Moorgate

Moorgate station sits at one of the City of London's busiest junctions, where the financial district's towers meet the creative tech cluster around Old Street. Five Underground lines converge here -Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Northern and Elizabeth -making it the most connected station in the northern City and one of the most useful interchange points for anyone working in or visiting the Square Mile. The station was the site of the 1975 Moorgate tube crash, the worst peacetime disaster in the history of the London Underground, which killed 43 people and led to major safety reforms across the entire network.

Today Moorgate is primarily a commuter station, handling the morning and evening flows of City workers and tech sector employees. But the surrounding area has more to offer than office buildings: the Barbican Centre -one of Europe's largest and most ambitious arts complexes -is a 10-minute walk east, and the Old Street tech cluster (Silicon Roundabout) starts just north of the station.

Station Overview

Moorgate station opened in 1865 as an extension of the Metropolitan Railway. It sits in Zone 1 and serves five lines: the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Northern and Elizabeth lines. The Elizabeth line addition in 2022 significantly expanded the station's connectivity. National Rail Thameslink services also serve Moorgate via the adjacent Moorgate National Rail station.

Lines and Connectivity

The Elizabeth line (purple) connects Moorgate to Farringdon (3 minutes west), Paddington (12 minutes west), Liverpool Street (3 minutes east) and Canary Wharf (9 minutes east). The Elizabeth line dramatically improved east-west journey times through the City from Moorgate.

The Northern line (black) at Moorgate is on the Bank branch, running south to Bank (2 minutes), London Bridge (4 minutes) and north toward Angel, King's Cross and Euston.

The Metropolitan, Circle and Hammersmith & City lines (magenta, yellow, pink) connect around the Circle loop and east-west through central London.

Facilities

Moorgate has toilets, ATMs, TfL Wi-Fi, a WHSmith and information desks. The surrounding City streets have extensive lunch options on weekdays -the area is dense with sandwich bars, cafes and restaurants serving the financial and tech workforce. At weekends, many businesses close and the area is significantly quieter.

Accessibility

Moorgate has step-free access on the Elizabeth line. The sub-surface Metropolitan, Circle and Hammersmith & City lines do not currently have step-free access at Moorgate. The Northern line also does not have step-free access here. Staff are available to assist at all times.

Travel Tips

• The Barbican Centre (10 minutes walk east) is one of London's most important arts venues -concert hall, theatres, galleries, cinemas and the remarkable Brutalist residential estate. Check listings and book in advance.
• The Old Street tech cluster (Silicon Roundabout) is 10 minutes walk north -the surrounding area has the densest concentration of tech start-ups, creative agencies and co-working spaces in the UK outside of central London.
• Finsbury Square, immediately north of the station, is a pleasant green space surrounded by Victorian and Edwardian office buildings -good for a lunchtime break.
• The Elizabeth line connection has made Moorgate a much faster interchange for east-west journeys. Liverpool Street is now 3 minutes east rather than the previous Circle line journey.

Nearby Attractions

Barbican Centre -10 minutes walk east. Concert hall, theatres, galleries and cinemas within the vast Brutalist Barbican estate. One of Europe's largest arts venues.

Old Street tech district -10 minutes walk north. Silicon Roundabout and the surrounding streets house a significant cluster of tech companies and creative agencies.

Bunhill Fields -5 minutes walk north. A remarkable 17th-century Nonconformist burial ground with the graves of William Blake, Daniel Defoe and John Bunyan. Free and atmospheric.

Timings and Best Time to Travel

Moorgate Underground operates approximately 05:30 to midnight Monday to Saturday and 07:00 to 23:30 on Sunday. The City area around Moorgate is almost entirely closed at weekends -visit weekdays for the full experience. The Elizabeth line runs frequent services throughout the day.