Hampstead Junction Railway

The Hampstead Junction Railway was a railway line in north-west London, England, opened in 1860. It connected the existing North London Railway at Camden with the North and South Western Junction Railway. It ran through open country but encouraged residential building, providing passenger train connections with the City of London, as well as connecting other lines. It was absorbed by the North London Railway in 1867. Its route remains in use today with the passenger trains of the North London Line as well as heavy freight traffic.

This article describes the independent existence of the railway, with a brief summary of subsequent events.

The Hampstead Junction Railway was incorporated by Act of Parliament on 20 August 1853 to build a line from Willesden, on the London and North Western Railway (LNWR), to the North London Railway (NLR) at Camden, with a branch to the North and South Western Junction Railway (N&SWJR) at Old Oak Junction.

It "was intended principally to enable local passenger traffic on the North London railway to extend west to Kew and Richmond without the need to pass through Camden station and Primrose Hill Tunnel, where enormous traffic on the London and North Western's main line presented a serious obstacle to the running of local passenger trains at frequent intervals".

The North London Railway ran from Poplar, in east London, westward across north London through Canonbury and Camden, to join the London and North Western Railway at Willesden. (There was no station there until later.) As well as connecting with the London docks, the NLR had a connection to Fenchurch Street station in the City of London.

To the west, the North and South Western Junction Railway had opened, diverging southwards from the LNWR main line at Willesden to Kew, where it connected with the London and South Western Railway (LSWR). This gave it access (over the LSWR) to the important town of Richmond.

Residential travel to places of business in the City of London was increasing considerably, and goods and mineral traffic from the docks and manufacturing areas in East London to the western suburbs was also growing. The Hampstead Junction line provided relief to the LNWR main line, connecting the North London Railway and the N&SWJR.

The line was opened on 2 January 1860, and was worked by the North London Railway.

From 1864 it was managed by the North London Railway, and absorbed by the LNWR in 1867.

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