London Banter - View Single Post

Paul Terry · October 24th 06, 03:35 PM posted to uk.transport.london

In message . com,
writes

My question is, was something similar ever considered for London in the
immediate postwar period? The area where the Barbican now is was
flattened, so would it have been possible for the lines from Euston,
King's Cross/St Pancras, Moorgate, Fenchurch Street, Cannon
Street/London Bridge and Waterloo to have been extended somehow to
build a London "Hauptbahnhof" on a site in that area?

One of the loopier (literally) ideas emanating out of County Hall was
the LCC's post-war plan (concocted in 1943) for four mainline railway
loops in deep-level tunnels that would link existing terminii.

One (starting from Bermondsey) passed through London Bridge and
Waterloo, then crossed the Thames beneath Westminster Bridge and
returned through Charing Cross, Blackfriars, Cannon Street and back out
round to London Bridge.

Another ran roughly under the N, E and S parts of the Circle line - but
when it got to Victoria cut straight up under Hyde Park to get to
Paddington.

The other two linked various parts of these two main loops.

So, not one central station - but a scheme that would have been at least
as costly!

--
Paul Terry