Cannon Street station
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Image:Cannon street station 2.jpg Image:CannonSt.gif Cannon Street is a National Rail and London Underground station complex in the City of London, the financial district of London in England. It is built on the site of the mediaeval Steelyard, the trading base in England of the Hanseatic League. It is in Travelcard Zone 1.
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National Rail
This is a terminal station approached across the River Thames by the Cannon Street Railway Bridge and having entrances from Cannon Street and Dowgate Hill. Its approach by rail is by a triangular connection to both London Bridge and Charing Cross. There were originally eight platforms: a refurbishment in the late 1990s removed Platform 1.
Cannon Street is one of seventeen UK railway stations managed by Network Rail.
History
The station was opened by the South Eastern Railway on 1 September 1866. Designed by Sir John Hawkshaw: it consisted of a 700-ft long building, roofed by a high single arch, almost-semicircular, of glass and iron. The station is carried on a brick viaduct over Upper Thames Street.
The five-storey City Terminus Hotel (designed by E.M.Barry) had two changes of name: to Cannon Street Hotel, and later, as an office block, to Southern House. The original glass roof was removed before World War II as it was to be saved. Unfortunately the factory in which the glass roof was stored was badly bombed, destroying the roof. During rebuilding of the station in the 1960s it was replaced by a building designed by the architect John Poulson. That same rebuilding removed the roof to the station, and all that now remains of the original architecture are the twin 120-ft red-brick towers at the country end and parts of the low flanking walls. The building is remarked as being one of the most ugly of all station buildings in Britain, turning once a fine building into a hideous monstrosity.
The track serving Cannon Street has twice been remodelled: on each occasion the station has been shut down:
- 5-28 June 1926: Southern Railway suburban electrification. Before this, most trains reversed into and out of Cannon street to reach Charing Cross: such working now virtually ended
- 2 August-9 September 1974: resignalling of the whole approaches to London Bridge.
During the property boom of the 1980s a large office block was built above the platforms, but remarkably trains continued to use the station while it was being built.
Services
The station connects the south side of the City to south and south east London via London Bridge rail station. Some services run directly into Cannon Street from Kent and East Sussex, but only during rush hours. Occasionally during the weekends when track maintenance is in progress, the station serves as an intermediate station between London Bridge and Charing Cross. Either trains reverse at the station or rail passengers change trains here.
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London Underground
Template:London stations The London Underground station is a sub-surface station, situated immediately below the mainline station. It is served by the District and Circle lines. Entrances are located on Cannon Street, Dowgate Hill, and on the main-line concourse upstairs at the mainline station, providing an interconnection for commuters. A station here was part of the proposed phase two expansion of the Fleet Line.
The Underground station is open Mondays to Fridays until 20:58 each day and Saturdays from 07:31 to 19:29. It is closed all day on Sundays.
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External links
Template:UK Major Railway Stationsde:Cannon Street (Bahnhof) no:Cannon Street stasjon