Blackfriars station
Encyclopedia
Blackfriars station, also known as London Blackfriars, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground
complex in the City of London
, England. Its platforms will eventually span the River Thames
a short distance downstream from Blackfriars Bridge
. The current entrance is located on the south side of Queen Victoria Street
close to the junction with New Bridge Street. It is in Travelcard Zone 1
. The Underground station is closed to all passengers until December 2011 while refurbishment and major engineering works take place.
across the River Thames
.
The St Paul's bridge was constructed to supplement the LC&DR's existing Blackfriars railway bridge, which had opened in 1864. This carried trains on the LC&DR's busy City Line from south London into the LC&DR stations at , and, via the Snow Hill tunnel
and a connection to the Metropolitan Railway
near , on to and stations.
After the opening of St Paul's station, the earlier LC&DR Blackfriars Bridge station on the south side of the river was closed to passenger traffic on 1 October 1885 and became a goods-only station.
St Paul's station was renamed Blackfriars on 1 February 1937. Gradually, the structure of the original Blackfriars railway bridge deteriorated until it was unsound. The bridge deck was removed in 1985 and only the piers in the river and the orange bridge abutments remain.
The station was rebuilt along with the Underground station in the mid 1970s and was formally reopened on 30 November 1977. A part of the stonework elevation from the 1886 LC&DR station has been preserved at platform level in the mainline station indicating many destinations in the south-east of England and in Europe. St Paul's Bridge is now known as the Blackfriars Railway Bridge
.
route operated by First Capital Connect
and Southeastern
. This includes trains from , and in the north; and , Sutton and in the south. Trains travelling south from the station run via or and trains to the north next call at . Before March 2009 some services from the south terminated at three bay platforms, which have been removed in renovation works. Although a through station, for ticketing purposes, it is considered a central London railway terminus for journeys from the south.
lines, between and . It pre-dates the mainline station by 16 years. It is closed from 2 March 2009 until mid December 2011 for rebuilding work.
The station was opened on 30 May 1870 by the Metropolitan District Railway
(MDR; now the District and Circle lines) as the railway's new eastern terminus when the line was extended from Westminster. The construction of the new section of the MDR was planned in conjunction with the building of the Victoria Embankment and was achieved by the cut and cover method of roofing over a shallow trench.
On 3 July 1871 the MDR was extended eastwards to a new terminus at .
The station is located on the north bank of the River Thames
. The platforms for the Thameslink rail services extend out over the River Thames on to Blackfriars Railway Bridge
. Blackfriars Bridge
runs parallel to the rail bridge.
Because of its proximity to the river, interchange with London River Services
commuter boats is possible from Blackfriars Millennium Pier
. Services from this pier include boats to Putney
, operated by Thames Executive Charters
, and services between Embankment
and Woolwich Arsenal
, operated by Thames Clipper
s.
ticket hall and LUL ventilation shaft together with escalators and lifts between a mezzanine level for National Rail services and the sub-surface level for London Underground services. The LUL station will also see major enhancements, with a new roof of glazed north lights and partial-height glazed side panels to be installed along the entire length of the bridge. A station entrance will also be created at Bankside
, where a second ticket hall will be provided. The mainline
station will remain open during the remainder of this work, but the Underground station is closed until mid December 2011.
The through platforms will be extended along Blackfriars Railway Bridge
over the River Thames
to accommodate twelve-car trains (in place of eight today). Platform layout will be altered by building new platforms on the west side avoiding the need for trains between City Thameslink and London Bridge to cross the lines that lead to the terminus platforms.
The works will exploit the disused piers which lie west of the existing railway bridge and which once supported the former West Blackfriars and St Paul’s Railway Bridge. The easternmost line of disused piers will be strengthened, tied into the existing bridge and clad in stone. The number of bay platforms will be reduced from three to two in the process, but some terminating services will become through services, and the increased length will allow longer trains to terminate at Blackfriars. The existing subway entrance to Blackfriars station will be permanently closed as a result of the Thameslink Programme.
The project is being designed by Jacobs
and Tony Gee and Partners and built by Balfour Beatty
.
