MARYLEBONE STATION Group: British Railways Purchase price: £200 Rent: £25 Annual passengers: 10 million Borough:Westminster Postcode: NW1
The second of the four railway stations on the Monopoly board is unexpectedly minor, the terminus for a few trains from the Chilterns. It made the cut for the UK version because Waddington's boss Victor Watson was from Leeds so chose only LNER termini, which Marylebone was between 1923 and 1948. It may be a small station but it's much loved, packed with detail, architecturally superior and an excellent way to avoid travelling on Avanti West Coast. To answer that question, announcements on the Bakerloo line pronounce it MARR-le-bone.
A (very) brief history:Marylebone opened later than all of London's other mainline termini, providing an alternative service to the Midlands and the North West along the Great Central Main Line. The first trains ran on 15th March 1899, i.e. almost exactly 125 years ago, which helps explain the abundance of anniversary stickers and celebratory bunting currently in place around the station. Marylebone was never especially popular for long distance journeys and when Beeching axed its Midlands connection it became solely reliant on commuter traffic. In 1984 British Rail announced plans for a full closure and conversion of the tracks into an expressway for coaches, but public opposition (and excessively low headroom) put paid to that. Marylebone's subsequent turnaround came from better signalling and long-term investment from private company Chiltern Railways, and they've been running the show here since 1996.
Let's start outside. The station arrived too late to face direct onto Marylebone Road so was instead shoehorned one street back on Melcombe Place, its arrival requiring the demolition of an entire block of residential housing. The front of the building features Dutch gables and multiple chimneystacks plus the arms of the Great Central Railway above the centre of the arch. It still looks more like a station you might find in Wolverhampton or Nottingham rather than a main London terminus. The most striking exterior feature is an iron and glass porte-cochère, currently used to shield the taxi rank from the elements but which was originally built to protect guests heading into the Great Central Hotel across the street. It's proper elegant.
Hotel fact: Between 1948 and 1986 the hotel building was used as the headquarters of British Rail. Porte-cochère fact: British Rail stumped up the cash to restore the structure in 1993 (see adjacent plaque). Great Central fact: The rail company's name survives in the name of Great Central Street, a road punched through to connect to Marylebone Road, and can also be seen in the tiles at the far ends of the Bakerloo line platforms because that station was once called Great Central.
Step inside and it all looks very impressive but also a bit cluttered. Originally all the facilities would have been around the edge of the concourse, and the tiny WH Smith shop still is, but additional kiosks have been added in the middle over recent years. One's a garish gold colour and dispenses coffee, while another used to contain helpful station staff but now only proffers information about Bicester Village, the Oxfordshire outlet that's the highlight of many a far eastern visitor's London trip. Chiltern's accountants must be delighted these smiling brand voyagers still turn up in big numbers, validating all that investment they put into introducing direct services in 2016.
The ticket office isn't where the old Network SouthEast signage says it is, but instead behind a slightly-rustic-looking counter near the top of the tube escalators. Time was when the queue used to get frustratingly long, indeed Michael Portillo once joined the line behind me and spent several minutes waiting his turn, but when I rocked up on Sunday morning I unexpectedly strolled straight to the front for immediate attention. All the obliging folk with simpler queries are over at the machines in the middle, pushing buttons under the departure board, or swiping directly through the gates on e-tickets instead. The departure board only shows the next six services but that's generally everything leaving the station for the best part of an hour. And if your next train to Birmingham could be that far distant, this helps explain the abundance of retail and hospitality options close by.
If there's time for a beer the bar at the Victoria and Albert awaits. It's been here since 1971, though looks older, and its cheapest draught lager is currently an Amstel for £5.70. Alternatively, if background baseball's more your thing, maybe try the plainer Sports Bar by the toilets. A Greggs exists for those who can't board a train without clutching a hot pastry, a Burger King for those who need something greasier and an M&S Food for those whose snack requirements are more middle class. Also lining up against the back of the escalators are a Boots and a card shop, and if you need a thoughtful gift for the person who'll be greeting you at the end of your journey I recommend the florist over the Oliver Bonas.
For cranial nourishment you can always check out the multitude of heritage plaques and posters. An entire history of the station was displayed across seven colourful panels in the western vestibule to celebrate the recent 125th anniversary, so feel free to read those if my earlier potted summary wasn't sufficient. Alongside is an enormous map of the local area part-overlaid across Chiltern's rail network, a new artwork which must both impress and confuse those entering the station (for augmented information scan the QR code alongside and make sure you have the latest version of Instagram on your phone). Meanwhile for those who prefer to read words without additional faff, the three plaques lined up above M&S's £10 bouquets were installed to commemorate Sir Edward Watkin's 200th birthday, Sir John Betjeman's 100th and the centenary of the opening of the station.
When the time comes to board your train, aim for the V-shaped gateline in front the platforms and aim towards Boarding Area A or Boarding Area B. Those turning right towards the lower numbered platforms also get to enjoy a 9-foot statue of the driving force behind Chiltern Railways, Adrian Shooter, which was unveiled in 2022 a few months before his death. Adrian's achievements include wangling a 20-year franchise, enabling substantial long-term investment, doubling passenger numbers and having a Himalayan steam railway in his back garden. He later refurbished lots of former District line trains for use on the rail network but that hasn't turned out quite so well. Adrian is also the only person I've ever had Christmas dinner with who went on to be honoured by a public statue. Admittedly he left the meal early, but this was in 1995 when his mind was probably fully occupied on winning the first Chiltern franchise instead.
The original railway into Marylebone proved so expensive to build that there was only room for half the number of intended platforms, hence the trainshed feels long and narrow. It still has great character, however, and remains ideal for use by film directors requiring a heritage vibe. Two further platforms were added in the 1980s by replacing the central carriage road, and three more squeezed in at the far end in 2006 to support a busier timetable. If you're lucky your train leaves from the closest, but you might have to walk up to the far end to reach the shorter platforms 4, 5 and 6 so make sure you leave enough time. This long hike also involves passing a substantial bike rack which fills one entire wall, a facility which is no longer available only to season ticket holders. If you're curious about the staircases at the very tip of each platform, they're for emergency use only and bring you out onto the bridge at Rossmore Road.
One thing which marks out Marylebone is that the lines into it have never been electrified, hence you can always hear the characteristic low thrum of the diesels while they're sitting in the platforms. At less busy times, with so few trains barely occupying so long a space, you can easily imagine how station closure once ended up on the agenda. But during rush hours, on Wembley match days or when the pull of Bicester Village is particularly strong, best give thanks that no fool ever signed off on that proposal and thus this transport jewel survives and thrives.
