King's Cross St. Pancras tube station
Encyclopedia
King's Cross St. Pancras is a tube station in the London Borough of Camden
, on the London Underground
network, serving both King's Cross and main line stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 1
. It is the fourth busiest station on the system and serves more lines than any other station.
The first underground station at King's Cross opened as part of the original section of the Metropolitan Railway
in 1863 and was rearranged in 1868 and 1926. New platforms for the sub-surface lines of the Underground were opened about 400 m (437.4 yd) to the west in 1941 to make interchanging between the sub-surface lines and the deep tube lines easier; part of what remains of the old station is located at the former station, which has been wholly disused since 9 December 2007 when the Thameslink service moved to St Pancras International. One of the long-disused original platforms may be seen from Underground trains travelling between the present station and .
The Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway
(GNP&BR, now part of the Piccadilly line) platforms opened with the rest of the line in December 1906, while the City & South London Railway
(C&SLR, now part of the Northern line) arrived in May 1907. The Victoria line platforms came into use on 1 December 1968 with the opening of the second phase of the line. The Victoria line escalator
s cut through the location of the original Piccadilly line lifts
.
On 18 November 1987 the station was the scene of the devastating King's Cross fire
. The cause was attributed to a lit match falling into, and setting fire to, an escalator machine room, combined with a then-unknown fire phenomenon known as the Trench effect
, which caused the fire to suddenly and violently explode into the station, killing thirty-one people. As a result, fire safety procedures on the Underground were tightened, staff training was improved and wooden steps on escalators were replaced with metal ones. The existing prohibition of smoking throughout the London Underground network was tightened as a result. Due to the extensive damage caused by the fire, it took over a year to repair and reopen the station; the Northern line platforms and the escalators from the ticket hall to the Piccadilly line remained closed until 5 March 1989.
On 7 July 2005, as part of a co-ordinated bomb attack
, an explosion in a Piccadilly line train travelling between King's Cross St. Pancras and Russell Square resulted in the deaths of 26 people.
has been safeguarded, including a connection at King's Cross St. Pancras. The proposed scheme would offer a second direct rail connection between King's Cross and in addition to the existing Victoria line
. The locations for any new stations on the route will depend on the loading gauge
of the final scheme. In the 2007 safeguarded route, the next stations would be and .
on the Piccadilly line
, to serve the Kings Cross Central development and help relieve congestion at King's Cross St Pancras. York Road station closed in 1932 and is located about 600 m (656.2 yd) north of King's Cross St Pancras.
, 17
, 30
, 45, 46, 59
, 63
, 73
, 91, 205
, 214
, 259, 390, 476 and night route N63, N73 and N91 all serve the station.
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
, on the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
network, serving both King's Cross and main line stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 1
Travelcard Zone 1
Fare zone 1 is the central zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services. For most tickets, travel through the zone is charged...
. It is the fourth busiest station on the system and serves more lines than any other station.
Interchange
King's Cross St. Pancras is the biggest interchange station on the London Underground, with six lines on four pairs of tracks:- On the Hammersmith & CityHammersmith & City LineThe Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map...
/ Circle / Metropolitan lineMetropolitan LineThe Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
s, between (west) and (east). The three lines share common tracks in this area. - On the Northern lineNorthern LineThe Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
it is on the branch, between (north) and (south). - On the Piccadilly linePiccadilly LineThe Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
it is between (south-west) and (north-east). - On the Victoria lineVictoria LineThe Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...
it is between Euston (south) and (north).
Development
The underground part of the station underwent extensive remodelling works to increase throughflow of passengers resulting from the opening of High Speed 1. The ticket offices in the main ticket hall were closed for a long period until May 2006. The expanded station now has four entrances, the fourth being completed in November 2009.- The main existing ticket hall (sometimes referred to as the "Tube Ticket Hall") in front of King's Cross station: this has been expanded and refurbished and will be signposted as 'Euston Road' way out from the tube lines. As of June 2009, much of the escalator access to this area is under refubishment, and passengers may have to walk a considerable distance to get from the ticket office to the platforms including one of the longest transfers in London Underground history from the Hammersmith and City Line to the Northern Line that takes passengers through the Piccadilly Line section of the station and onto a myriad of corridors.
- The Pentonville Road entrance: this used to be the ticket hall to station and also had direct underground passageway connections to the Victoria and Piccadilly lines. It was taken over by London Underground when the Thameslink platforms closed. The entrance is not open at weekends and the ticket office has been permanently closed with only limited passenger-operated ticket machines left in operation.
- The Western Ticket Hall (Phase 1): this is under the forecourt of St Pancras station, adjacent to Euston RoadEuston RoadEuston Road is an important thoroughfare in central London, England, and forms part of the A501. It is part of the New Road from Paddington to Islington, and was opened as part of the New Road in 1756...
. It provides access to St Pancras Station via the new passenger facilities which have been created in St Pancras's undercroft. The Ticket Hall, which was built by a CostainCostain GroupCostain Group plc is a British construction and civil engineering company headquartered in Maidenhead. It was part of the original Channel Tunnel consortium and is involved in Private Finance Initiative projects.-History:...
