A visit by tube and train to some of London's first cross-city mainline railways
Below - 1999 tube & train map showing the Thameslink system at the time towards the centre of the map.
The Thameslink scheme of the 1980s allowed suburban services that had previously terminated at St Pancras from the north and Blackfriars from the south to cross London without the need for passengers to change stations across London. The route across London used existing tunnels that were primarily built for transferring freight between the various railway companies as well as serving goods sheds around the Smithfield Markets. Through passenger services were operated from early days but were discontinued in 1916 by which time tube and tram links had improved and the train paths were needed for materials and troop movements for the war effort of the First World War. Proposals for reviving it as a cross city passenger route came after WW2 but post war there wasn't the money to do it. Through freight ceased in 1970 and track was removed from the Snow Hill tunnel between Farringdon and Blackfriars.
Suburban trains also ran under London between Kings Cross and Moorgate on the City Widened lines from 1866. This was a scheme by the Metropolitan Railway to connect with the Great Northern Railway at Kings Cross and the Midland Railway at St Pancras. The lines were widened to four tracks between Kings Cross / St Pancras and Moorgate with two tracks for Metropolitan trains and two for "mainline" trains (though the original Metropolitan system was more like a mainline in its own right than the modern tube line that still bears its name). In to the 1970s diesel trains (either multiple units or class 31 locos on suburban coaches) ran from the former GNR lines to Moorgate. The widened lines were electrified by 1983 for services between Bedford (on the former Midland line, the connections at Kings Cross then being severed) and Moorgate. The success of this service no doubt helped build the case for reopening the link from Farringdon to Blackfriars and Thameslink was opened in 1988. It soon proved far more popular than predicted and the Thameslink 2000 upgrade (renamed Thameslink Program as timescales came and went) saw capacity increased and new connections to the former GNR in the north and additional destinations in the south as well as 12 coach trains. Ironically these longer trains meant the abandonment of the Widened Lines from Farringdon to Moorgate, though both these stops would be on the new East - West Elizabeth Line that further expanded London's cross city mainline rail connections.
BLACKFRIARS BRIDGE
The original Blackfriars Bridge station was on the south bank of the Thames, opening in 1864. Blackfriars Bridge station closed in 1885 following expansion of the stations on the north bank of the river, the station site continued in use for goods. More information about the former station can be found on the Disused Stations site. One of the approach ramps for road traffic to the goods yard survives but is now in a building site.
ST PAUL'S / BLACKFRIARS
After delays in the bridge construction St Paul's station opened on the north bank later in 1864. St Paul's was renamed Blackfriars in 1937. The tracks were soon widened with a second bridge alongside but the original bridge was condemned and removed in 1985 leaving just the pillars of the original bridge. Today the station is on the second bridge itself with entrances on both sides of the river, that on the south bank being close to the site of the original Blackfriars Bridge station and on the north bank on the St Paul's station site. Disused Stations page
Below - The bridge now carrying the current Blackfriars station over the river.
LUDGATE HILL
Ludgate Hill was initially two island platforms on a high level just north of Blackfriars, later just one wider island platform on the slow lines that headed to the Snow Hill tunnels and no platform on the lines heading in to Holborn Viaduct station. It closed in 1929 when it wasn't possible to extend the station to take longer trains (this becomes a recurring theme). Nothing remains of the station today. Shortly after the Thameslink route was opened in 1988 it was closed again for four months in 1990 while it was realigned close to the site of Ludgate Hill to dive underground, crossing under rather than over the Ludgate Hill road and then in to the new St Pauls Thameslink station, soon renamed City Thameslink. The south entrance to this station is close to the site of Ludgate Hill station. Disused Stations page
HOLBORN VIADUCT /St Paul's Thameslink / City Thameslink
This was a high level terminus station for most trains from the south with two tracks diverging just south of the station and diving in to the Snow Hill tunnel. It remained open until 1990 when it was replaced by the new low level St Pauls Thameslink station on the through route across the city with the tracks now diving underground further south at the Ludgate Hill station site. This freed up the station site for redevelopment. A hotel above the station entrance was damaged in WW2 and replaced with an office block in 1963. The north entrance of what is now City Thameslink station is on the site of the entrance to Holborn Viaduct station through the same 1963 office building which has since been facelifted to look like a more modern development. Disused Stations page
SNOW HILL
Holborn Viaduct did effectively have low level platforms on the adjacent Snow Hill station. The station opened in 1874 and closed in 1916 when through services were withdrawn. The platforms survive but are underground and can't be seen. Disused Stations page
Immediately north of Snow Hill station was the triangular junction with the City Widened lines. I took a tube to Moorgate on the former Metropolitan Railway lines that paralleled the City Widened lines.
MOORGATE
1916 Map (top left of map)
As I mentioned, the Metropolitan Railway was effectively a mainline railway with locomotive hauled trains and proper stations with all the facilities of a mainline terminus. Moorgate station can be seen on the map as an above ground station with terminus platforms, canopies and a roof over the concourse and a cab road. There were even plans for a grand hotel over the station, these days offices for Deutsche Bank and other financial institutions occupy the site above the station which was a more useful destination for city commuters than the termini at Kings Cross and St Pancras. Two Metropolitan tracks carried on east to Liverpool Street and Aldgate.
