24 hour stations in London

[palmersears]

So in a few months I have stupidly agreed to do a 36 hour trek around the Yorkshire moors with some friends in aid of charity.

In a couple of weeks’ time I am down in London for my latest spotting trip, and in light of the above want to see if I can make it through an entire night with minimal rest. Ideally I want to move around a few locations (if I simply sit at Clapham Junction, for example, I’ll be asleep within the hour!), so I’m looking for a list of stations I can travel around that will be open through the wee small hours of Friday night/Saturday morning. So far I can think of Clapham Junction, East Croydon and St Pancras? Are there any more? I’m hoping Stratford is, due to the large number of freight workings that pass through overnight, or Camden Road.

Thoughts/advice welcome.

 

[telstarbox]

The Central line platforms at Stratford would definitely be open because it has a Night Tube service. These platforms are parallel to the National Rail lines so you might see something from there.

http://content.tfl.gov.uk/standard-night-tube-map.pdf

Camden Road is LO so will be locked after the last train (0005 to Willesden Junction).

Purley is served by the Gatwick trains all through the night but it might just be opened for those trains.

There's an hourly Thameslink service on the stations between Kings Cross and Bedford: http://traintimes.org.uk/ecr/bedford/0100/saturday

Ealing Broadway - first NR train into London is at 0454.

Finsbury Park - first NR train into London is at 0444.

 

[Lrd]

Night Tube runs on Friday and Saturday nights. All stations on the Jubilee, Northern (Charing Cross branch) Central (Ealing Broadway - Hainault/Loughton), Piccadilly (except Uxbridge) and Victoria lines will be open.

 

[Mikey C]

Euston mainline will be open as the only entrance to the Underground is through its concourse. Not that there will be much to see (I presume its well manned at night time to keep out the homeless etc)

 

[J-2739]

Isn't, like, every station on Thameslink 24 hr?

 

[telstarbox]

Er no.

 

[DarloRich]

Kings Cross shuts after the last train leaves ( 0134) and will reopen some time before the first train leaves (c.0500)

Euston has similar timings although must be open in some way to facilitate night tube access

STP is 24 hour as Thamelsink runs all night

personally i would just book a hotel (LOL) but you could go onto a Bedford train and snooze one off for a couple of hours. There is pretty much a half hourly service but you will have to move quickly as Bedford to get back on a southbound train or wait for half an hour.

 

[Kite159]

Other stations within London which are open 24 hrs which I can think off is London Victoria & East Croydon

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Kings Cross shuts after the last train leaves ( 0134) and will reopen some time before the first train leaves (c.0500)

Euston has similar timings although must be open in some way to facilitate night tube access

STP is 24 hour as Thamelsink runs all night

personally i would just book a hotel (LOL) but you could go onto a Bedford train and snooze one off for a couple of hours. There is pretty much a half hourly service but you will have to move quickly as Bedford to get back on a southbound train or wait for half an hour.

The OP is specifically seeking to avoid sleeping!

 

[DarloRich]

The OP is specifically seeking to avoid sleeping!

but why........................

 

[tsr]

Re. Purley - it's usually kept open all night. It sees frequent use by Gatwick-bound passengers and station staff don't generally mind people waiting out of the way.

East Croydon is an option (and does get all-night trainspotters!) but the only areas of any notable warmth are a couple of small shelters by the stairs at the London end of the station, and the rest can be freezing even on a summer evening. Also note that cafes/shops etc. seem to close earlier and earlier every time I go there (and that's a huge amount) so you may have to head out into the wilds of Croydon for supplies. But with the prevailing chill, you'll have a good acclimatisation for 36 hours on the hills! Clapham Junction is likewise, possibly with loitering being less encouraged overnight (very different to rail enthusiasts watching trains during the day, which is very welcome).

Gatwick could be an option but be prepared to explain your intentions to staff on site. You can always go for a wander round a bit of the terminals if you feel sleepy.

Blackfriars is open all night and has a spectacular view, but it isn't brilliantly hospitable and doesn't get all that many trains to watch - certainly no freight at all.

Perhaps you could do a St Pancras - East Croydon - Gatwick - Victoria - (Tube meandering) - St Pancras loop?

 

[JonathanH]

Other stations within London which are open 24 hrs which I can think off is London Victoria & East Croydon

Victoria closes after departure of the 0100 and then reopens each hour for the 0200, 0300, 0400 until the service starts up again in the morning just before 0500. You certainly can't stay on the station all night.

 

[tsr]

Victoria closes after departure of the 0100 and then reopens each hour for the 0200, 0300, 0400 until the service starts up again in the morning just before 0500. You certainly can't stay on the station all night.

Effectively a wide access corridor across the concourse is permitted for about 15 mins before departures and about 5 mins after arrivals. Caffe Nero should be open except when they clean up between 2 & 3am ish - so the staff do allow orderly passengers to be there in time to get a coffee or something. From about 4am the restrictions may start to be relaxed depending on clientele around the station. Certainly not the place to try to wait though!

