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New horizon: Aerial view of Barlow’s historic train shed under reconstruction. The damaged Victorian roof was rejuvenated with 18,000 self-cleaning glass panes |
A station in the making
1863
• William Henry Barlow, an engineer for the Midland Railways, is commissioned to design St Pancras train station.
1865
• Gilbert Scott wins a competition to design the Gothic front façade of St Pancras, which becomes the Midland Grand Hotel.
1866
• Construction of the train hangar commences. The measurements are based on the size of ale barrels, the railway’s most lucrative goods.
1868
• The completed Barlow train shed arch spans 240 feet and is more than 100 feet high at its apex.
• Building of the Gothic front begins.
1873
• The Midland Grand Hotel opens to the public. It is one of the finest and most luxurious hotels in England.
1876
• The architect Scott is finally paid off, eight years after construction started.
The total costs for the building are £438,000.
1935
• The Midland Grand closes, ostensibly because of a bathroom shortage, and the building becomes railway offices, known as St Pancras Chambers.
1939 – 1945
• The station plays an important role, as it did in the First World War, acting as a meeting place for troops, a departure point for soldiers off to war, and transporting children out of London to safety.
• During the Blitz, in August 1942, the station is hit by a German doodlebug bomb. Despite knocking out much of the glass roof and causing superficial damage, Scott’s single-span roof withstands the blast and London Midland and Scottish Railway engineers soon have the platforms working again.
1962 – 1967
• Plans to amalgamate King’s Cross and St Pancras threaten the station with closure. Sir John Betjeman takes up the cause and in 1967 both the station and the hotel are Grade I listed.
1967 – 1995
• The St Pancras Chambers are used as British Rail offices until 1985. They fall vacant and subsequently into disrepair.
• Emergency safeguarding works are undertaken in the early 1990s to repair roof leaks and general decay.
1996
• Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) Act is passed by Parliament and London and Continental Railways (LCR) are commissioned by the government to build and operate Eurostar. LCR is responsible for design, construction and operation of the new high speed railway between London and the Channel Tunnel, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link
• Plans for the new St Pancras International and the high speed line begin in earnest.
1997
• The first tenders are issued for CTRL in April. Two months later advanced works begin.
2002
• Railtrack experiences financial difficulties and its interest in Section 1 of CTRL is sold to LCR. LCR is now the sole owner of the railway and the St Pancras property.
2003
• Section 1 of CTRL opens, on time and within budget.
2005
• Planning consent is granted for refurbishment of the hotel. Original rooms are incorporated into a five-star Marriott hotel, others become luxury apartments
2006
• CTRL becomes High Speed 1 on November 14.
2007
• One year on exactly, St Pancras International opens to the public and section 2 – the line between Ebbsfleet and St Pancras – is energised.
• In December St Pancras gains Thameslink platforms, replacing King’s Cross Thameslink.
2009
• Five-star Marriott hotel in the former St Pancras Chambers is scheduled to open and 67 new luxury apartments open at the same time.
2012
• St Pancras is the terminus for the Hitachi ‘Javelin’ trains. Japanese ‘bullet train’ technology, allows shuttles to run to Olympics site in Stratford in seven minutes.
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