Arnos Grove improved

25 February 2005
The Grade II listed 1930's Arnos Grove Station has been completely refurbished to make it cleaner, brighter and safer for passengers, but all the heritage features have been carefully kept and maintained.

The refurbishment, undertaken for London Underground (LU) by Tube Lines, is one of the first concrete examples of the billions now being invested in the capital's transport infrastructure.

Mike Challis, LU Piccadilly line General Manager said: "Arnos Grove is one of seven modernised and refurbished stations completed by Tube Lines across London, on time and on budget. These stations are the first delivered by TfL's five-year, £10 billion Investment Programme to improve and expand the capital's transport network.

"The refurbishment of Arnos Grove Station delivers real benefits to passengers, making it cleaner, brighter and even safer than before.

"Tube Lines carried out general repairs, redecoration, renewed flooring and installed better lighting, as well as Help Points suitable for people with limited hearing and an improved CCTV security system.

"Passengers particularly like the new information indicator boards, which are not only on the platforms, but in the ticket hall as well, so they can see exactly when the next few trains will arrive as soon as they step in the ticket hall.

"As a Grade II listed building, appropriate consultation with English Heritage was carried out and all heritage features have been maintained."

Some of these features include:

The circular 'Sudbury box' red brick building with overhanging crenellated concrete roof and vestibule to front and left-hand elevations
Dark red brick walls extending to either side of building and also on bridge parapet wall and also on the other side of Bowes Road
Flag pole mounted silhouette roundel with reinstated 1930s graphics on vestibule roof
Bronze-framed silhouette roundels with reinstated 1930s graphics on concrete backing panels on brick walls at either end of bus slip road
Full height windows.
Arnos Grove, which opened on Monday, 19 September 1932, was the temporary terminus of the four-mile Piccadilly line from Finsbury Park to Cockfosters.

Listed in 1971, it is one of the internationally acknowledged masterpieces of Charles Holden, the consulting architect to the then Underground Group, who was responsible for the majority of the iconic 1930's Tube stations.

Holden's striking building, dominated by the high brick ticket hall that follows the pattern set by the experimental Sudbury Town Station was almost immediately regarded as being an "architectural gem of unusual purity".

The central "passimeter", is noted for its attention to detail - these include the carefully preserved and reinstated roundels and signage in the Underground's unique Johnson lettering. Many heritage features, carefully restored, are also obvious on the platforms that were designed by Stanley Heaps, the Underground Group's architect.

Tim O'Toole, LU Managing Director said:
"London Underground is now running more trains than ever before and is more reliable than it has been for many years. A lot of hard work has gone into these station improvements, but we know there is a lot more still to do.

"We are investing billions in the Tube and I am determined to ensure that the promised improvements are delivered for passengers."

Terry Morgan, Tube Lines Chief Executive said:
"The completion of the first tranche of stations under the investment programme represents a major milestone in our plans to rebuild the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines.

"The stations themselves look and feel brighter and the introduction of new technology has delivered substantial improvements in information provision and the safety of customers.
"We have a further 15 stations planned to go on site in the first six months of this year and over the next five years we are committed to upgrading almost every station across the three lines.

"This work is just another step for Tube Lines as we begin to deliver a massive improvement programme to London Underground. Work on the additional carriage for Jubilee line trains is progressing well for introduction in early 2006 as is our programme to replace the signalling systems on the Jubilee and Northern lines."

  • Transport for London (TfL) is investing £10bn over the next five years to improve and expand London's transport network;
  • Tube Lines is responsible for the maintenance and renewal of the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines, including 97 stations;
  • Tube Lines is due to deliver a new seventh car on all new Jubilee line trains by early 2006; new signalling systems to increase capacity on the Jubilee line by 2009 and the Northern line by 2011; the modernisation or refurbishment of all stations maintained by 2010;
  • For more background and historical information, contact the LU Press Office.

Tube Lines contacts:

George Hutchinson 020 7088 5637 / 07909 925039
Laura Wallace 020 7088 5335 / 07843 551589