Arnos Grove tube station - Definition

Arnos Grove tube station is a tube station on the Piccadilly line, in Zone 4. It is located near Arnos Park on Bowes Road, London N11 1AN.

The station is one of the Charles Holden-designed stations on the Cockfosters extension of the line, making a unified architectural set with similar stations like Wood Green and Bounds Green. It was opened in 1932. The name was chosen after public deliberation: alternatives were 'Arnos Park', 'Bowes Road', and 'Southgate'.

The ticket hall is cylindrical, and contains a now disused ticket office in the centre. This now houses an exhibition about the station and line.

Three parallel train tracks pass through the station, with two double-sided platforms positioned between the central track and the outer tracks. The edges of the platforms are labelled platform 1 and 2, and platform 3 and 4, respectively, in such a way that the two outer tracks are accessible by platforms 1 and 4, and the central track, usually used by trains that turn round at Arnos Grove station, is accessible via platforms 2 and 3. Platforms 1 and 2 are designated for trains to Cockfosters, platforms 3 and 4 to Central London.

Other interesting things about the station include:

• The current (2004) Piccadilly Line train announcements were recorded by an Arnos Grove driver.
• Arnos Grove had a station cat (which was apparently called Spooky).
• Some signs are in a 'petit-serif' adaptation of the London Underground typeface Johnston Sans. This type-face was designed by Charles Holden and Percy Delf Smith.

Nearby places:

• Southgate
• Muswell Hill
• Bounds Green

External links

• Charales Holden memorial website (http://www.charlesholden.com/)
• A picture of Arnos Grove tube station (http://www.charlesholden.com/html/charlesholden_gallery_pages/ArnosGrove_1.htm)