Northern line

Is the Northern line running today?

This page covers the Northern line in depth — route, stations, history, step-free access and quirks. For the live answer right now, including the current TfL status (Good Service, Minor Delays, Severe Delays, Part Closure or Suspended) and any reported disruption, see the live network status board on the homepage. It's refreshed every 60 seconds from TfL Open Data.

The Northern line is the London Underground's busiest deep-level line, the second-oldest line still operating in its original form, and the only line on the network with a Y-shaped layout through central London. That last quirk — two parallel central branches — is what trips up first-time riders and what makes "which branch?" the most important question to ask before boarding a Northern line train.

Where it runs

The line runs north-south, from Edgware, High Barnet and Mill Hill East in the north, down through central London to Morden in the south and the Battersea Power Station extension that opened in September 2021.

Through the centre, the line splits into two branches:

• The Bank branch — via Euston, King's Cross St Pancras, Angel, Old Street, Moorgate, Bank, London Bridge, Borough and Elephant & Castle.
• The Charing Cross branch — via Euston, Mornington Crescent, Warren Street, Goodge Street, Tottenham Court Road, Leicester Square, Charing Cross, Embankment, Waterloo and Kennington.

The two branches rejoin at Kennington before continuing south. Trains from the north are scheduled onto one branch or the other — always check the front of the train and the platform indicator before boarding.

Branches in the north

North of Camden Town the line splits a second time:

• The High Barnet branch runs through Kentish Town, Tufnell Park, Archway, Highgate, East Finchley, Finchley Central and Woodside Park.
• The Edgware branch runs through Chalk Farm, Belsize Park, Hampstead, Golders Green, Brent Cross, Hendon Central and Colindale.
• The Mill Hill East spur branches off the Edgware branch at Finchley Central and runs to a single terminus.

Trains alternate between branches throughout the day, so on northbound platforms the destination on the front of the train matters as much as the indicator on the board.

A bit of history

The first stretch of what's now the Northern line opened in 1890 as the City & South London Railway, running between Stockwell and King William Street. That makes it the oldest deep-level "tube" railway in the world — the cut-and-cover lines (Metropolitan, District, parts of the Circle) are older as railways, but they were dug just below street level. The Northern was the first to use deep-bored tunnels powered by electric trains, the template every other deep tube line followed.

The name "Northern line" itself only came into use in 1937, when the City & South London and the Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway were unified into a single operation.

For decades the Northern was known as the "Misery Line" — chronically overcrowded, overdue for a signalling upgrade and prone to weekend closures. The full re-signalling, completed in 2014, lifted central-section capacity by roughly 20%, and the line is substantially more reliable today than its reputation suggests. The Battersea Power Station extension in 2021 was the first major Underground extension of the 21st century.

Notable stations

• Hampstead is the deepest station on the entire Underground, at 58.5 metres below street level. The lifts take about 30 seconds.
• King's Cross St Pancras is one of the network's largest interchanges — Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria, Hammersmith & City, Circle and Metropolitan, plus the two mainline stations.
• Bank / Monument is the line's main City of London interchange, recently rebuilt to add a second southbound platform and improved interchange with the DLR, Central and Waterloo & City lines.
• Battersea Power Station is the line's newest terminus, sitting beneath the redeveloped riverside power station. Trains here run only on the Charing Cross branch.

Step-free access

Step-free Northern line stations include King's Cross St Pancras, Tottenham Court Road, Bank (selected routes), London Bridge, Waterloo, Battersea Power Station, Nine Elms, Kentish Town, Woodside Park, East Finchley and several others on the outer branches. Step-free coverage on the central section has grown significantly with the Bank rebuild and the Battersea extension.

Hours and Night Tube

The Northern line operates from around 05:30 on weekdays (later on Sundays) until just after midnight. The Night Tube runs on Friday and Saturday nights between Morden and High Barnet / Edgware, via the Charing Cross branch. The Bank branch and Mill Hill East spur do not run overnight.

Common quirks

• Camden Town is a busy interchange. On Sunday afternoons northbound platforms are sometimes exit-only to manage market crowds — check signage on the day.
• The Battersea branch is on the Charing Cross side. Trains to Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms run via Kennington from the Charing Cross branch only.
• Bank platforms changed in 2022. The southbound Bank-branch platform is now in a different tunnel from the northbound platform — follow signs carefully if you're interchanging.

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