Colindale tube station is a London Underground station in Colindale, a suburb of north London. The station is on the north-south Edgware branch of the Northern line, between Burnt Oak and Hendon Central stations, and in Travelcard Zone 4.
The station opened on 18 August 1924 on the north side of Colindale Avenue, on what was then the 'Hampstead and Highgate Line', the first station of the second section of the extension to Edgware. The platforms were located underneath the east-west road, not just on one side, and the station had a classical style building designed by Underground Architect Stanley Heaps.
The opening of the station spurred the development of Colindale.
T. E. Lawrence regularly used the station when he was stationed at the nearby Hendon Aerodrome, and it was the source of the pen name "Colin Dale" which he used to submit articles for The Spectator during 1927 and 1928.
Colindale tube station was severely damaged during The Blitz. At 8:45 pm on 25 September 1940 the station was hit by a large bomb. Two trains with a total of 400 people on board were at the station at the time of the explosion, and 13 people were killed. Nine rescue parties worked through the night to rescue the survivors, and the station was visited on 26 September by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
The simple temporary timber structure erected after the bombing actually lasted longer than the original building as it was not replaced until 1962 when a new building was constructed incorporating shops.
The British Library Newspaper Library is presently situated at Colindale, but is scheduled to move. Colindale tube station was also a popular destination for travellers intending to reach the shopping centre Oriental City up until its closure; indeed, there was once a piece of graffiti on the station wall giving directions to it, which has now been removed.
The Royal Air Force Museum London is another popular destination for travellers going to Colindale. The museum is located about ten minutes by foot from the station.
The station is sometimes used as a terminus for trains travelling north, instead of them continuing to Edgware. Some regular off-peak service patterns in recent years have seen all trains joining the Edgware branch from the Bank branch terminating at Colindale, though this is not the current (2009) pattern. Reversal of trains at this station makes use of a turn-back siding, situated between the running lines north of the station.