By January 2011 the eastern half of the station's new roof had been erected, and First Capital Connect services began using the newly constructed platforms on the east side of the bridge, where the former bay platforms used to be. Work is now proceeding on the western side of the station to remove the original Thameslink platforms and widen the bridge to provide space for the new terminus platforms. By the end of 2011, all four platforms are expected to have reached Bankside where the station's new ticket hall is currently being constructed. Network Rail
is considering renaming the station when work is complete, one option being "Blackfriars & Bankside". The reason for the renaming suggestion is to emphasise that the new station will span the Thames and have entrances on both the north and south sides of the river.
, which accepted passengers from 1864 to 1885 and goods up to 1964. The station has been demolished but the entrance driveway remains. Further down Blackfriars Road
is the entrance to an earlier Blackfriars station
which operated from 1864 to 1868 as part of the competing South Eastern Railway
.
The bricked up entrance and preserved engraved station name can be seen under the railway bridge carrying the railway between London Bridge and Waterloo East over Blackfriars Road. At track level the space occupied by the platforms can be seen.
, between and Bank, runs almost directly under Blackfriars station and there have been suggestions to construct an interchange station for the line at Blackfriars. The Department for Transport
considers this to have "no significant transport benefit".
The Cambridge Buskers
started here.
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
complex in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, England. Its platforms will eventually span the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
a short distance downstream from Blackfriars Bridge
Blackfriars Bridge
Blackfriars Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames in London, between Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Railway Bridge, carrying the A201 road. The north end is near the Inns of Court and Temple Church, along with Blackfriars station...
. The current entrance is located on the south side of Queen Victoria Street
Queen Victoria Street, London
Queen Victoria Street, named after the British monarch from 1837 to 1901 is a long street in the City of London which runs east by north from its junction with New Bridge Street in Castle Baynard Ward, along a section that divides those of Queenhithe and Bread Street , then lastly through the...
close to the junction with New Bridge Street. It is in Travelcard Zone 1
Travelcard Zone 1
Fare zone 1 is the central zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services. For most tickets, travel through the zone is charged...
. The Underground station is closed to all passengers until December 2011 while refurbishment and major engineering works take place.
History
The mainline railway station was opened as St Paul's by the London Chatham and Dover Railway (LC&DR) on 10 May 1886 when it opened the St Pauls Railway BridgeBlackfriars Railway Bridge
Blackfriars Railway Bridge is a railway bridge crossing the River Thames in London, between Blackfriars Bridge and the Millennium Bridge.There have been two structures with the name. The first bridge was opened in 1864 and was designed by Joseph Cubitt for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway...
across the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
.
The St Paul's bridge was constructed to supplement the LC&DR's existing Blackfriars railway bridge, which had opened in 1864. This carried trains on the LC&DR's busy City Line from south London into the LC&DR stations at , and, via the Snow Hill tunnel
Snow Hill tunnel
Snow Hill Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the northern edge of the City of London between City Thameslink and Farringdon stations. The tunnel runs beneath the Smithfield meat market and was constructed using the cut and cover method immediately prior to the building of the market...
and a connection to the Metropolitan Railway
Metropolitan railway
Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...
near , on to and stations.
After the opening of St Paul's station, the earlier LC&DR Blackfriars Bridge station on the south side of the river was closed to passenger traffic on 1 October 1885 and became a goods-only station.
St Paul's station was renamed Blackfriars on 1 February 1937. Gradually, the structure of the original Blackfriars railway bridge deteriorated until it was unsound. The bridge deck was removed in 1985 and only the piers in the river and the orange bridge abutments remain.
The station was rebuilt along with the Underground station in the mid 1970s and was formally reopened on 30 November 1977. A part of the stonework elevation from the 1886 LC&DR station has been preserved at platform level in the mainline station indicating many destinations in the south-east of England and in Europe. St Paul's Bridge is now known as the Blackfriars Railway Bridge
Blackfriars Railway Bridge
Blackfriars Railway Bridge is a railway bridge crossing the River Thames in London, between Blackfriars Bridge and the Millennium Bridge.There have been two structures with the name. The first bridge was opened in 1864 and was designed by Joseph Cubitt for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway...
.
