Northern line extension to Bushey Heath scrapped in 1954 left Barnet with unfinished stations
Three planned Tube stops in Edgware, Brockley Hill and Elstree South were abandoned after wartime delays and green belt laws
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London Transport formally abandoned the Northern line extension to Bushey Heath on 29 July 1954. The decision ended a 20-year effort to push the Tube beyond Edgware, leaving three planned stations unfinished.
The scheme, known as the Northern Heights project, would have added Brockley Hill, Elstree South and Bushey Heath to the network. Bushey Heath was intended as the new terminus, creating a direct link between the Northern line’s High Barnet and Edgware branches.
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Work began but was halted by war
Construction started in the late 1930s. A tunnel was bored beyond Edgware station, and at Brockley Hill, concrete arches for an elevated platform were partly built. A lay-by for buses was also completed, as reported by MyLondon.
The Second World War interrupted the project. After the war, new green belt legislation restricted housing development in the area. Without enough future passengers, London Transport decided the extension was no longer viable.
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What remains today
The tunnel beyond Edgware station is still visible. At Brockley Hill, the half-built arches of the viaduct remain, though the rest of the station was demolished after 1954. No trace of Elstree South or Bushey Heath was ever constructed.
The abandoned infrastructure lies within the London Borough of Barnet. Brockley Hill is near the junction of Watford Way and Brockley Hill, close to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital.
What residents lost
The extension would have given Edgware and Elstree residents a direct Tube link to central London. Instead, the area remains served only by buses and National Rail. The nearest Underground station to Brockley Hill is Edgware, 1.5 miles away.
No formal review of the 1954 decision has taken place. Transport for London has not proposed reviving the scheme, and no current plans exist to extend the Northern line beyond its existing terminus at Edgware.
Questions this report answers
+Why was the Northern line extension to Bushey Heath cancelled?
The project was halted by the Second World War and later scrapped in 1954. Post-war green belt laws prevented housing development, making the extension unviable for London Transport. No passengers would have used the new stations.
+Where can I see remains of the abandoned stations?
A tunnel extends beyond Edgware station, and half-built concrete arches remain at Brockley Hill. These are the only visible traces of the 1930s scheme. Elstree South and Bushey Heath were never constructed.
+How far would the extension have gone?
The Northern line would have reached Bushey Heath, the planned terminus. The route would have included three new stations: Brockley Hill, Elstree South and Bushey Heath, extending the line beyond Edgware.
+Is there any chance the extension could be built now?
Transport for London has no current plans to revive the scheme. No formal review of the 1954 decision has taken place, and the project is not part of any published transport strategy for Barnet.
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