King's Cross railway station

King's Cross
London King's Cross
King's Cross station frontage following restoration, in 2014.
King's Cross Location of King's Cross in Central London
Location	Kings Cross
Local authority	London Borough of Camden
Managed by	Network Rail
Owner	Network Rail
Station code	KGX
DfT category	A
Number of platforms	12 (numbered 0–11)
Accessible	Yes
Fare zone	1
OSI	King's Cross St. Pancras London St Pancras Int'l London Euston
Cycle parking	Yes – platforms 0 & 1, 8, 9 and car park racks
Toilet facilities	Yes
National Rail annual entry and exit
2011–12	27.874 million
– interchange	3.021 million
2012–13	28.454 million
– interchange	3.583 million
2013–14	29.824 million
– interchange	3.499 million
2014–15	31.347 million
– interchange	3.736 million
2015–16	33.362 million
– interchange	3.684 million
Railway companies
Original company	Great Northern Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Northern Railway
Post-grouping	London & North Eastern Railway
Key dates
1852	Opened
Other information
Lists of stations	DLR Underground National Rail Tramlink
External links	Departures Layout Facilities Buses
WGS84	51°31′51″N 0°07′24″W / 51.5309°N 0.1233°W / 51.5309; -0.1233Coordinates: 51°31′51″N 0°07′24″W / 51.5309°N 0.1233°W / 51.5309; -0.1233

King's Cross railway station, also known as London King's Cross, is a central London railway terminus on the northern edge of the city. It is one of the busiest railway stations in the United Kingdom, being the southern terminus of the East Coast Main Line to North East England and Scotland. Services are currently run by Virgin Trains East Coast to Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central via York and Newcastle; other services include Hull Trains, Grand Central and Great Northern suburban commuter services in and around north London.

The station was opened in 1852 by the Great Northern Railway in the Kings Cross area to accommodate the East Coast Main Line. It quickly expanded to cater for suburban services and was expanded several times in the 19th century. It came under ownership of the London and North Eastern Railway as part of the Big Four grouping in 1923, who introduced famous services such as the Flying Scotsman and Mallard. The station complex was redeveloped in the 1970s, simplifying the layout and providing electric suburban services, and it became a major terminus for the InterCity 125 high speed services. In the late 20th century, the area around the station became known for its seedy and downmarket character, and was used as a backdrop for several films as a result. Major redevelopment work occurred in the 21st century, including the restoration of the original roof, and the station became well known for its association with the Harry Potter books and films, particularly the fictional Platform 9¾.