/ Taylor Woodrow ConstructionTaylor WoodrowTaylor Woodrow was one of the largest British housebuilding and general construction companies. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but merged with rival George Wimpey to create Taylor Wimpey on 3 July 2007.-Early years:Frank Taylor was...
joint venture, opened on 28 May 2006. - The Northern Ticket Hall (Phase 2): this is west of King's Cross station platform 8, underneath the new main concourse. The London Underground ticket hall and associated connections to the deep-level tube lines were opened on 29 November 2009. The hall is convenient for the proposed King's Cross CentralKing's Cross CentralKing's Cross Central is a multi-billion pound mixed-use property development in central London. The site is owned and controlled by London and Continental Railways and Exel, which selected Argent St George to be the developer for King's Cross Central, after an extensive selection process...
development and has a direct connection to the transverse passageway of St Pancras mainline station and is signposted as the 'Regent's Canal' way out from the tube lines.
History
Metropolitan railway
Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...
in 1863 and was rearranged in 1868 and 1926. New platforms for the sub-surface lines of the Underground were opened about 400 m (437.4 yd) to the west in 1941 to make interchanging between the sub-surface lines and the deep tube lines easier; part of what remains of the old station is located at the former station, which has been wholly disused since 9 December 2007 when the Thameslink service moved to St Pancras International. One of the long-disused original platforms may be seen from Underground trains travelling between the present station and .
The Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway
Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway
The Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway , also known as the Piccadilly tube, was a railway company established in 1902 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London. The GNP&BR was formed through a merger of two older companies, the Brompton and Piccadilly Circus...
(GNP&BR, now part of the Piccadilly line) platforms opened with the rest of the line in December 1906, while the City & South London Railway
City & South London Railway
The City and South London Railway was the first deep-level underground "tube" railway in the world, and the first major railway to use electric traction...
(C&SLR, now part of the Northern line) arrived in May 1907. The Victoria line platforms came into use on 1 December 1968 with the opening of the second phase of the line. The Victoria line escalator
Escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.Escalators are used around the...
s cut through the location of the original Piccadilly line lifts
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
.
King's Cross fire
The King's Cross St. Pancras tube station fire was a fatal fire on the London Underground. It broke out at approximately 19:30 on 18 November 1987, and killed 31 people....
. The cause was attributed to a lit match falling into, and setting fire to, an escalator machine room, combined with a then-unknown fire phenomenon known as the Trench effect
Trench effect
The trench effect is a combination of circumstances that can rush a fire up an inclined surface. It depends on two well-understood but separate ideas: the Coandă effect from fluid dynamics and the flashover concept from fire dynamics....
, which caused the fire to suddenly and violently explode into the station, killing thirty-one people. As a result, fire safety procedures on the Underground were tightened, staff training was improved and wooden steps on escalators were replaced with metal ones. The existing prohibition of smoking throughout the London Underground network was tightened as a result. Due to the extensive damage caused by the fire, it took over a year to repair and reopen the station; the Northern line platforms and the escalators from the ticket hall to the Piccadilly line remained closed until 5 March 1989.
On 7 July 2005, as part of a co-ordinated bomb attack
7 July 2005 London bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
, an explosion in a Piccadilly line train travelling between King's Cross St. Pancras and Russell Square resulted in the deaths of 26 people.
Crossrail 2
Since 1991, a route for a potential Crossrail 2Chelsea-Hackney Line
The Chelsea–Hackney line is a safeguarded route for an underground railway running from south-west London to north-east London...
has been safeguarded, including a connection at King's Cross St. Pancras. The proposed scheme would offer a second direct rail connection between King's Cross and in addition to the existing Victoria line
Victoria Line
The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...
. The locations for any new stations on the route will depend on the loading gauge
Loading gauge
A loading gauge defines the maximum height and width for railway vehicles and their loads to ensure safe passage through bridges, tunnels and other structures...
of the final scheme. In the 2007 safeguarded route, the next stations would be and .
York Road
In 2005 a business case was prepared to re-open the disused York Road tube stationYork Road tube station
York Road tube station is a disused station on the London Underground. It opened on 15 December 1906 and was one of the original stations on the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway , now the Piccadilly line....
on the Piccadilly line
Piccadilly Line
The Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
, to serve the Kings Cross Central development and help relieve congestion at King's Cross St Pancras. York Road station closed in 1932 and is located about 600 m (656.2 yd) north of King's Cross St Pancras.
Transport links
London bus routes 10London Buses route 10
London Buses route 10 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to London United.-History:...
, 17
London Buses route 17
London Buses route 17 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
, 30
London Buses route 30
London Buses route 30 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to First Capital.-History:Route 30 commenced operation on 8 May 1911 between Kings Cross and Fulham Cross...
, 45, 46, 59
London Buses route 59
London Buses route 59 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Arriva London.-History:...
, 63
London Buses route 63
London Buses route 63 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-History:...
, 73
London Buses route 73
London Buses route 73 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Arriva London...
, 91, 205
London Buses route 205
London Buses route 205 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Stagecoach London.-History:...
, 214
London Buses route 214
London Buses route 214 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
, 259, 390, 476 and night route N63, N73 and N91 all serve the station.
See also
- 7 July 2005 London bombings7 July 2005 London bombingsThe 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
- King's Cross fireKing's Cross fireThe King's Cross St. Pancras tube station fire was a fatal fire on the London Underground. It broke out at approximately 19:30 on 18 November 1987, and killed 31 people....
- London King's Cross railway station
- St. Pancras railway station
