The station was opened on 10 January1863 as the terminus of the original Metropolitan Railway, the world's first underground metro system. The station, which was initially named Farringdon Street, was originally located a short distance from today's building. The line ran from Farringdon to Paddington, a distance of 6 km. The station was relocated on 23 December1865 when the Metropolitan Railway opened an extension to Moorgate. It was renamed to Farringdon and High Holborn on 26 January1922 and to its present name on 21 April1936.
Farringdon station building
The station building is an unusually well-preserved piece of early 20th-century London Underground architecture; it still has its original signage (with the name "Farringdon and High Holborn" on the facade) and other indications of the Metropolitan Railway's ambitions to be like the mainline companies, with a sign for a "Parcel Office" surviving on the exterior wall!
The station drastically requires expansion, however, and is very busy at peak times. There have been plans to increase the station's passenger capacity for several years, as part of the Thameslink 2000 project, though these have yet to come to fruition. If, as is planned, Crossrail line 1 calls here, substantial upgrade works may be required.
Streetmap (http://streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=531546&y=181855&z=1&sv=531750,181750&st=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf) of Farringdon station, from Streetmap.co.uk
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