Broad Street railway station (London)

Broad Street was an important station in the British capital London. He lay on the northern edge of the City of London, next to Liverpool Street Station and served as the terminus of the railway company North London Railway. It was demolished in 1986 and is the only replacement abandoned railway terminus in central London.

History

The Broad Street station was opened in 1865 and served as the terminus of a larger network of suburban rail lines that connected the eastern and western parts of the city with the city center via the North London Line. He had nine platforms and had to Liverpool Street and Victoria the busiest station in London. At the beginning of the 20th century there were during the rush hour virtually every minute of a departure or an arrival. Alone in 1902 counted 27 million passengers, the train station. During some years, the Great Northern Railway went to Broad Street, to supplement their own King's Cross Station a few kilometers to the west.

However, the North London Line lost with time, most of their passengers to the expanding network of buses, trams and subways; the station was increasingly being used less. During the Second World War, he was badly damaged and then never wholly restored. The suburban traffic in the direction of Poplar in the Docklands was set during and after the war does not resume.

The closure of the main building took place in 1956, the passengers had their tickets buy in a provisional at the head end of the platforms. In 1963, the permanent closure was provided, but local interest groups convinced the government to grant a reprieve last the train station. However, nothing more has been invested in the maintenance and supply reduced step by step.

1967 had the largest part of the roof to be removed because of the danger of collapse. 1969 were permanently closed four of the nine platforms and the goods station. After the opening of the Northern City Line in 1976, the operation of suburban trains in the eastern suburbs during rush hour have been set. The station had been ruined; between the unused platforms grew even trees.

In 1985, only 6,000 passengers used the station every week, and just 300 were here during the morning rush hour. With the timetable change in May 1985, the trains were off to Richmond, leaving only sporadic trains were left to Watford Junction. This drove off from the outer end of the single unused platform, because in November of this year, began the demolition of the main building. The last platform was until June 28, 1986 in operating, as the station was finally closed.

On the site of the former station the large office and shopping center Broadgate arose. From the station itself nothing has been preserved. The viaduct, which runs from the North London Line to Broad Street has been used since 2010 by the extended East London Line.

Paul McCartney immortalized in 1984 the crumbling station on the album Give My Regards to Broad Street and the accompanying movie Broad Street.