View source for Rickmansworth station

{{short description|London Underground and Chiltern Railways station}}
{{For|the closed Rickmansworth station|Rickmansworth (Church Street) station}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox London station
| name = Rickmansworth
| railcode=RIC
| image_name=Rickmansworth station building.JPG
| caption = Station building
| manager = [[London Underground]]
| fare_zone = 7
| locale = [[Rickmansworth]]
| borough = [[Three Rivers District|District of Three Rivers]]
| events1 =Opened
| years1=1887
| events2 =Goods yard closed
| years2=14 November 1966|symbol=underground|symbol2=rail
| platforms= 2
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| coordinates   = {{coord|51.64027|-0.47333|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| map_type=Hertfordshire
| access        = yes
| access_note   = &nbsp;(Southbound only)<ref>{{citation step free tube map}}</ref>}}

'''Rickmansworth''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|r|ɪ|k|m|ən|z|w|ər|θ}}) is an interchange [[railway station]] in the town of [[Rickmansworth]], [[Hertfordshire]], northwest of [[Central London]]. It is served by the [[Metropolitan line]] of the [[London Underground]] and by [[Chiltern Railways]] of the [[National Rail]]. It is one of the few London Underground stations beyond [[Greater London]] and as a consequence is in [[London fare zone 7]]. The station is a good location to alight from to explore the [[Chess Valley]].

==History==
The line to Rickmansworth was authorised in 1880<ref name="Pinto QC & Evans QC, 2021 p.329 ">{{cite book | last1=Pinto | first1=A. | last2=Evans | first2=M. | title=Corporate Criminal Liability | publisher=Sweet & Maxwell | year=2021 | isbn=978-0-414-07528-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I_xHzQEACAAJ | page=329}}</ref> and the station opened on 1 September 1887 as the terminus of the [[Metropolitan Railway]]'s extension from [[Pinner tube station|Pinner]]. In 1889, the line was extended from Rickmansworth to [[Chesham tube station|Chesham]]. Rickmansworth was shared with the [[Great Central Railway]] which reached [[Quainton Road railway station|Quainton Road]] in 1898. The extension of Metropolitan Line electrification brought electric services out to Rickmansworth on 5 January 1925, allowing the locomotive change point to be moved (north of Rickmansworth steam traction was provided by the [[London and North Eastern Railway|LNER]]).{{sfn|Green|1987|p=44}}

In 1925 another platform was constructed at the south end of the station for the [[Watford tube station|Watford]] branch shuttle. There was a proposal in the [[New Works Programme]] to extend electrification to [[Aylesbury railway station|Aylesbury]], but this was postponed at the outbreak of the Second World War. Afterwards, electrification reached [[Amersham station|Amersham]] with [[British Rail]] trains completing the journey to Aylesbury. The Rickmansworth-Watford shuttle ceased and the final steam train ran on 10 September 1961.

Electric locomotive-hauled trains on the Metropolitan were replaced with [[London Underground A60 Stock|A60 and A62 Stock]].  In 1987 the shuttle to Watford resumed, but only one each way, early morning and late evening.  This was later extended to Amersham when the new [[London Underground S7 and S8 Stock|S8 Stock]] was introduced.

Rickmansworth is still one of few locations on the Met where train drivers are based and remains a changeover point for drivers on the Metropolitan line. The majority of LU trains heading north are timetabled to stop at Rickmansworth for about five minutes to change train staff. Rickmansworth hosts the headquarters of the operational side of the northern section of the Met, controlling signals on the line from Northwood to Watford and Chorleywood. Many evening-running Metropolitan trains terminate at Rickmansworth due to the number of sidings near the station.

In 2018, it was announced that the station would gain step free access by 2022, as part of a £200m investment to increase the number of accessible stations on London Underground.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/further-13-stations-to-go-step-free|title=Huge boost for accessibility as further 13 stations to go step-free|website=London City Hall|language=en|access-date=2 February 2018}}</ref>

==Services==
On the London Underground, Rickmansworth is served by trains on the [[Metropolitan line]] to [[Amersham station|Amersham]] and to [[Chesham tube station|Chesham]] from [[Baker Street tube station|Baker Street]] and at peak times from [[Aldgate tube station|Aldgate]].

On the National Rail, Rickmansworth is served by [[Chiltern Railways]] between {{stl|London Underground|Marylebone}} and [[Aylesbury]] via {{stl|London Underground|Harrow-on-the-Hill}}. During peak-times, some Chiltern Line trains do not stop at Rickmansworth.

There are two tracks through the station, shared in both directions by London Underground and National Rail trains. A short third bay platform (now severed) is no longer used, but used to be the terminus for shuttles to Watford. There are [[Parliamentary train#Services|occasional services]] between Rickmansworth and {{stl|London Underground|Watford}} which use the 'North Curve' of track: in the 2021 timetable there are two early in the morning plus one late in the evening.

{{Adjacent stations|noclear=y
|system1=London Underground
|line1=Metropolitan|left1=Chorleywood|right1=Moor Park|to-left1=Amersham or Chesham
|system2=National Rail
|note-row2=
{{rail line|previous={{stl|London Underground|Chorleywood}}|next={{stl|London Underground|Harrow-on-the-Hill}}|route=[[Chiltern Railways]]<br /><small>[[London to Aylesbury Line]]</small>|col={{Chiltern colour}}}}
}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
{{commons category|Rickmansworth station}}
*{{cite book |last=Green|first=Oliver|year=1987|title=The London Underground: An illustrated history|publisher=[[Ian Allan Publishing|Ian Allan]]|isbn=0-7110-1720-4}}

{{Metropolitan line navbox}}
{{UK railway stations}}
{{Railway Stations served by Chiltern Railways}}
{{Hertfordshire railway stations}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rickmansworth Station}}
[[Category:Metropolitan line stations]]
[[Category:Tube stations in Hertfordshire]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Three Rivers District]]
[[Category:Former Metropolitan and Great Central Joint Railway stations]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1887]]
[[Category:Railway stations served by Chiltern Railways]]
[[Category:Rickmansworth]]