Charing Cross Station - The Strand, London, UK
N 51° 30.496 W 000° 07.512
30U E 699492 N 5710267
Probably the most central railway terminus in London and the end of the line for trains crossing the Thames from the south over Hungerford Bridge.
Waymark Code: WMC0JV
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/11/2011
Views: 16
London's Charing Cross station, the West End terminus of the South Eastern Railway, opened to train services on 11 January 1864. The line from London Bridge had been extended along a brick viaduct amongst the rooftops of the densely built-up area on south bank of the Thames. It can claim to be the most central railway station in London since the Eleanor Cross, the point from which all distances from London in the UK are measured, is situated in what became the station's forecourt.
Being built on a restricted site the station has only ever had six platform faces which for all of the station's existence have had to balance long distance services with a busy commuter operation. This had led to the operation of the platforms probably being the most skilful and intensive of any Southern London terminus.
On 5 December 1905 there was a disaster at the station when one of the tie rods in the trainshed roof failed and the whole structure collapsed. Fortunately it did so slowly enough for passengers on the platforms to be evacuated and an approaching train to be stopped, but the roof was being worked on at the time and two of the workmen on the roof were killed, as was a bookstall vendor and three passers-by in the street where most of the girders fell. The roof was rebuilt in 1906 where it remained until the late 1980s when it was removed to make way for an air-rights development of a futuristic-looking office block which is currently occupied by an international accountancy and consultancy organisation. With the frontage of the station onto the Strand being occupied by a French Renaissance style hotel and the remainder now by an office block the visual impact of the station is much reduced and perhaps more in keeping with its smart surroundings. However acting against this, being situated on the north bank of the Thames the station approach is via Hungerford Bridge, often described as being a complete eyesore. In fact the bridge has its own heritage having reused the piers of a Brunel designed suspension footbridge on the same site - the chains being recycled in the famed Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol. The bridge has a pedestrian walkway on its north (downstream) side affording a good view of trains, particularly their underframes and bogies (and looking he other way affords a grand view of the City of London)! Today as part of the South Bank regeneration project two new pedestrian walkways are being built either side of the bridge and the piers are being extended to take these since the existing structure cannot bear any additional weight.
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