St. Pancras and Dalston Junction or Hackney Central.[32] It was officially safeguarded as part of the route in 2007, although there had been proposals for a route for some time previously and safeguarding had been in place since 1991.[33]

In media

The station's escalators and the southbound platform were featured in the Bollywood hit film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.[34][35][36]

The station was the subject of a 1989 episode of the 40 Minutes BBC documentary series titled 'Heart of the Angel'.[21] The programme depicted everyday life in the station just a few months before its closure in 1990 for rebuilding; showing the staff's daily struggles with overcrowding, frequent lift breakdowns and dealing with constant complaints from passengers. The interiors of the original station building and the old island platform are clearly shown in the footage.

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ↑ Angel is one of the five stations on the London Underground named after a public house – in this case the once-famous Angel inn, which dates back to at least 1638.[16] The others are Elephant & Castle, Manor House, Royal Oak and Swiss Cottage.[17]
  2. ↑ This rebuilding technique was also applied on Euston's Bank branch platforms.[15]
  3. ↑ This disused junction of tunnels still survives between the two running lines.[15]
  4. ↑ All train departures are based on the December 2014 timetable.

References

  1. ↑ "Station Usage Data" (CSV). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2018. Transport for London. 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  2. ↑ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2019. Transport for London. 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  3. ↑ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2020. Transport for London. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  4. ↑ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2021. Transport for London. 12 July 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  5. ↑ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2022. Transport for London. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  6. ↑ Standard Tube Map (PDF) (Map). Not to scale. Transport for London. November 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Why Are the Platforms at Angel So Wide?". 29 February 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 Day & Reed 2010, p. 197.
  9. 1 2 "London Underground: 150 fascinating Tube facts". The Telegraph. 9 January 2013. Archived from the original on 10 April 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  10. ↑ "Náměstí Míru". Prague Metro. Archived from the original on 6 May 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  11. ↑ Jörgen, Städje (18 October 2009). "Rulltrappor – så funkar de". IDG News Service (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 6 May 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  12. ↑ "Kamppi metro station". HKL. 14 December 2009. Archived from the original on 6 May 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
  13. ↑ Bateman, Charlotte. "The London Underground's longest escalator that is a nightmare when you are running late". My London. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Angel Tube Station". Google Maps. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Ragga, John. "Angel". London Underground Technical - Northern Line Disused Features. Archived from the original on 14 February 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  16. ↑ "Chapter XVII: The Angel and Islington High Street". Survey of London. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  17. ↑ "Pub Names". Secret London. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  18. 1 2 3 Feather, Clive. "Northern line". Clive's Underground Line Guides. Archived from the original on 6 May 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  19. 1 2 Rose 1999.
  20. 1 2 Connor 2006, p. 124.
  21. 1 2 Molly Dineen (producer-director) (23 November 1989). "Heart of the Angel". Forty Minutes. BBC2.
  22. ↑ "Tube Stations that only have escalators". Tube Facts and Figures. Geofftech. Archived from the original on 1 May 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  23. ↑ "EXCLUSIVE: a first-look at Heathrow Terminal 2's hi-tech £2.5 billion". Evening Standard. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  24. ↑ "Tube ski stunt blasted by police". 28 March 2007. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  25. ↑ "Daredevil condemned for escalator ski stunt". Reuters. 28 March 2007. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  26. 1 2 3 "Station Refurbishment Summary" (PDF). London Underground Railway Society. July 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 May 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  27. ↑ Feather, Clive. "Angel tube station". Railway Photographs. Archived from the original on 6 May 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2015."View of the disused northbound running tunnel and reversing siding"
  28. ↑ "Northern line timetable: From Angel Underground Station to King's Cross St. Pancras Underground Station". Transport for London. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  29. ↑ "Northern line timetable: From Angel Underground Station to Old Street Underground Station". Transport for London. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  30. ↑ "Night buses from Islington Angel" (PDF). Transport for London. 31 March 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 May 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  31. ↑ "Buses from Islington (Angel station)" (PDF). Transport for London. 31 March 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 May 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  32. 1 2 "The Route". Crossrail 2. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  33. 1 2 "Chelsea Hackney line". Crossrail. Archived from the original on 19 March 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  34. ↑ Amar, Singh (14 May 2007). "Bollywood comes to London". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 6 May 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  35. ↑ Lata, Khubchandani (5 February 2001). "DDLJ story goes to the roots of Indian culture". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 6 May 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  36. ↑ Dwyer 2014, p. 59.

Bibliography

  • Rose, Douglas (1999) [1980]. The London Underground, A Diagrammatic History (7th ed.). Douglas Rose/Capital Transport. ISBN 1-85414-219-4.
  • Connor, J.E. (2006) [1999]. London's Disused Underground Stations (2nd ed.). Capital Transport. ISBN 1-85414-250-X.
  • Dwyer, Rachel (2014). Bollywood's India: Hindi Cinema as a Guide to Contemporary India. Reaktion Books, London. ISBN 978-1-78023-304-8.
  • Day, John R; Reed, John (2010) [1963]. The Story of London's Underground (11th ed.). Capital Transport. ISBN 978-1-85414-341-9.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Angel tube station.
Preceding station London Underground Following station
King's Cross St Pancras
towards Edgware, Mill Hill East or High Barnet
 Northern line
Bank Branch
 Old Street
towards Morden
Former route (1901–1922)
Preceding station London Underground Following station
King's Cross St Pancras
towards Edgware, Mill Hill East or High Barnet
 Northern line
Bank Branch
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towards Morden
Future Development
Preceding station Crossrail Following station
Euston St Pancras
towards Hampton Court, Shepperton, Chessington South or Epsom
 Crossrail 2 Dalston
towards New Southgate or Broxbourne
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