Wembley Park tube station

Wembley Park station stands in north-west London, where the Metropolitan and Jubilee lines meet. It sits beside Bridge Road, a short walk from both Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena. The tracks were once part of the Metropolitan Railway, opened in the 1880s to carry visitors to the countryside. Edward Watkin, the railway’s chairman, planned an amusement park with a giant tower taller than the Eiffel Tower. Though the tower was never finished, the station opened in 1893 to serve Saturday football matches. Later, the Metropolitan Railway sold land for suburban housing under the “Metro-land” brand. The station’s history reflects ambitious schemes and major sporting events. After the First World War, the company sold off surplus land for new homes. In 1924 the British Empire Exhibition brought crowds to the area, leading to the construction of Wembley Stadium. The station was rebuilt in the 1940s for the Olympic Games, adding a modernist ticket hall. For Euro 1996, a temporary staircase was built under the Bobby Moore Bridge. A £80 million upgrade in the 2000s doubled capacity ahead of the stadium’s reopening. Today the station handles thousands of visitors on event days. Five lifts provide step-free access to wide platforms and footbridges. The ticket hall is larger than before, with extra entrances and exits for crowds. Above ground, Bridge Road leads to the stadium and arena. The red-brick modernist extension from the 1940s still stands beside the newer structures. From here, trains run south to central London and north to Stanmore.