King's Cross Mainline Station - Euston Road, London, UK
N 51° 31.834 W 000° 07.389
30U E 699537 N 5712752
King's Cross station is the southern terminus of the East Coast Main Line that serves cities such as Leeds, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh. It also serves suburban areas and counties to the north east of London.
Waymark Code: WMQQBA
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/18/2016
Views: 12
King's Cross is probably known to many from the Harry Potter books of J K Rowling and is the starting point of the Hogwart's Express. The station stands next to St Pancras station and both share the same underground station.
The Network Rail website tells us about King's Cross:
King's Cross is the London terminus for the east coast main line. Over 40 million people pass through the station each year.
Chronology:
The first temporary station was built by Great Northern Railway at Maiden Lane in 1850 but closed two years later.
- The present station opened on 14 October 1852.
- The Great Northern hotel opened on 17 May 1854.
- The Metropolitan Railway connection opened on 1 October 1863 with the York Road platform opening on 1 January 1866.
- The main line local station opened on 18 December 1874.
- The suburban station opened on 1 February 1878, was extended in 1880 and then rebuilt in 1895.
- The local station was extended and opened on 15 December 1924.
- The present concourse and travel centre opened on 3 June 1973 while the suburban and York Road platforms closed on 4 March 1977.
- It is rumoured that Queen Boudicaa is buried beneath platform 8.
Station design:
- The 1852 station was designed by the architect, Lewis Cubitt, whose uncle and cousin were engineers on the construction of the Great Northern Railway. He also designed the Great Northern hotel.
- The station roof, the largest at the time, was supposedly modelled on the riding school of the Czars of Moscow.
- The station was built by John and William Jay of the Euston Road.
- The land was acquired for £65,000 and the station cost £123,500 to build.
- The train shed comprises two vaults of clear arch construction. The ribs supporting the roof covering were originally of laminated timber but were replaced in steel. The roof spans are 105ft wide by 800ft long.