Alexandra Palace railway station is on the Great Northern Route that forms part of the East Coast Main Line, and takes its name from the nearby Alexandra Palace in the London Borough of Haringey, north London. It is 4 miles 78 chains (8.0 km) down the line from London King's Cross and is situated between Hornsey and either New Southgate on the main line or Bowes Park on the Hertford Loop Line which diverges from the main line just north of Alexandra Palace.

The Hertford loop line is a branch of the East Coast Main Line, part of the Northern City Line commuter route to London for Hertford and other Hertfordshire towns and an occasional diversion route for the main line. The line is part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 8, SRS 08.03 and is classified as a London and South East Commuter line.