Services
This station is currently served by through services on the ThameslinkThameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
route operated by First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
and Southeastern
Southeastern (train operating company)
London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
. This includes trains from , and in the north; and , Sutton and in the south. Trains travelling south from the station run via or and trains to the north next call at . Before March 2009 some services from the south terminated at three bay platforms, which have been removed in renovation works. Although a through station, for ticketing purposes, it is considered a central London railway terminus for journeys from the south.
Service patterns
London Underground
The London Underground station is on the Circle and DistrictDistrict Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
lines, between and . It pre-dates the mainline station by 16 years. It is closed from 2 March 2009 until mid December 2011 for rebuilding work.
History
Metropolitan District Railway
The Metropolitan District Railway was the predecessor of the District line of the London Underground. Set up on 29 July 1864, at first to complete the "Inner Circle" railway around central London, it was gradually extended into the suburbs...
(MDR; now the District and Circle lines) as the railway's new eastern terminus when the line was extended from Westminster. The construction of the new section of the MDR was planned in conjunction with the building of the Victoria Embankment and was achieved by the cut and cover method of roofing over a shallow trench.
On 3 July 1871 the MDR was extended eastwards to a new terminus at .
Service patterns
River connections
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
. The platforms for the Thameslink rail services extend out over the River Thames on to Blackfriars Railway Bridge
Blackfriars Railway Bridge
Blackfriars Railway Bridge is a railway bridge crossing the River Thames in London, between Blackfriars Bridge and the Millennium Bridge.There have been two structures with the name. The first bridge was opened in 1864 and was designed by Joseph Cubitt for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway...
. Blackfriars Bridge
Blackfriars Bridge
Blackfriars Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames in London, between Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Railway Bridge, carrying the A201 road. The north end is near the Inns of Court and Temple Church, along with Blackfriars station...
runs parallel to the rail bridge.
Because of its proximity to the river, interchange with London River Services
London River Services
London River Services is a division of Transport for London , which manages passenger transport on the River Thames in London, UK. They do not own or operate any boats but license the services of other operators...
commuter boats is possible from Blackfriars Millennium Pier
Blackfriars Millennium Pier
Blackfriars Millennium Pier is a pier on the River Thames, in the Blackfriars area of London, United Kingdom. It is served by boats operating under licence from London River Services and is situated on the north bank of the Thames, adjacent to Blackfriars Bridge.The pier is located almost directly...
. Services from this pier include boats to Putney
Putney Pier
Putney Pier is located on Putney Embankment just to the West of Putney Bridge on the River Thames in London, United Kingdom.The pier is owned and operated by Livett's Launches and it is right at the start of the famous Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Race.There is a commuter service operated...
, operated by Thames Executive Charters
Thames Executive Charters
Thames Executive Charters is a river boat company which provides river bus services and cruises on the River Thames in London, United Kingdom. The company also provides private charters with on-board catering and entertainment...
, and services between Embankment
Embankment Pier
Embankment Pier is a pier on the River Thames in London, UK. It is located on the North Bank of the river, immediately next to the Hungerford Bridge and directly outside the river entrance to Embankment tube station...
and Woolwich Arsenal
Woolwich Arsenal Pier
Woolwich Arsenal Pier, also known as the Royal Arsenal Pier, Woolwich, is a pier on the River Thames, at Woolwich in the London Borough of Greenwich, UK...
, operated by Thames Clipper
Thames Clipper
Thames Clipper is a water-bus service operating in London on the River Thames. The company offers commuter services between eastern and central London, as well as tourist services under licence from London River Services. At present they transport around 7,500 passengers daily.-Company:Sean Collins...
s.
Station rebuild
Blackfriars station is being rebuilt. The office building above has been demolished and will be replaced as part of the Thameslink programme. The new station will be the same height and will house a shared National Rail/LULLondon Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
ticket hall and LUL ventilation shaft together with escalators and lifts between a mezzanine level for National Rail services and the sub-surface level for London Underground services. The LUL station will also see major enhancements, with a new roof of glazed north lights and partial-height glazed side panels to be installed along the entire length of the bridge. A station entrance will also be created at Bankside
Bankside
Bankside is a district of London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. Bankside is located on the southern bank of the River Thames, east of Charing Cross, running from a little west of Blackfriars Bridge to just a short distance before London Bridge at St Mary Overie Dock to...
