| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
Euston is located in the London Borough of Camden, on the northern edge of the city centre, just outside the congestion charge zone.
Train services into Euston are run by Virgin Trains and Silverlink, with First ScotRail overnight sleeper train services to Scotland.
Although the present station building is in the International Modern style, Euston was the first inter-city railway station to be built in London. Its Greek Revival Doric portal, "Euston Arch", introduced the concept of a monumental railway station as the modern portal to a city. Its loss helped galvanize the environmental conservation movement in Britain, which had previously been focused on preserving aristocratic power houses, picturesque vernacular architecture and unspoilt landscapes. The loss of the original Pennsylvania StationFor the Pennsylvania Station in Newark, New Jersey or Baltimore, Maryland, see Pennsylvania Station (Newark) or Pennsylvania Station (Baltimore). Pennsylvania Station is one of New York City's main railway stations. Commonly known as "Penn Station," it is in the United States has been referenced as comparable.
The original station was opened on July 20July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 164 days remaining. Events 1304 Fall of Stirling Castle: Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold in the Wars of Scottish Independence. 1712 In the Unite, 1837Events January 10 DePauw University founded in Greencastle, Indiana January 26 Michigan is admitted as the 26th U. State February 8 Richard Johnson becomes the first Vice President of the United States chosen by the United States Senate February 11 Americ, as the terminus of the London and Birmingham RailwayThe London and Birmingham Railway L&BR was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846 when it becam a constituent part of the London and North Western Railway. The railway line that the company built and owned betw constructed by Robert StephensonRobert Stephenson FRS ( October 16, 1803 October 12, 1859) was an English civil engineer. He was the only son of George Stephenson, the famed railway and locomotive engineer; many of the achievements popularly credited to his father were actually joint ef. It was designed by a well-known classically trained architect, Philip HardwickSir Philip Hardwick ( 1792- 1870) was an architect (son of architect Thomas Hardwick) particularly associated with transport-related buildings (eg: railway stations, warehouses) in London and elsewhere. Like Inigo Jones some 200 years earlier, Hardwick wa, with a 200 ftA foot is a non- SI unit of distance or length. The popular belief is that original standard was the length of a man's foot. The average foot length is about 240 mm (9. 4 in) for current Europeans. About 996 of 1000 British men have a foot that is less th ( 61mTo help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10 m and 100 m. See also lengths of other orders of magnitude. Shorter distances 10 m is equal to: 1 decametre 1,000 centimetres 10,000 millimetres 32. 8 feet side of square wit) long engine shed by structural engineer Charles Fox . Initially it had only two platforms, one for departures and one for arrivals. Until 1844, trains had to be pulled up the hill to Camden Town by cables as they did not have enough power to get there under their own steam.
The station grew rapidly over the following years as traffic increased. It was greatly expanded in the 1840s, with the opening in 1849 of the spectacular Great Hall, built in classical style. It was 125 feet long, 61 feet wide and 62 feet high (38.1 by 18.6 by 18.9 m), with a coffered ceiling and a sweeping double flight of stairs leading to offices at the northern end of the hall. A 72 foot (21.9 m) high Doric arch was erected at the station's entrance to serve as a portico; this became renowned as the Euston Arch.
The station and the railway that it served experienced several changes in management, being owned in turn by the London and North Western Railway ( 1846– 1922), the London, Midland and Scottish Railway ( 1923– 1947) and British Rail ( 1947– 1993).
In the early 1960s it was decided that the old building was no longer adequate and needed replacing. Amid much public outcry the old station building (including the famous Euston Arch) was demolished in 1962 and replaced by a new building, which opened in 1968. The modern station is very much a creation of 1960s architecture. It is a long, low structure with a frontage of some 647 feet and a very functional (and windswept) concrete exterior. Part of the station building includes two office towers which look out onto adjacent Melton Street and Eversholt Street. The station itself has a single large concourse populated with the usual assortment of shops and eateries, separated from the somewhat bleak train shed. A couple of small remnants of the older station were kept, close to Euston Road, but were hardly an effective sop to those offended by the loss of the former building. The station is set back much further than the 19th century original and since the construction of additional office buildings in front of it, it is effectively screened from view from the road.
Euston is widely regarded as the ugliest and the most unpleasant of all of the Central London rail termini. The dark ramps which passengers have to descend from the concourse down to platform level seem claustrophobic to many, while the concrete-adorned square outside the entrance is a popular stamping ground for beggars (who also frequent the station concourse itself), and rough sleepers. It is unfortunate that this is the first view that many visitors and tourists get of the capital.
Following privatisation of the railways in the 1990s, train services were taken over by private companies, on a franchise. The station itself was taken over by Railtrack and was subsequently transferred to Network Rail.