The station was rebuilt between 1989 and 1992 to accommodate the large number of passengers using the station. As a result, it has an extra-wide southbound platform, surfaced over the original island platform which served both north- and south-bound trains. The station has the longest escalators on the Underground network,[7][8][9] and the fourth-longest in Western Europe.[10][11][12]
It is a candidate station on the proposed Crossrail 2 line from north Surrey and south-west London to south-east Hertfordshire.
Angel station was originally built by the City & South London Railway (C&SLR), and opened on 17 November 1901[note 1] as the northern terminus of a new extension from Moorgate.[17][18] The station building was designed by Sydney Smith and was on the corner of City Road and Torrens Street.[19] On 12 May 1907, the C&SLR opened a further extension from Angel to Euston[17] and Angel became a through station.[18]
The island platform before rebuilding
As with many of the C&SLR's stations, it was originally built with a single central island platform serving two tracks in a single tunnel[7] – an arrangement still seen at Clapham North and Clapham Common. Access to the platforms from street level was via three Euston Anderson electric lifts before the rebuilding of the station. When the C&SLR line was closed for tunnel reconstruction in the early 1920s to accommodate larger trains,[17] the station façade was reclad with tiling and the lifts were replaced by new ones from Otis.[19]
Station rebuilding
The extra-wide southbound platform occupies the whole of the original station tunnelThe original surface building of Angel station in Torrens Street
For years since its opening, the station regularly suffered from overcrowding and had a very narrow island platform (12 feet (3.7 m) in width), which was considered a major safety issue and caused justified fear among passengers.[20] Consequently, the station was rebuilt between 1989 and 1992.[14] A new section of tunnel was excavated for a new northbound platform, and the southbound platform was rebuilt to occupy the entire width of the original 30-foot (9 m) tunnel, leaving it wider than most deep-level platforms on the system.[note 2] The lifts and the original surface building at the corner of Torrens Street and City Road were closed, while the escalator shafts of the remodelled station were constructed in conjunction with the Angel Square office complex, the ground floor of which included the ticket hall and relocated entrance on Islington High Street. It opened on 10 August 1992, along with the new northbound platform; the enlarged southbound platform opened on 17 September 1992.[14] Because of the distance between the new entrance and the platforms, and their depth, two flights of escalators were required, aligned approximately at a right angle.[8]
The old station building, although now closed to the public, houses ventilation systems and other services for the platforms below.
The station today
The sculpture in the ticket hallThe longest escalators on the Underground
The station's ticket hall has a sculpture of an angel by Kevin Boys.
Escalators
Angel is one of fourteen stations to have only escalator access to the platforms.[21] With a vertical rise of 90 feet (27 m) and a length of 200 feet (61 m), the escalators at Angel station are the longest on the Underground,[8][9] and in the United Kingdom.[22]
In 2006, a Norwegian national skied down the station's escalator, hitting a top speed of approximately 30 miles per hour (48 km/h), while recording the stunt with a helmet-mounted camera.[23] While the video went viral on sites such as YouTube, it was condemned by London Underground, with a press statement issued stating 'this is a dangerous, stupid and irresponsible act that could have resulted in serious injury or death to not only the individual concerned but also other passengers'.[24]
Station improvements
The station was refurbished during 2007.[25] Additional CCTV cameras and Help Points were installed, bringing the total to 77 cameras in the station and nine Help Points, the latter upgraded with new induction loops to better aid hearing-impaired passengers.[25] In addition, new communications equipment was introduced and damaged signs were replaced.[25]
In September 2022, planning approval was granted to reconstruct the Angel Square office complex which also incorporates the station's surface entrance.[26] The scheme involves stripping the building back to its concrete frame, adding two new storeys and replacing the original brick and stone façade with a glass curtain wall. The plans triggered much objection from conservation groups such as Save Britain's Heritage, who argued that it was a significant example of post-war architecture.[27][28] The works resulted in the partial closure of the station entrances which will be upgraded as part of the rebuild.
Former siding
When Angel was first opened, a long dead-end siding was provided for train stabling, converging from the left onto the northbound line just south of the station.[14][29] This was retained over the years but eventually it was closed on 23 January 1959 (along with the signal box at the south end of the platform) to simplify through running.[14] The siding lay derelict and unused until the rebuilding scheme.[14] Part of the siding was used as the northbound diversion tunnel, which branched off the existing northbound line, cut through into the end of the siding and continued along it until it branched off left to the new northbound platform.[14][note 3]
Services and connections
Train frequencies vary throughout the day, but generally operate every 3–6 minutes between 06:03 and 00:25 in both directions.[30][31][note 4]
Angel is a proposed station on the Crossrail 2 (Chelsea-Hackney line) project,[34][35] providing an interchange between Crossrail 2 and the Northern line. Depending on the route constructed, it would be between King's Cross St. Pancras and Dalston Junction or Hackney Central.[34] It was officially safeguarded as part of the route in 2007, although there had been proposals for a route for some time previously and safeguarding had been in place since 1991.[35]
The station was the subject of a 1989 episode of the 40 Minutes BBC documentary series titled "Heart of the Angel".[20] The programme depicted everyday life in the station just a few months before its closure for rebuilding. The programme depicted the staff's daily struggles with overcrowding, frequent lift breakdowns and dealing with constant complaints from passengers. The interiors of the original station building and the old island platform are clearly shown in the footage, as is the construction site of the adjacent Angel Square development which would incorporate the new station's escalator shafts and ticket hall.
^Jörgen, Städje (18 October 2009). "Rulltrappor – så funkar de". IDG News Service (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 6 May 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
^ abcdefghiRagga, John. "Angel". London Underground Technical – Northern Line Disused Features. Archived from the original on 14 February 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
^Feather, Clive. "Angel tube station". Railway Photographs. Archived from the original on 6 May 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2015."View of the disused northbound running tunnel and reversing siding"
