Wembley Stadium railway station

LocationWembleyLocal authorityLondon Borough of BrentManaged byChiltern RailwaysStation codeWCXDfT categoryF1Number of platforms2Fare zone4National Rail annual entry and exit2018–19 0.882 million^[1]2019–20 0.614 million^[1]2020–21 72,036^[1]2021–22 0.357 million^[1]2022–23 0.657 million^[1]Key dates1 March 1906 (1906-03-01)opened as Wembley Hill8 May 1978renamed Wembley Complex11 May 1987renamed Wembley StadiumOther informationExternal links

• Departures
• Layout
• Facilities
• Buses

Coordinates51°33′15″N 0°17′11″W / 51.5543°N 0.2863°W / 51.5543; -0.2863 London transport portal

Wembley Stadium railway station is a Network Rail station in Wembley, Greater London, on the Chiltern Main Line. It is the nearest station to Wembley Stadium, and is located a quarter of a mile (400 m) south west of the sports venue.

History

First Wembley Stadium station

The first station to bear the name Wembley Stadium, at (51°33′31″N 0°16′23″W / 51.558638°N 0.273010°W / 51.558638; -0.273010), about one-half mile (800 m) east-north-east of the present station, was opened by the LNER on 28 April 1923 as The Exhibition Station (Wembley). It had one platform, and was situated on a loop which forked off the Chiltern Main Line between Neasden Junction and Wembley Hill station (now Wembley Stadium station, see below). It then curved round in a clockwise direction to regain the Chiltern Main Line at a point slightly closer to Neasden Junction.^[2] The connections faced London to allow an intensive service with no reversing. The station was renamed several times, becoming Wembley Stadium station in 1928.^[3] The station was last used on 18 May 1968 for the 1968 FA Cup final between Everton v West Bromwich Albion,^[4] and was officially closed on 1 September 1969.^[5][6]

Traces of the line can be seen on maps and in aerial photographs. It was normally used only for passenger services for events at the stadium or the Empire Pool within the estate, built for the 1924-25 British Empire Exhibition. Temporary sidings led into the "Palace of Engineering" exhibition hall where both the Great Western Railway's locomotive Caerphilly Castle and the London and North Eastern Railway's Flying Scotsman were displayed, with each claimed by its owners to be the most powerful passenger locomotive in Britain.^[7][8]

Present station

On 20 November 1905 the Great Central Railway opened a new route for freight trains between Neasden Junction and Northolt Junction. Passenger services from Marylebone began on 1 March 1906, when three new stations were opened: Wembley Hill, Sudbury & Harrow Road and South Harrow. On 2 April 1906 these services were extended to Northolt Junction.^[9]

Wembley Hill station was renamed Wembley Complex on 8 May 1978 in order to indicate its proximity to the nearby sports facilities, as well as to a recently opened conference centre,^[10] before getting its present name Wembley Stadium on 11 May 1987.^[11] There were originally four tracks with the two platforms on passing loops outside the inner non-stop running lines; the current two-track layout dates from the 1960s. The 4 tracks were closed for a week by a 200 yards (180 m) landslide in a cutting near the station from 18 February 1918.^[12]

Services

Train services are operated by Chiltern Railways and run from London Marylebone towards High Wycombe and Oxford.

The typical off-peak service is:

• 2 trains per hour to London Marylebone
• 1 train per hour to High Wycombe
• 1 train per hour to Oxford

The service to central London is quicker than from other stations in the area. Trains can reach London Marylebone non-stop in ten minutes.

During busier periods (usually due to an event at the stadium) a seven carriage shuttle operates between Marylebone and Wembley Stadium using the turnback siding just west of the station to enable trains to quickly turn around to go back to London. There is an enhanced northbound service too, with trains travelling to Banbury, Birmingham and beyond making additional calls at the station.

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Northolt Park or Gerrards Cross or Sudbury & Harrow Road (limited service)		Chiltern Railways London-Birmingham		London Marylebone

Connections

London Buses routes 83, 92, 182, 223, 440, 483 and night route N83 serve the station.^[13]

It is bounded to the south by the Harrow Road (A404 road).

Gallery

• 
  Wembley stadium station in 2001, before it was modernised
• 
  The station with the 'White Horse Bridge' above it

Notes

External links

Companies and
organisations

Transport for London (TfL)	London Underground Night Tube Bakerloo Central Circle District Hammersmith & City Jubilee Metropolitan Northern Piccadilly Victoria Waterloo & City London Rail Docklands Light Railway Elizabeth line Tramlink London Overground North London East London South London West London Gospel Oak to Barking Lea Valley Romford–Upminster Watford DC London Buses East London Transit Superloop Night buses Other Coach station Cycle hire Dial-a-Ride IFS Cloud Cable Car London River Services London Streets Source London Taxi and Private Hire office
Bus operators	Arriva Herts & Essex Arriva London Arriva Southern Counties Go-Ahead London Blue Triangle Docklands Buses London Central London General Metrobus Metroline RATP Dev Transit London London Sovereign London Transit London United Stagecoach London East London Selkent Thameside Transport UK London Bus Uno
River operators	Lower Thames and Medway Passenger Boat Company Uber Boat by Thames Clippers Thames River Services Westminster Passenger Services Association
Train operators	Arriva Rail London Avanti West Coast c2c Caledonian Sleeper Chiltern Railways East Midlands Railway Eurostar Govia Thameslink Railway Gatwick Express Great Northern Southern Thameslink Grand Central Great Western Railway Greater Anglia Stansted Express Heathrow Express Hull Trains MTR Elizabeth line London North Eastern Railway London Northwestern Railway Lumo South Western Railway Southeastern
Other	Global Infrastructure Partners Heathrow Airport Holdings Port of London Authority

Airports

Within London	City Heathrow London Heliport Military: Northolt Private: Biggin Hill
Outside London	Gatwick Luton Southend Stansted

Major stations

Central area	Baker Street Bank-Monument Blackfriars Bond Street Cannon Street Charing Cross City Thameslink Earl's Court Elephant & Castle Euston Farringdon Fenchurch Street Green Park King's Cross Liverpool Street London Bridge Marylebone Moorgate Oxford Circus Paddington St Pancras International Tottenham Court Road Vauxhall Victoria Waterloo Waterloo East Westminster
Other	Barking Bromley South Canary Wharf Clapham Junction Ealing Broadway East Croydon Finsbury Park Heathrow stations Highbury & Islington Lewisham London City Airport Richmond Stratford Surbiton Sutton Upminster West Ham West Hampstead stations Whitechapel Willesden Junction Wimbledon

Roads

Motorways	M1 M4 M11 M25 London Orbital Former: M41 (West Cross Route) A40(M) (Westway) A102(M) (East Cross Route)
Ring roads	London Inner Ring Road North Circular Road South Circular Road
Charging	Congestion charge Low emission zone Ultra Low Emission Zone

TicketingOtherFormer BR sectors