Colindale Tube station, located on the Edgware branch of the Northern line, will reopen in a temporary state on the afternoon of Friday, 20 December. Customers are advised to check travel updates before heading to the station on this day. This reopening follows a six-month closure that allowed Transport for London (TfL) to undertake significant construction work as part of a major upgrade.
In June, TfL closed Colindale station to carry out piling, crane operations, and heavy demolition work that couldn't be done while the station was open. This closure facilitated the installation of steel beams and concrete foundations for the new station building.
The station will reopen later this week, adhering to the original construction schedule. Customers will use a one-way system through a temporary passageway to access the platforms via the existing ticket hall and newly built staircases. This setup allows the station to reopen quickly while the major upgrade, including step-free access, continues towards a planned autumn 2025 completion.
Without this upgrade, Colindale Tube station was projected to reach passenger capacity by 2026. The upgrade includes replacing the 1960s-built entrance with a new, landmark station building featuring a spacious ticket hall and a lift providing step-free access from street to platform for the first time. Existing platform humps will ensure level access onto trains. The major upgrade began earlier this year, funded by the Government, Barnet council, local developers, and TfL.
The ticket gates in the existing ticket hall have been removed, so customers using Contactless or Oyster payment cards will need to touch in and out using the ticket validators in the existing ticket hall. Ticket machines will be available for topping up Oyster cards or purchasing paper tickets as usual. With no customer information screens in the existing ticket hall or on the platforms when the station reopens, customers are advised to plan ahead using TfL’s real-time travel information tools, TfL Go and TfL Journey Planner. Station staff will also be on hand to provide further information or support if needed.
Stuart Harvey, TfL’s Chief Capital Officer, said: “I’d like to thank our customers and the local community for their patience while Colindale station was temporarily closed and now again while it operates in a temporary state. Our plan was always to re-open the station as soon as we possibly could so customers could access Tube services at Colindale again. We will now be working at pace to complete its much-needed major upgrade which will transform the journeys of many thousands of our customers for many decades to come. This station upgrade is also key to supporting sustainable growth, helping to unlock the delivery of thousands of new homes and jobs. Work is progressing well and we are on target to complete Colindale station’s major upgrade in autumn 2025.”
The redevelopment of Colindale Tube station is central to enabling the building of 11,400 quality new homes for local people. Since 2011, Colindale’s population has grown by 70 per cent, making the area around the station the second-fastest growing ward in London after the Stratford Olympic Park in Newham.
Barnet Council Leader, Cllr Barry Rawlings, said: "I am delighted that we have reached this milestone in delivering a renewed Tube station for Colindale. I want to thank all our residents for their patience and understanding as we worked with TfL to make this vital project a reality. I’d also like to thank everyone who has played their part in delivering this major, complex project to programme.
“Colindale is one of the fastest-growing neighbourhoods in London, with its population increasing by 70 per cent over the last decade. The redevelopment of the Tube station is a crucial step to support this growth sustainably and unlock new opportunities for the area.
"While we recognise the inconvenience caused during the works, this investment will have a lasting impact, ensuring better transport infrastructure accessible to everyone. It will help reduce car journeys, improve air quality, contribute to meeting our Net Zero ambitions and support a healthier, more sustainable future for our community."
Today, more than a third of Underground stations across the city provide step-free access, with the Mayor of London’s ambitious goal set at making 50 per cent of Tube stations step-free by 2030. Delivering step-free access at Colindale station continues TfL’s work to make the capital’s transport network more accessible but progress will depend on deliverability and TfL’s future funding position, with schemes prioritised where third party funding is available.
Image credits: Transport for London
