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King’s Cross station history 1852- 2022
This year, King’s Cross station will be celebrating it’s 170th birthday.

Built in 1852, the station is one of London’s most iconic buildings and is older than the Houses of Parliament and Tower Bridge.

King’s Cross got its name from a statue of King George IV, located near the cross roads by the site of the station.

The area was historically known as Battle Bridge, as a bridge in the area crossed the River Fleet, London’s second largest river. The river now runs in a tunnel underground that runs beneath part of the station concourse.

The station was built on the outskirts of the city and originally only had two platforms. Arguably , the most famous passenger train that King’s Cross has seen is the Flying Scotsman, which still connects London to Edinburgh to this day.

Over the years, the station has seen major modernisation, from the original wooden roof being replaced with iron, to the recent East Coast Upgrade and major modernisation of the station concourse.

The station has featured in many major Hollywood films, such as the Harry Potter films, Wonder Woman and Mission Impossible.

Next to the sign, the year 170 is displayed, consisting of photos from the history of the station, as taken on that day Click for a larger image

The station itself was photographed that day Click for a larger image