The spectacular new western concourse at King’s Cross station opened its doors to the public yesterday.
A stunning new glass and steel roof structure has been blended with the Grade-1 listed station’s heritage to create a space for passengers that is three-times larger than the current concourse, with improved links to both the London Underground network and St Pancras International station.
The new concourse can be accessed direct from the Tube and for pedestrians from Euston Road, Pancras Road and via new arcades on the ground floor of the Great Northern Hotel.
Network Rail and the train operating companies serving King’s Cross will have teams on hand throughout the week to provide advice, foldout wayfinding maps and links to information online and via social media.
The area will be transformed into a new public open space, larger than Leicester Square, by September 2013.
The £550m scheme marks the completion of another key transport upgrade for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
It takes the total investment in transport infrastructure in the King’s Cross area in the last ten years up to £2.5bn, Network Rail said.
Over a thousand tonnes of steel, one million specially made heritage bricks, five million ceramic tiles and five million metres of cabling were used in the construction.
More than 5,000 people worked on the project, providing a vital boost to the economy with 15% of the work force coming from the local area.
After all the fanfare of the opening of the new concourse at Kings Cross, I cannot help but think that Kings Cross remains the poor relation of St Pancras, not only does St Pancras have better shops and restaurants, but to use the lavatories are free at St Pancras.
At kings Cross, even when you are going to eat in the new food court you have to pay – I would have thought hygiene regulations would require hand washing facilities freely available, not to be charged for them – very unwelcoming and penny pinching
Unfortunately, if you don’t charge you’ll get all sorts in there. I’d sooner pay a few pennies for clean facilities.
Last time I was at St Pancras the police were in the toilets to retrieve a couple of men from one of the cubicles. Maybe charging for them isn’t such a bad idea.
charging for toilets adds income to network rail that can be pumped back into train services. id rather pay the 30p! st pancras is free as its not owned by Network Rail