Broad Street railway station (London)

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Coordinates: 51°31′08″N 0°05′00″W / 51.51889, -0.083333

Broad Street
Location
Place City of London
History
Opened by North London Railway
Platforms 9
Key dates Opened 1 November 1865 [1]
Closed 30 June 1986[1]
Replaced by none
The Broad Street line in 1899
The Broad Street line in 1899
Class 501 train waiting for departure at Broad Street
Class 501 train waiting for departure at Broad Street
Class 313 train at Watford Junction working the service to Broad Street
Class 313 train at Watford Junction working the service to Broad Street

Broad Street station was a major railway station in the City of London, the terminus for the North London Railway. It closed in 1986 and was demolished. It is the only central London railway terminus to have closed without a direct replacement.

Contents

[edit] Opening

The station was opened in 1865 as the terminus of a network of commuter railways linking east and west London via the looping route of the North London Line. With nine platforms at its peak, it became the third busiest London station (after Liverpool Street, immediately adjacent, and Victoria). At the start of the 20th century, more than one train a minute arrived or left the station during the morning rush hour, with over 27 million passengers in 1902. The Great Northern Railway also used Broad Street, as a supplement to its King's Cross terminal some miles to the west.

However, the North London Line lost most of its passengers to the expansion of the bus, tram and Tube networks and the station became increasingly poorly used. It was badly damaged in World War II and was never fully repaired, while local services to Poplar were withdrawn and not reinstated.

[edit] Rundown and closure

The main station building closed in 1956, passengers being directed to a new concourse level building at the platform entrance to buy tickets. It was earmarked for closure under the Beeching Axe of 1963, but local opposition persuaded the government to give it a reprieve. However, the station was gradually run down and the level of service was steadily reduced.

In 1967 the major part of the train shed roof was removed, having become unsafe, whilst four of the nine platforms were taken out of use in 1969, the same year that the goods yard closed. In 1976, peak hour services to the Eastern Region were withdrawn with the opening of the Northern City Line, and a further platform was disconnected. The station was now very dilapidated, with trees growing in between the disused platforms.

By 1985, only 6,000 passengers per week were using Broad Street station and only about 300 arrived daily in the morning peak. In May 1985 the service to Richmond was diverted away from Broad Street, leaving only the peak hour Watford Junction services. It was agreed that Broad Street would be closed with the last remaining trains diverted to Liverpool Street once a new connecting chord was built from the North London line. Until this was done, it was possible to accommodate this last service from the outer end of one platform, and therefore in November that year demolition of the station began. The remaining single platform was used until 28 June 1986, when the station was finally closed along with Dalston Junction, the other remaining station on the North London Line's City branch.

Broad Street station was replaced with the giant Broadgate office and shopping complex, and nothing remains of the station. However, three giant girders which formerly supported a now demolished part of the viaduct approaching Broad Street now form a feature at the Broadgate entrance to Liverpool Street (on the corner of Eldon Street and Blomfield Street). Nonetheless, most of this viaduct, leading to the North London Line, remains largely intact. It is currently in the process of being restored to carry the East London Line along the old trackbed as far as Highbury & Islington station.

Paul McCartney's 1984 feature film and album of the same name, Give My Regards to Broad Street, was inspired by the station. In one of the last scenes of the film, Paul walks into the station and sits alone on one of its benches.

Preceding station Disused railways Following station
Terminus   North London Railway   Shoreditch
Terminus   British Rail
London Midland Region
North London Line (City Branch)		   Dalston Junction

[edit] The goods station

Broad Street goods station was next to the passenger station. It was built on a deck, and a lift was provided to move wagons down to warehouses below. The deck was not strong enough to carry locomotives, so shunting was done by rope and capstan.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Broad Street railway station at Subterranea Britannica - Nick Catford - Accessed 1 September 2007

[edit] External links

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[edit] See also

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