It is 10 miles 46 chains (17.0 km) down the line from London King's Cross,[2] in Travelcard Zone 6, and serves the suburb of Hadley Wood; it is managed and served by Great Northern.

[3] The station was opened on 1 May 1885 by the Great Northern Railway (GNR).

[5] To celebrate the fact that legendary locomotive designer Nigel Gresley lived in Hadley Wood from 1923-29, Hadley Wood Rail User Group and The Gresley Society Trust funded a decorative plaque to adorn the station forecourt.

This was officially unveiled by former local MP Michael Portillo in 2017.

All services at Hadley Wood are operated by Great Northern using Class 717 EMUs.