Kensington High Street is one of the major transport hubs of West London, on both the Circle Line and District Line (Wimbledon-Edgware Road and Kensington Olympia-High Street Kensington). It is one of the most attractive underground stations in central London, having retained many of its architectural features, and is used by just under 12 million passengers a year.

The station first opened in 1868, on the Metropolitan Railway’s extension south from Edgware Road, via Paddington (Praed Street) and Notting Hill Gate to Gloucester Road, and extended a few months later to South Kensington. The District Railway, extending from the Westminster direction, also built a set of tracks from Gloucester Road, as well as another set from Earl’s Court in 1869, establishing the current layout of two through tracks on the Metropolitan Line, and two terminating platforms for the District.

The original station had a fine overall roof, but the whole station was rebuilt in 1903-04 to designs by George Sherrin to incorporate a row of shops on Kensington High Street, with the station behind, accessed via a short passageway, also lined with shops. In 1937-8, the present booking hall was built, giving us the layout we see to-day. The platforms retain their elegant Edwardian canopies, giving an almost rural feel. The downside of the station is that it has no escalators, and access to and from the northbound platform via the single staircase can get very congested.

There is an indicator on the bridge between the two platforms, showing the next Earl’s Court train. The booking office has a shoe repair and key cutting shop, as well as a florists. Although perfectly located for Kensington High Street’s shops and bus services, the position on the network means that access to and from central London requires a change at Notting Hill Gate onto the Central Line or South Kensington onto the Piccadilly Line.