Two more two track lines were built at right angles to the Metropolitan / Widened Lines station with platforms beneath Finsbury Pavement; the City & South London Railway, later Northern Line, and the Great Northern & City Railway from Finsbury Park. The latter, known as the Northern City Line, was cut back to Drayton Park in 1964 for the construction of the Victoria Line, it reopened to BR's Finsbury Park station in 1968 and was taken over by BR in 1975, allowing the now electrified mainline trains to run from the former Great Northern lines in to Moorgate via the Northern City Line rather than the Widened Lines. National Rail services, under the Great Northern franchise, still operate this route with class 717 electric units, similar to the 700 units that operate Thameslink but with shorter trains and end doors for the eventuality of an evacuation in the narrower tunnels. There has been talk for some time of the services out of Moorgate being added to Transport For London's Overground networks.
Below - The station entrance on Short Street, now Moor Place, seen on the old map. This is above the City & South London Railway, now Northern Line, platforms. In the background the entrance on Finsbury Pavement can be seen.
Below - The entrance on Finsbury Pavement above the former Great Northern & City Railway platforms, now used by Great Northern's mainline suburban services to Welwyn Garden City and Stevenage.
Below - Underneath the modern offices built over the Widened Lines and Metropolitan Railway lines platforms. The fenced off platform on the left is the former platform 6, the last Thameslink service left here in 2009 and this platform as well as platform 5 next to it have been disused since with the track severed by the extension of the platforms over the former junction at Farringdon.
Below - The former platform 5 and 6 on the left. On the right the bay platforms 4 and 3 are still used by morning and evening tube trains that start and terminate here.
Below - Looking across the tube bay platforms to the disused Widened Lines bay platforms. One of the station signs has been given the Metropolitan Railway's predecessor to the underground logo.
From Moorgate I took the tube one stop to Barbican
1936 Map (top right of map)
ALDERSGATE / BARBICAN
Opened in 1865 as Aldersgate Street, it was renamed as Aldersgate & Barbican and finally Barbican in 1968.
Below - The disused Widened Lines platforms on the left with the active tube station on the right. The widened lines closed to diesel trains from the former GNR lines in 1976 and opened to electric trains from Bedford on the Midland route in 1983, closing in 2009. In later years Thameslink services to Moorgate were cut back to Monday - Friday peak times as capacity was increased on the North - South routes.
Below - The track is severed around the tunnel entrance.
FARRINGDON
Opened as Farringdon Street in 1863, it was a terminus for a couple of years while the line to Moorgate was built.
Below - The tube lines on the left and the Thameslink route on the right looking towards Moorgate / Blackfriars respectively. Immediately beyond the road tunnel was the junction with the Blackfriars and Moorgate routes, now the platforms continue under the street. On the other side of the street a new entrance for the station stands face to face with the 1936 built Metropolitan Railway station building at the end of the station roof. The new building is above the Elizabeth Line platforms that cut across the site at 90 degrees on a lower level. It is now possible to change for the Elizabeth Line for Moorgate, the Elizabeth Line's Liverpool Street station has connections to Moorgate station as well as connecting with the mainline station at Liverpool Street. Farringdon has become the meeting point of North - South and East - West cross-city lines.
1877 Map (bottom centre of map)
The Widened Lines and Metropolitan lines crossed over just north of Farringdon station, continuing in parallel tunnels and cuttings to the Metropolitan's Kings Cross station.
KINGS CROSS METROPOLITAN / KINGS CROSS THAMESLINK
Seen in the top left of the above map, note the map shows the location of tunnels with dotted lines.
Opened as Kings Cross Metropolitan in 1863. The platforms on what are now the tube platforms were closed in 1940, replaced by platforms closer to St Pancras station. The location of the Metropolitan platforms can be seen from passing tube trains. The Widened Line platforms were closed in 1973 and reopened in 1983 for the Bedford - Moorgate Services as Kings Cross Midland City until it was renamed Kings Cross Thameslink with the introduction of North - South services in 1988. It closed a couple of years ahead of Barbican and Moorgate's Widened Lines platforms in 2007 having been replaced with a new station with longer and wider platforms beneath St Pancras station.
Below - The former Kings Cross Thameslink station today
Below - The station also had it's own an entrance to the Underground station via a corridor below street level to platforms beneath the front of Kings Cross station, this remained open until the Covid pandemic in 2020 and never reopened. A few years ago it was still possible to peer through the windows in to the former Thameslink station.
Below - The steps that once went down to the platforms just leading to locked doors. These platforms also survive and can be seen from passing train with "Do Not Alight Here" signs. Note the tile artwork on the left with the intertwined BR and Underground logos.
Below - The ticket office.
KINGS CROSS YORK ROAD / KINGS CROSS SUBURBAN
The tunnels emerged either side of the mainline Kings Cross station and platforms for suburban services were provided at either side of the mainline station. Moorgate and southbound services stopped at a separate York Road station alongside Kings Cross to the East while northbound services stopped at a through platform on the Suburban station on the west side of the mainline platforms.
Below - York Road station was beneath where I am standing on this view of Kings Cross today. The ramp access to it was reused for access to the signal box (I didn't poke my camera through the security fencing here). Until recently it was possible to see where the suburban station and tunnel entrance had been as the stub of the line was used to stable a standby diesel loco. Since the recent refurbishment of the station an extra platform, platform 0, has been provided beneath the offices along the east side of the station, the track for which can be seen on the bottom left. The small roof of the surviving bit of Kings Cross Suburban station can be seen on the right, the through platform from the tunnel was where the new building alongside the station now stands.
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