Euston station
Facade of Euston Station, London
Euston is located in the London Borough of Camden, on the northern edge of the city centre, just outside the congestion charge zone.
Train services into Euston are run by Virgin Trains and Silverlink, with Scotrail overnight sleeper train services to Scotland.
Although the present station building is relatively modern, Euston was the first inter-city railway station to be built in London.
The original station was opened on July 20, 1837, as the terminus of the London and Birmingham Railway constructed by Robert Stephenson. It was designed by Philip Hardwick with a 200ft (61m) long engine shed by Charles Fox. Initially it had only two platforms, one for departures and one for arrivals. Until 1844, trains had to be pulled up the hill to Camden Town by cables as they did not have enough power to get there under their own steam.
The station grew rapidly over the following years as traffic increased. It was greatly expanded in the 1840s, with the opening in 1849 of the spectacular Great Hall, built in classical style. It was 125 feet long, 61 feet wide and 62 feet high (38.1 by 18.6 by 18.9 m), with a coffered ceiling and a sweeping double flight of stairs leading to offices at the northern end of the hall. A 72 foot (21.9 m) high Doric arch was erected at the station's entrance to serve as a portico; this became renowned as the Euston Arch.
The station and the railway that it served experienced several changes in management, being owned in turn by the London and North Western Railway (1846–1922), the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (1923–1947) and British Rail (1947–1993).
Euston station concourse
In the early 1960s it was decided that the old building was no longer adequate and needed replacing. Amid much public outcry the old station building (including the famous Euston Arch) was demolished in 1962 and replaced by a new building, which opened in 1968. The modern station is very much a creation of 1960s architecture. It is a long, low structure with a frontage of some 647 feet and a very functional (and windswept) concrete exterior. Part of the station building includes two office towers which look out onto adjacent Midland Road and Eversholt Street. The station itself has a single large concourse populated with the usual assortment of shops and eateries, separated from the somewhat bleak train shed. A couple of small remnants of the older station were kept, close to Euston Road, but were hardly an effective sop to those offended by the loss of the former building. The station is set back much further than the 19th century original and since the construction of additional office buildings in front of it, it is effectively screened from view from the road.
Euston is widely regarded as the ugliest and the most unpleasant of all of the Central London rail termini. The dark ramps which passengers have to descend from the concourse down to platform level seem claustrophobic to many, while the concrete-adorned square outside the entrance is a popular stamping ground for beggars (who also frequent the station concourse itself), and rough sleepers. It is unfortunate that this is the first view that many visitors and tourists get of the capital.
Following privatisation of the railways in the 1990s, train services were taken over by private companies, on a franchise. The station itself was taken over by Railtrack and was subsequently transferred to Network Rail.
Euston has an associated London Underground station. On the Bank branch of the Northern Line, this is between Camden Town and Kings Cross St Pancras. On the Charing Cross branch it is between Mornington Crescent and Warren Street. Victoria Line platforms opened on December 1, 1969. These provide cross-platform interchange with the Northern Line's City branch but unusually the trains enter the platforms in opposite directions to each other due to the Northern Line running in a southeast to northwest direction and the Victoria Line running southwest to northeast in the area.
Euston is notable for not having the Circle Line serving the station within the complex. However Euston Square tube station is just 250m away and officially serves as an interchange for the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines.
History
Underground Station
External links
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