Watford tube station

Watford
Watford Location of Watford in Hertfordshire
Location	Watford
Local authority	Watford
Managed by	London Underground
Number of platforms	2
Fare zone	7
London Underground annual entry and exit
2012	1.60 million
2013	1.66 million
2014	1.76 million
2015	1.85 million
Key dates
1925	Opened
14 November 1966	Goods yard closed
Other information
Lists of stations	DLR Underground National Rail Tramlink
WGS84	51°39′27″N 0°25′03″W / 51.6575°N 0.4175°W / 51.6575; -0.4175Coordinates: 51°39′27″N 0°25′03″W / 51.6575°N 0.4175°W / 51.6575; -0.4175

Watford is the terminus of the Watford branch of London Underground's Metropolitan line in the north-western part of the network in Zone 7, previously Zone A. The station opened in 1925. It may close to passengers in 2020.

The station is in the Cassiobury area, on Cassiobury Park Avenue at the junction with Metropolitan Station Approach, close to two of the entrances to Cassiobury Park. It is approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) from the town centre, which is more immediately served by Watford High Street and Watford Junction stations. It is known locally as "Watford Met" to distinguish it from the other Watford stations.

The station building was designed by the Metropolitan Railway's architect Charles Walter Clark in an Arts and Crafts vernacular style. It is in red brick with a clay-tiled hipped roof, tall brick chimney stacks, and timber sash and casement windows. The main entrance is covered by a polygonal metal canopy supported by twin Doric columns, and the interior, mostly unaltered from the original, is decorated with period tiling and hardwood panelling. The station building is grade II listed.

On 2010 data it is the 25th least-used station on the London Underground.

In the early 20th century, the Metropolitan Railway (MR) penetrated Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire with its suburban railway, enticing Londoners with its "Metro-Land" advertising campaign promoting the new railway as an opportunity to live in a rural location with easy transport to central London. The MR was also intent on providing a connection from Watford and planned a branch line from Moor Park via Croxley. The MR purchased a swathe of land from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge along the planned route and Parliamentary approval for the branch was granted in 1912. The project was hampered by disagreements with the Watford Borough Council and by the outbreak of World War I in 1914, and construction of the 2.5-mile (4.0 km) branch did not begin until 1922. The MR experienced difficulties running the line across the River Gade and the Grand Junction Canal, and this pushed costs up to £300,000.