Taking advantage of the "lockdown" (I've been unable to go to the pub!) I have undertaken a comprehensive study of the growth in station numbers on the LU since 1863. I arrived at a total of 277 in September 1949, after the Central Line had been extended from Loughton to Ongar. This total included two each for Edgware Road, Paddington, Hammersmith and Shepherd's Bush. The changes since then, which arrive at the current total of 270 I make as follows:
28/02/1959
-1 (Total 276) South Acton Closed (Stations added/withdrawn:
South Acton)
10/09/1961
-4 (272) Amersham to Aylesbury closed (
Wendover; Great Missenden; Stoke Mandeville; Aylesbury)
01/09/1968
+4 (276) Waltham Central to Highbury & Islington opened. (
Walthamstow Central; Blackhorse Road; Tottenham Hale, Seven Sisters)
23/07/1971
+2 (278) Extension Victoria to Brixton (
Vauxhall; Brixton)
14/09/1972
+1 (279) Pimlico opened (
Pimlico)
17/07/1975
+1 (280) Extension Hounslow West to Hatton Cross (
Hatton Cross)
04/10/1975
-2 (278) Moorgate to Drayton Park closed and transferred to NR (
Essex Road, Drayton Park)
16/12/1977
+1 (279) Extension Hatton Cross to Heathrow Central Heathrow Central (
Heathrow Central)
01/05/1979
-1 (278) Strand/Trafalgar Square Amalgamation (
Strand & Trafalgar Square Merged to
Charing Cross)
31/10/1981
-1 (277) Blake Hall closed (
Blake Hall)
24/09/1982
-11 (266) Watford service truncated to Stonebridge Park (
Wembley Central; North Wembley; South Kenton; Kenton; Harrow & Wealdstone; Headstone Lane; Hatch End; Carpenders Park; Bushey; Watford High Street; Watford Junction)
04/06/1984
+5 (271) Service reinstated to Harrow & Wealdstone (
Wembley Central; North Wembley; South Kenton; Kenton; Harrow & Wealdstone)
12/04/1986
+1 (272) Extension Hatton Cross to Heathrow 4 (
Heathrow 4)
30/09/1994
-2 (270) Epping to Ongar closed (
North Weald; Ongar)
30/09/1994
-1 (269) Aldwych closed
(Aldwych)
14/05/1999
+2 (271) Stratford to North Greenwich opened (
Canning Town; North Greenwich)
17/05/1999
+2 (273) Extension to Bermondsey (
Canary Wharf; Bermondsey)
01/08/1999
+1 (274) Canada Water Opened
(Canada Water)
20/11/1999
+1 (275) Southwark opened (
Southwark)
01/12/2007
-7 (268) East London Line closed and transferred to London Overground
(Shoreditch; Shadwell; Wapping; Rotherhithe; Surrey Quays; New Cross; New Cross Gate)
27/03/2008
+1 (269) Extension Heathrow 4 to Heathrow 5 (
Heathrow 5)
12/10/2008
+1 (270) Wood Lane opened (
Wood Lane)
So (provided I have everything correct) my "peak" remains at 280. This is at odds with the 279 I have seen mentioned (both here and elsewhere) but I really don't have any suggestions other than it may be something to do with the "double" stations. Apart from those I've already mentioned, I've also considered Bank and Monument as two stations throughout.
Feel free to pick holes in my reckonings. What an I going to do for the next three months?