From Paddington to St Pancras: London's Cathedrals of Steam
Channel: British Library
Date: 2021-10-26

London hosts 12 major railway stations, more than any other city in the world. They range from the grand and palatial, such as Paddington and St Pancras, to the modest and lesser known, such as Fenchurch Street and Cannon Street. 

Built between 1836 and 1899 by competing private train companies seeking to outdo one another, the construction of these terminuses caused tremendous upheaval and had a widespread impact on their local surroundings. What were once called ‘slums’ were demolished, green spaces and cemeteries were concreted over, and vast depots and marshalling yards – including where the British Library now sits – sprung up in their place. Today, many have been beautifully modernised.

Writer and railway expert, Christian Wolmar, author of a new book on these stations, traces their development.