London Victoria

Victoria National Rail Station

Victoria train station was built between 1860/1862 and was a joint venture between “The Victoria Station and Pimlico Railway Company”. This company was set up in 1858 to take trains over the river to meet up with the “Great Exhibition” that had recently moved to Sydenham from Hyde Park. The station was built in two parts and was used by four different railway companies “The Great Western (GWR), London & North Western (LNWR), The London, Brighton and South coast (LBSCR) and The London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR)”.

The west side of the station opened first on 1^st October 1862 and was used by the Brighton and south coast lines. The station became very popular with the public and was a huge success. The western side of the station also had an hotel incorporated into it called “The Grosvenor” which had 300 rooms. The eastern side of the station opened shortly afterwards. The stations were designed by the then London, Brighton and South Coast Railway engineer Mr R Jacob Hood and was mostly constructed of wood. The eastern side of the station was much more shabby in appearance than the western side and was occupy by “The Chatham Company” and “GWR”. It had nine tracks leading into the station and some of the lines were built through what was once the basin of the Grosvenor Canal.

At the turn of the century which was around 40 years after the original station was built. The station had became very overcrowded and shabby. The railway management decided to build a new station on the western and eastern side. The new station was to be a much bigger station and a much more well planned one. The station was to be designed by Sir Charles Morgan. There was to be a new section along Buckingham Palace Road which was 9 storeys high and form the main bulk of the new Grosvenor hotel that was rebuilt as part of the development. The main feature of the station was its french style pavilion glass roofs. The new station was opened on 1^st July 1908. The eastern side of the station was designed in Edwardian style with baroque elements in white stone opened a year later in 1909. The eastern side was designed by Mr Alfred Bloomfield. The two buildings are very contrasting to each other in there appearance. The stations ended up being connected in 1924 when it was decided to taking down part of a screen wall that separated the two stations. The platforms were extended length ways in the same year. This was to accommodate the increase in passages and travellers. The platforms were done this way because there was little scope to develop the station in any other way due to the increase transport in the area. During the WW1 the eastern side of the station played an important role in ferrying the troops to seaside ports for transport to France and bring the wounded back again.

Over the years Victoria Station has become a very busy place for travellers from all other the world. To meet this demand the London tourist board have employed visitor information guides to help you if you are lost or just need to ask a question. These tour guides are situated in and around the station. You also have people travelling there from all over the country by coach to the Victoria coach station which is just around the corner from the main line rail station to catch a train to the coast to catch a ferry to France and other destinations and vice verse. What ever time you go to Victoria it is always a busy place with everyone going, coming or waiting for someone.