Beneath the bustling streets of North London lies a tale of identity theft, not of a person, but of a Tube station. Archway station on the Northern line once bore a completely different name, which was later gifted to another stop further up the track.
The Station That Lost Its Name
Archway station first opened its doors to passengers in 1907. Its original name was not Archway, but Highgate. It served as a northern terminal for the Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway (CCE&HR), the precursor to this section of the Northern line. At the time, the area was simply considered the northern end of Holloway Road and lacked a distinct identity.
The station's nomenclature began to shift in 1941, when it was rebranded as Highgate (Archway). This hybrid name was short-lived. By 1947, the 'Highgate' part was dropped entirely, and the station became known solely as Archway. The name 'Highgate' was not retired, however. It was transferred to another station on the same line, which retains the title 'Highgate' to this day.
A Forgotten Derailment at Archway
While largely uneventful in recent decades, Archway station was the site of a significant incident on 2 June 2006. A Northern line train derailed within the station. Fortunately, the timing meant a major disaster was averted.
The train was carrying only the operator, who emerged unhurt from the accident. The derailment itself, however, caused substantial damage to the track. This forced the suspension of services through Archway for the remainder of the day, causing widespread disruption across the Northern line.
What Caused the 2006 Crash?
An investigation into the derailment pinpointed the technical cause. The fault lay with a broken switch rail—a movable section of track that guides trains from one line to another.
Investigators concluded that a defect on the rail's surface, combined with a missing chamfer (an angled cut) on the edge of the rail, created the perfect conditions for a crack to form. This crack ultimately led to the rail's failure and the subsequent derailment of the empty train.
The story of Archway station is a unique slice of London's transport history, marking a point where a location's identity was literally rerouted up the line, leaving behind a station with a name forever borrowed from its surroundings.
