King’s Cross Has Got Its Hat On!
I walked from King’s Cross to St. Pancras and the new roof can now be clearly seen and looks almost finished.
It’s certainly going to be much better than the old west facade damaged by German bombing in 1941.
Station Transfers at Kings Cross
I asked at the infornation desk how you get to Marylebone. I got a very unprofessional answer. Surely, when the new Kings Cross is finished, there should be information on how to get to the various other stations in London. I know all the links across London, and especially some that are not obvious, like Waterloo to Liverpool Street. It’s a 26 bus by the way.
I also hope when the new station is complete, that they sort out the buses as well. I use a 30 or 73 to get home from Kings Cross and there is a rather windy, unprotected stop in front of the station. Marylebone is also a station best got to from Kings Cross by a 205 bus. some of the buses are also good for getting to Euston, which has a rather terrible Underground station.
Perhaps though, Euston needs a properly designed pedestrian route from Kings Cross/St. Pancras, lined with cafes and shops and perhaps some form of light public transport, like bicycle rickshaws or small electric vehicles.
I’d possibly ban cars and trucks from Euston Road and run a low-floor bendy bus or tram from Paddington to Kings Cross and possibly all the way to Liverpool Street.
Network Rail Do the PR at Kings Cross
Kings Cross station is very much a building site at the moment, as the station is remodelled in time for the 2012 Olympics. The access to the five Underground lines that meet at the station and its more illustrious sister, St. Pancras, is now more or less complete, although some of the underground walks are a bit longer than they used to be. But access is better on the whole, especially for those with heavy luggage or short on mobility. As an example, when I met my friend from the Edinburgh train, we were able to use the lift to get to the subway to St. Pancras and then another lift up to Carluccio’s for a coffee. As she was going to Marylebone, we then descended back into the crypt at St. Pancras by lift and walked to the west side of the station to get a black cab for the trip up Euston Road.
Network Rail, East Coast and First Capital Connect had set up a model of the new station in the forecourt of Kings Cross.
A Model of the New Kings Cross Station
Note how the awful 1960s extension at the front has gone and there is a new public square in front of the station. You can also just see the new western extension to the station, which will contain customer services, shops and cafes. There will also be covered links to the Great Northern Hotel and St. Pancras. Effectively, the two stations will almost become one. In fact, there has been talk about numbering the platforms together.
I spent ten mintes talking to one of the Thameslink project managers and was impressed at the whole PR exercise. Developers, and especially those where large sums of public money are involved, should always explain what they are doing to those who use the area. Both sides might actually learn something to their future advantage. I visited London Bridge on Saturday and the whole station was a shambles because of the rebuilding, with little information to be found.
The New Kings Cross Station Takes Shape
Before catching the train back to Suffolk from King’s Cross, this afternoon, I walked between the station and St. Pancras and took this photo of the new station.
King's Cross Takes Shape
Hopefully, it’ll be ready in time for the Olympics. At least though, they’ve filled in the hole left by the Nazis in the Second World War.
The Anonymous Widower 