Kings Cross Station was opened on the 14th October 1852, it repaced the temporary train station at Maiden Lane which was built by the Great Northern Railway in1850 and stood for two years, until Kings Cross’ completion. George Turnbull was the resident engineer for Great Northern Railway between 1846-49 and he drew up the first plans for the Kings Cross Station. Lewis Cubitt completed the designs and the station was built by the construction company of John and William Jay from 1851 to 1852. The station was built on the site of an old fever and smallpox hospital. The station opened in 1852 with 8 platforms.
The accompanying Great Northern Hotel was opened on the 17th May 1854, the hotel was also designed by Lewis Cubitt. The station was enhanced in the 1920’s and the current concourse and a travel center was added in 1973.
In 1972, British Rail constructed a intended temperoary stuture at the facade of the station, the structure is still presently there and viewed by many as detracting from the original beauty of Lewis Cubitt design (which is Grade I-listed). The current redevelopment plan intends to remove the ‘temporary’ structure.
In 1973, the Provisional IRA threw a bomb into the bookin hall of Kings Cross Station, the device denotanted injuring six people and causing much damage to the booking hall.
In 1987 an catastropic underground fire occured claiming the lives of 31 people in the Kings Cross St Pancras tube interchange. The fire was believed to be started by a commuter throwing a match down the side of an escalator which had not been cleared of the grease. The Fennell Report was the result of a public inquiryinto the fire which lead to additionally fire regulations. The King Cross St. Pancras returned to full operation in 1989 after repairs.