Kings Cross Thameslink railway station

From Freepedia

**King's Cross Thameslink**
Image:20040910-005-kings-cross-thameslink.jpg
Management
Managed by	Thameslink
Location
Place	Pentonville Road
Local authority	Camden
Statistics
Annual entry/exit	2.361 million
Zone	1
Platforms in use	2
History
Key dates	Opened 1863

King's Cross Thameslink station is a railway station in central London, which serves the Thameslink franchise. It is located on Pentonville Road, very near King's Cross station.

The station occupies part of the original site of King's Cross underground station built by the Metropolitan Railway. Its original street buildings are a little further west than the present Thameslink station frontage and, although in poor repair, may still be seen. The present Thameslink platforms on the City Widened Lines are separated only by a newer wall from the site of the Underground platforms, which may still be seen on the west side from Underground trains travelling between King's Cross St. Pancras and Farringdon.

The Thameslink platforms are linked by stairs and a 600 metre tunnel to the deep level lines at King's Cross St. Pancras tube station.

As part of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link's last phase, a new Thameslink station is being constructed underneath St. Pancras station. Under the original project plans the current station would have closed in 2007. The new location will have capacity to serve the Thameslink 2000 route (upgraded from the original Thameslink), have the ability to take 12-carriage trains, and will have much better links with both King's Cross and St. Pancras.

Press reports in March 2005 suggested that although the engineering works to construct an underground concrete enclosure to house Thameslink tracks and a new station were continuing on progress, the British Government had not yet approved the fit-out of the new station, estimated to cost £80 million. This makes it unlikely that the new station can be completed before 2008.