 

[matt_world2004]

Ealing Broadway is open all night for night tube

 

[Steve wakerly]

Acton main line as no barriers, and as access 24 hrs every day. Willesden junction station closed after last train, but there is a public footbridge over the WCML, parallel to the north London Line on the overground depot side. 266 bus runs throughout the night between the the two stations, every 30 minutes every night, journey time about 10 minutes.

 

[Hophead]

In addition, there is an extensive (and mostly frequent) night bus service which can help to fill in the gaps (and occupy a bit more time than a train would).

Gadding about on the rails can lead to complications with maximum fares and the system getting confused about just where your journey begins and ends. Furthermore, it seems that you will straddle the 04:30 travelling day end/start time.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Gadding about on the rails can lead to complications with maximum fares and the system getting confused about just where your journey begins and ends. Furthermore, it seems that you will straddle the 04:30 travelling day end/start time.

One thing paper travelcards are still good for!

 

[ijmad]

This Google search link reveals all the stations listed in the National Rail site that NR claim are open 24 hours a day.

London stations that show up are:

- London Paddington
- London Blackfriars
- London Waterloo
- London Charing Cross
- London Liverpool Street
- Clapham Junction
- Stratford International
- Highbury & Islington
- Kentish Town
- Old Street
- Beckenham Junction
- East Croydon

These say they are but who knows why?

- Harrow-on-the-Hill
- Richmond
- Orpington

Can't vouch for the accuracy. It's just what the site says!

 

[Mutant Lemming]

There's an hourly Thameslink service on the stations between Kings Cross and Bedford: http://traintimes.org.uk/ecr/bedford/0100/saturday

.

It's now half hourly - though the 'in between' trains miss Kentish Town and are then fast to St.A - means you could get a lot of shuttling back and forth St.P to West Hampstead and back - apart from sat night / sun morning that is

 

[gottago]

Euston mainline will be open as the only entrance to the Underground is through its concourse. Not that there will be much to see (I presume its well manned at night time to keep out the homeless etc)

Euston concourse is closed, the way into Night Tube is via the set of stairs next to the Sainsbury's Local.

 

[Abpj17]

^^ blackfriars - tho the loos are usually shut but the view along the thames is stunning and the air is fresh!

 

[EM2]

Can't vouch for the accuracy. It's just what the site says!

Stratford International is definitely not 24-hr. St Pancras International is.

 

[BurtonM]

Beckenham Junction?! No way is that central London, it's in zone 4.

Knowing the station reasonably well I'm not 100% it'd be open all night, there's certainly no service between 1 and 5am. RTT shows very little activity at all in the small hours. Access would only be from the back entrance by Waitrose, and you'd only be able to access the platforms and overbridge, the indoor spaces would have been locked.

 

[Dr_Intoxicated]

This Google search link reveals all the stations listed in the National Rail site that NR claim are open 24 hours a day.

London stations that show up are:

- London Paddington
- London Blackfriars
- London Waterloo
- London Charing Cross
- London Liverpool Street
- Clapham Junction
- Stratford International
- Highbury & Islington
- Kentish Town
- Old Street
- Beckenham Junction
- East Croydon

These say they are but who knows why?

- Harrow-on-the-Hill
- Richmond
- Orpington

Can't vouch for the accuracy. It's just what the site says!

I am not sure Waterloo is open all night as there are signs indicating that there is no access to the night tube from the NR station as the gates are closed.

 

[Trackman]

Euston concourse is closed, the way into Night Tube is via the set of stairs next to the Sainsbury's Local.

they have signs up telling you where to go too.

 

[palmersears]

Thank you all for your assistance thus far. I've booked a cheap hostel room (£9.95) just in case I don't make it all the way through, but with a few options available I should be able to keep on the move enough to stay awake.

 

[Mikey C]

Acton main line as no barriers, and as access 24 hrs every day. Willesden junction station closed after last train, but there is a public footbridge over the WCML, parallel to the north London Line on the overground depot side. 266 bus runs throughout the night between the the two stations, every 30 minutes every night, journey time about 10 minutes.

I'm not sure I'd want to be hanging around the Acton/Willesden Junction area in the middle of the night!

 

[Mikey C]

Euston concourse is closed, the way into Night Tube is via the set of stairs next to the Sainsbury's Local.

I hadn't realised that, thanks, {off topic} Euston could do with a permanent entrance on the Euston Road really, like it used to, to avoid everyone from outside having to walk through the station to access the tube. I assume the HS2 rebuilding will provide this

 

[All Line Rover]

It could also do with an entrance on Eversholt Street. All that would be required is for the gates to remain unlocked.

 

[Busaholic]

Be warned, a friend of mine was mugged on East Croydon while waiting for a Gatwick train in the early hours not so long ago, and that was on the concourse. The overstretched police were called, but didn't appear within the hour so he just continued on his way.