• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Archive
    • London Blogs
  • Blog
  • Travel
    • London Theater Tickets
    • Shopping
    • Tips
    • Tours
    • Transport
    • Maps
    • Parks
    • Resources
    • Restaurants
    • Top 10 London
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Buildings
    • Food
    • London Books
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Pubs
  • Londonism
    • Reviews
    • Fun London
    • Iconic London
    • Life in London
    • London Realities
    • Moving to London
    • Politics
  • The Tube
  • London History
    • Great London Buildings
    • Great Londoners
  • Contact
  • Guidebooks
    • 101 London Travel Tips – Guidebook
    • 101 Free Things to do in London

Londontopia

The Website for People Who Love London

You are here: Home / News Features / History of Kings Cross Station

History of Kings Cross Station

Jun 24, 2020 By Jonathan

Kings Cross Station is one of the busiest stations in the UK. Known as the Gateway to the North, it was opened in 1852 and is situated within the London Borough of Camden.

Here, we’ll look at the history of this popular station and how it overcame troubles in the 20th century.

Where it all began

The Great Northern Railway opened Kings Cross station in 1852. It was placed in the northernmost part of Central London to provide a service across the east coast. However, two years prior to its opening, a temporary wooden terminus was established at Maiden Lane.

The station was initially planned by George Turnbull in 1848. He engineered the first 20 miles of its construction. It was then taken over by architect Lewis Cubitt.

At the time, the station roof was the largest in the UK. Cubitt is reported to have got inspiration for its design from the Moscow riding school of the Czars.

When the station first started, it had just two platforms for passengers. Its other six platforms were used for the movement of carriages and locomotives, alongside storage.

How it dealt with increased demand in the 19th century

In the 19th century, the station experienced a significant increase in demand. This was largely due to the number of new businesses being developed in the area. The Coke company and Imperial Gas Light were just two that brought opportunities into the city. There were also other industrial businesses opening up in and around the area.

To accommodate for the additional demand, all of the platforms in the station were utilised for passengers. To the west of the station, an extra three platforms were constructed for suburban passengers.

As well as having to increase capacity at the station, work was also needed to address other issues caused by demand. More lines and tunnels were constructed in the approach to the station to enhance the flow and improve conditions for drivers.

The station today

Today, Kings Cross station is one of the busiest in the UK. Statistics show that in 2017, there were approximately 149,000 people entering the station on any given day.

Since 2001, the station has been given £2.5 billion in investments. A new St Pancras International terminus opened in 2007, helping to boost the local economy. Then, in 2010 a new platform was opened on the eastern part of the station. This helped to provide additional capacity.

Its original Victorian style entrance was restored in 2013 and new 300 metres of passageways were built to make it easier to change between lines. Brand new escalators and ticket halls were also introduced, giving the station an impressive, convenient design.

The station is easily reachable, even for passengers in the north of the UK. You can even get trains to Kings Cross from as far as Edinburgh, Scotland.

As you can see, Kings Cross station has an interesting history. It can be viewed as one of the most successful engineering projects in the sector. While it faced challenges over the years, high levels of investment have helped to make the station one of the most popular and busiest stations today.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Filed Under: News Features

About jonathan

Jonathan is a consummate Anglophile who launched Anglotopia.net in 2007 to channel his passion for Britain. Londontopia is its sister publication dedicated to everything London.

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Get the Anglotopia/Londontopia App

Our Advertisers

If you are a mobile gamer, you may want to take a look at UK’s new mobile casinos and slots reviewed by NewCasinoUK.

Join the London Forum

  • MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN LONDON
  • What's Your Favorite Place in London?
  • Paddington Station

London Guide

  • London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
  • Trip Planning: Top 10 Exhibitions To Plan Your 2018 Trips to London Around
  • London Guide: Our Favorite Restaurants in London – London Restaurant Recommendations for Americans – What’s Your Favorite?

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Support Londontopia

Search our Extensive Archive

Top 10 London

  • Ten Unusual Exhibits to See in London
  • London Pubs: Ten Thameside Pubs for a Pint and a View
  • Top 10 London: Ten More Things to Do Along the River Thames
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Shopping Centers in London
  • Museums of London: Ten Overlooked London Museums
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haggerston
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haringey
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Redbridge
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Hillingdon
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Canonbury

Recent Posts

  • Match Girls’ Strike of 1888 commemorated with blue plaque in east London
  • British Museum launches hieroglyphs exhibition to mark special anniversary
  • New giant waterlily and ‘botanical wonder of the world’ discovered in Kew
  • Wacky racers descend on Alexandra Palace for soapbox challenge
  • Eurostar boosts train services between London and Amsterdam
  • London City Airport bids to ease Saturday flight ban
  • London Alert: Announcing the Beautiful London Annual for 2023 – Special Holiday Weekend Pre-order Offer!
  • Freddie Mercury’s childhood stamp collection to go on display this summer at The Postal Museum
  • Heathrow Airport told to reduce passenger charges
  • City of London urged to reconsider plans to demolish historic Barbican buildings and Museum of London

Best Posts on Londontopia

  • 101 London Travel Tips
  • Top 100 London Attractions
  • How to Find the Cheapest Airfares to London
  • 10 Things NOT to do in London
  • Best London Guidebooks
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • London Lingo – A London Word Dictionary
  • Top 7 Tips for Doing London on the Cheap
  • Top 11 Myths American Believe about London
  • Guide to Eating in London
  • Best Times of Year to Travel to London
  • London Packing Tips
  • Top 11 Movies Set in London
  • Top Attractions off the Tourist Track
  • Top 5 Most Amazing London Hotels
  • Top 10 Hostels in London
  • Best Views in London Restuarants
  • London Taxi Ettiquette
  • Top 12 London Views
  • Great Fire of London
  • A Guide to Five of London’s Bridges
  • 10 Random Facts and Figures about Trafalgar Square
  • Top 100 British Slang Words

London Places to Explore

Bloomsbury Buckingham Palace Canary Wharf City of London Covent Garden Cutty Sark Greenwich Hampstead Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Houses of Parliament Hyde Park Imperial War Museum Islington Kensington Kensington Palace Leicester Square London London Eye London Transport Museum Museum of London National Gallery Notting Hill Piccadilly Circus Putney Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Regent's Street Royal Academy Selfridges Somerset House Southbank Southwark St Pancras St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern The City Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square V&A Wandsworth West End Westminster Westminster Abbey

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Recent Videos

Walk Around London Virtually Right Now – Watched Walker is the YouTube Channel We All Need Right Now

Jason Hawkes Shares a Beautiful Video of London From Above That We All Need Right now

London Tube: You’ve Got to Watch This Amazing Mesmerizing Animation That Shows the Real Geography of the London Underground

Video: The Basics of Crossrail – London’s New Underground Line

London History: The Place Where Old London Double Decker Buses Went to Die

London Video: A Look at the Great Smog of London

London Alert: Announcing Our latest book – London Tube 101 – History, Culture, and Travel on London’s Transport Network

Tube Histories: A Brief History of Docklands Light Railway

London Alert: Passengers told to avoid Tube on Monday during 24-hour RMT strike

Tube Histories: A Brief History of the District Line

It’s a hit! More than one million journeys were made on new central section of the Elizabeth line

Laura’s London: Elizabeth Line Opening Day First Person Report

Footer

About Londontopia

Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!

When We’re in London Next

We don’t currently have any travel plans to London but hope to visit at some point in 2021.

  • SEO Backlinks
  • Travel Blog

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Copyright © 2022 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.