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Thursday 31 Jan 2013

Bigger, better King's Cross gets royal seal of approval

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National

The redeveloped King’s Cross station has been given the royal seal of approval after a tour of the restored train shed and new western concourse by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.

The heir to the throne and his wife travelled by Tube from Farringdon to King’s Cross station, part of the commemorations of the London Underground’s 150th anniversary – and to celebrate the role of engineering and infrastructure in the UK.

King’s Cross station manager Tom Caine said his team had prepared well in advance. While security was the prime consideration, Tom’s team also had to keep the station operating as normal.

“We had to make sure that we kept the station running during the visit, and deliver an excellent service for our customers,” he said. “When the Royals arrived, it wasn’t too long before the public started gathering round and taking pictures with their phones. But we kept a close eye to make sure the visit passed smoothly. It was great to see them both enjoying the Harry Potter trolley at platform 9 and three quarters!”

The royal party were accompanied around King’s Cross by Robin Gisby, Network Rail managing director, network operations, and John McAslan, architect of the western concourse, which opened in March 2012 as part of Network Rail's plans to expand capacity and upgrade station facilities in the country's busiest stations.

They also visited the construction site of King’s Cross Square, along the station’s southern frontage, which is due to open this autumn. Once complete, the new square will reveal the historic station’s original Lewis Cubitt façade for the first time in a century. Cubitt is the Duchess of Cornwall’s great, great, great uncle.

Earlier, the Prince and Duchess visited both the historic Farringdon Tube station, recently refurbished by Network Rail, and the Crossrail construction site at Farringdon station. They met some of the apprentices involved with the project, and heard how the station will become a major hub – linking Crossrail and Thameslink, along with the Tube, National Rail, Docklands Light Railway and the London Overground lines.

Robin Gisby said: “It was a real honour to have the Prince and Duchess visit King’s Cross and Farringdon stations, and to talk to them about why we’re carrying out these works. We’re in the middle of the biggest capacity improvement programme since Victorian times, and these projects are proof of our commitment.”