London’s Underground network comprises a remarkable 272 stations, interconnected by 11 lines and covering a sprawling 402 kilometres of track. However, it could have been even more extensive. An ambitious proposal from the 1930s aimed to extend the Northern line with three additional stations on its Mill Hill East branch, but these plans ultimately never materialised. Despite an existing railway line beyond Mill Hill East as part of the Great Northern Railway, the extension never progressed.
Exploring the Lost Stations of North London
The proposed branch would have commenced at Mill Hill East, stopping at the original Mill Hill station before proceeding through Edgware station and onto three entirely new stops. These stations were to be named Brockley Hill, Elstree South, and Bushey Heath, the latter intended to serve as the new terminus for the Northern line. Dubbed the ‘Northern Heights Line’, this extension would have forged a crucial connection between the two branches of the Northern line, pushing further northwest past Edgware.
The project had advanced to such an extent that remnants of it can still be observed today. A tunnel extends beyond the current boundaries of Edgware station, while at the proposed site of Brockley Hill station, the remnants of half-built arches designed to support an elevated platform are still visible, alongside an abandoned bus stop lay-by. With substantial tunnelling and infrastructure already in place, it would have required an extraordinary event to halt the project altogether, which is precisely what occurred with the onset of the Second World War.
The Impact of War on Transport Expansion
In the aftermath of the war, the introduction of green belt legislation effectively rendered the proposed stations redundant, as these laws restricted residential development in the surrounding areas. This shift ultimately culminated in the formal cancellation of the project in 1954. The only remaining vestige of this ambitious endeavour is the partially constructed Brockley Hill station, which faced demolition shortly after the war, leaving only the vestiges of the viaduct that can still be seen today.
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