Lancaster Gate tube station

Lancaster Gate
Lancaster Gate Location of Lancaster Gate in Central London
Location	Bayswater Road
Local authority	Westminster
Managed by	London Underground
Number of platforms	2
Fare zone	1
OSI	Paddington
London Underground annual entry and exit
2012	6.70 million
2013	6.79 million
2014	6.55 million
2015	6.29 million
Key dates
1900	Opened
Other information
Lists of stations	DLR Underground National Rail Tramlink
WGS84	51°30′42″N 0°10′32″W / 51.51175°N 0.175472°W / 51.51175; -0.175472Coordinates: 51°30′42″N 0°10′32″W / 51.51175°N 0.175472°W / 51.51175; -0.175472

Lancaster Gate is a London Underground station located on the Central line near Lancaster Gate on Bayswater Road in Bayswater (City of Westminster), to the north of Kensington Gardens. It is between Queensway and Marble Arch on the Central line and is in Travelcard Zone 1.

Lancaster Gate station was opened on 30 July 1900 by the Central London Railway (now the Central line). The original station building was typical of the work of the line's original architect Harry Bell Measures. It was demolished and a new surface building constructed as part of the development above in 1968. The development was designed by T P Bennett & Son as an office block but converted soon after into a hotel. In 2004–05 the lower floors of the hotel were re-clad in white stone to a design by Eric Parry Architects. The hotel received planning permission for the re-cladding to include the station façade, but this did not proceed.

Lancaster Gate was closed from July to November 2006 so that the lifts and other parts of the station could be refurbished. The station's chronic lift failures were considered by Transport for London to be a safety hazard and an inconvenience to passengers. Patronage has increased over the years and as a result the station's small ticket hall area is often congested, especially at weekends. The station is closed from January to August 2017 to allow for further improvement work.

Despite its name, the station is close to the Marlborough Gate entrance to Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens, about 300m to the east of the Lancaster Gate entrance.

The station is within walking distance of Paddington station, providing a convenient interchange between the Central line and the main line station, although this is not highlighted on the Underground map. Transport for London's September 2011 report "Central London Rail Termini: Analysing passengers' onward travel patterns" is based on a survey which failed to include Lancaster Gate as a means of getting from Paddington to destinations on the Central line.