Oakwood tube station

The station opened on 13 March 1933 as part of the Cockfosters extension, its original name being Enfield West.{{cite book |last=Rose |first=Douglas |title=The London Underground, A Diagrammatic History |year=1999 |publisher=Douglas Rose/Capital Transport |isbn=1-85414-219-4 }} The station did not appear on the original plans to extend the Piccadilly line beyond Finsbury Park, which only provided for seven additional stations, however it served as the line's terminus for a brief period before Cockfosters station was opened.

File:Oakwood Station (20).jpg

The station building is a fine example of the architecture Charles Holden designed for the Piccadilly line extensions, with a large and imposing box-shaped ticket hall surrounded by lower structures containing shops. The ceiling of the booking hall is particularly monumental and bold. The whole design mirrors proportions found in classical architecture, albeit in a distinctly 20th century structure. The dimensions of the ticket hall are approximately a "double-cube" (its front elevation is roughly twice its height and width). The station is similar to Holden's slightly earlier designs for Sudbury Town and Acton Town stations at the western end of Piccadilly line. Oakwood Station is a Grade II* listed building.{{cite web |title=16 London Underground Stations Listed at Grade II |url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about/news/16-london-underground-stations-listed-at-grade-ii/ |publisher=English Heritage |access-date=28 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150104100244/http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about/news/16-london-underground-stations-listed-at-grade-ii/ |archive-date=4 January 2015 |url-status=live}}

Like other extensions of the London Underground lines, the opening of the Cockfosters extension stimulated the rapid development of new suburbs and much of the open countryside that existed in 1930 when construction started was quickly covered by new housing developments.

In early October 2006 to December 2007, the station underwent an upgrade as part of London Underground's £10billion upgrade to the whole of the London Underground Network. As part of this, a new lift was installed to provide step-free access to the platforms. The Public Address system was also improved, with new information indicators installed on the platforms and inside the ticket hall. In addition 27 new CCTV cameras were installed in the station bringing the total number to 29.

File:Oakwood Station (9).jpg

Before the station opened, the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (forerunner of London Underground) suggested names for it including Oakwood, Merryhills and East Barnet, but it was named Enfield West at opening and renamed Enfield West (Oakwood) the following year.{{cite book |last=Harris |first=Cyril M. |title = What's in a name? |publisher = Capital Transport |orig-year=1977 |year=2006 |pages=53 |isbn=1-85414-241-0}}

The Enfield West station name proved unpopular with passengers heading for shops and offices in Enfield, as it is about 2 miles away.

Following protests from Southgate Council, it was eventually renamed Oakwood on 1 September 1946.{{cite book |last=Wolmar |first=Christian |author-link = Christian Wolmar |title = The Subterranean Railway: How the London Underground Was Built and How It Changed the City Forever |publisher = Atlantic Books |year=2004 |chapter=Reaching Out |pages=229 |isbn=1-84354-023-1}}

Currently a few trains in the early morning and late evening enter/leave service at Oakwood, from Cockfosters Depot (which has an entrance point north of Oakwood station). There is additionally a crossover for trains to reverse, and the possibility of an extra platform built using an existing siding has been mooted to provide extra peak-hour reversing capacity.

• London Buses routes 121, 307 and 377 serve the station.

{{reflist}}

{{commons category|Oakwood tube station}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080318210033/http://www.ltmcollection.org/photos/ London Transport Museum Photographic Archive]

• {{LTM archive|1998-77717|Platforms under construction, looking north over open countryside, October 1932}}
• {{LTM archive|1998-81785|External view of Enfield West station, May 1933}}
• {{LTM archive|1998-88061|Ticket hall showing structure supporting concrete roof, April 1933}}
• {{LTM archive|1998-88018|View from end of platform of open countryside, July 1934}}
• {{LTM archive|1998-67853|Similar view, houses have replaced countryside, August 1936}}

{{Adjacent stations|system=London Underground|line=Piccadilly|left=Southgate|right=Cockfosters|type=Cockfosters}}

{{Piccadilly line navbox}}

Category:Piccadilly line stations

Category:London Underground Night Tube stations

Category:Tube stations in the London Borough of Enfield

Category:Grade II* listed buildings in the London Borough of Enfield

Category:Grade II* listed railway stations

Category:Former London Electric Railway stations

Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1933

Category:Charles Holden railway stations

Category:Oakwood, London