, where a second ticket hall will be provided. The mainline
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
station will remain open during the remainder of this work, but the Underground station is closed until mid December 2011.
The through platforms will be extended along Blackfriars Railway Bridge
Blackfriars Railway Bridge
Blackfriars Railway Bridge is a railway bridge crossing the River Thames in London, between Blackfriars Bridge and the Millennium Bridge.There have been two structures with the name. The first bridge was opened in 1864 and was designed by Joseph Cubitt for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway...
over the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
to accommodate twelve-car trains (in place of eight today). Platform layout will be altered by building new platforms on the west side avoiding the need for trains between City Thameslink and London Bridge to cross the lines that lead to the terminus platforms.
The works will exploit the disused piers which lie west of the existing railway bridge and which once supported the former West Blackfriars and St Paul’s Railway Bridge. The easternmost line of disused piers will be strengthened, tied into the existing bridge and clad in stone. The number of bay platforms will be reduced from three to two in the process, but some terminating services will become through services, and the increased length will allow longer trains to terminate at Blackfriars. The existing subway entrance to Blackfriars station will be permanently closed as a result of the Thameslink Programme.
The project is being designed by Jacobs
Jacobs Engineering Group
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., a publicly traded company with over 50,000 employees and 2010 revenues of nearly $10 billion, provides technical, professional, and construction services globally. Headquartered in Pasadena, California, it was founded in 1947 by Dr. Joseph J. Jacobs. Jacobs offers...
and Tony Gee and Partners and built by Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty plc is a British construction, engineering, military housing, rail and investment services company. It is one of the largest construction companies in the UK, and the 15th largest in the world...
.
By January 2011 the eastern half of the station's new roof had been erected, and First Capital Connect services began using the newly constructed platforms on the east side of the bridge, where the former bay platforms used to be. Work is now proceeding on the western side of the station to remove the original Thameslink platforms and widen the bridge to provide space for the new terminus platforms. By the end of 2011, all four platforms are expected to have reached Bankside where the station's new ticket hall is currently being constructed. Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
is considering renaming the station when work is complete, one option being "Blackfriars & Bankside". The reason for the renaming suggestion is to emphasise that the new station will span the Thames and have entrances on both the north and south sides of the river.
Former stations
Immediately across the river on the same line was Blackfriars Bridge railway stationBlackfriars Bridge railway station
Blackfriars Bridge railway station was a railway station on the London, Chatham and Dover Railway . It was constructed in 1864 and, for six months, was the northern terminus for a line from via . It was part of a scheme by the company to extend into the City of London...
, which accepted passengers from 1864 to 1885 and goods up to 1964. The station has been demolished but the entrance driveway remains. Further down Blackfriars Road
Blackfriars Road
Blackfriars Road is a road in Southwark, SE1. It runs between St George's Circus at the southern end and Blackfriars Bridge over the River Thames at the northern end, leading to the City of London. Halfway up on the west side is Southwark tube station, on the corner with The Cut...
is the entrance to an earlier Blackfriars station
Blackfriars Road railway station
Blackfriars railway station was a station on Blackfriars Road in south London on the South Eastern Railway between Charing Cross and London Bridge stations. It is now sometimes known as Blackfriars Road station, to avoid confusion with the nearby Blackfriars station across the river...
which operated from 1864 to 1868 as part of the competing South Eastern Railway
South Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
.
The bricked up entrance and preserved engraved station name can be seen under the railway bridge carrying the railway between London Bridge and Waterloo East over Blackfriars Road. At track level the space occupied by the platforms can be seen.
Other information
The Waterloo & City LineWaterloo & City Line
The Waterloo & City line is a short underground railway line in London, which was formally opened on 11 July 1898. It has only two stations, Waterloo and Bank...
, between and Bank, runs almost directly under Blackfriars station and there have been suggestions to construct an interchange station for the line at Blackfriars. The Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
considers this to have "no significant transport benefit".
The Cambridge Buskers
Cambridge Buskers
The Cambridge Buskers were a duo of British musicians, whose career began in the late 1970s and are now called The Classic Buskers, still going strong today.Michael Copley and Dag Ingram met when they were students at Cambridge University...
started here.