Kings Cross station is a beautiful building – a magnificent public space that it is a joy to walk through every morning on my way to work. Its huge scale and functional simplicity contrast sharply with the more fussy Brunel and Barlow creations that followed it to the West. One of the great pleasures of living here is the ability to walk from York Way down the old goods and taxi ramp along the original platform one (there were only two platforms when it opened, one on each side) and out of the South side of the station across Pentonville road.
Network Rail plan to refurbish the station in about 2009 when the Railway Lands devleopment is underway. There are some pictures here . Some of the simplicity will be restored. But the plans include a new platform ‘Zero’ between Platform One and York Way. This will increase capacity but will completely cut off the station from the Islington side. So the open access route down Platform One will be lost. Also lost will be any hope of opening up the gaunt, dark, intimidating York Way pavement, down which pedestrians will be forced. The station will be closed off on its Islington side.
There are some obvious ways of dealing with this (a tunnel) but Network Rail seem intransigent and indeed indignant that anyone has questioned their wisdom. I know that many local residents find this awful – will keep updating on the issue here including what we can do to fight this. I am trying hard to find the planning application which should be online by now – will post when i have found it with a suggested response.
UPDATE
Local activist Ryan Kemp reports some bad news
>>>>Actually I think it’s worse than that and even the SE corner entrance will
not be open as an ENTRANCE. Instead all the new frontage of KX will be EXIT
ONLY and access will only be from the SW corner near the tube exit or from
the western side opposite st pancras.
ryan
this is awful so anyone on the islington/york way side will haveto walk right around to the big new entrance bubble on the st pancras side where the cambridge platforms are now
will get in touch with officials and the coucnail and report back
w
Kings Cross Environment 
Will, please could you keep me informed about this and anything I can do to try and make sure there is access from York Way at a more northerly point. My partner and I use platform one on a daily basis for access to underground and walking into the centre of the city – it would really diminish our enjoyment of the area as residents, also if all foot traffic to the station travelling south had to go down the narrow pavement, passed the bus stops, to access the station it would be overcrowded and very unpleasant.
hi matthew will use this to keep in touch.
i think we campaign for a tunnel under the new track/platform Zero to allow ticketed access from this side so that people can get to the tube with a travelcard. and perhaps a walkway from the higher level of york way over the tracks into the station from near the signal box just south of goods way.
and also a refurb of york way pavement – widening it, narrowing the excessively wide road, inserting a zebra or pelican crossing and putting perhaps some stalls on the pavement. perhaps also an attractive glass canopy along the length of the station wall to keep people dry if they can’t get into the station. it owuld break up the wall monolith on this east side
what do you think ?
cheers
w
We are appalled by the plan to shut off all access to Kings Cross station from York Way. We are in our late 60s and hope to continue to live in New Wharf Road for a good few years. One of the attractions of this area is the facility to get to the station & Euston Road via the relatively safe undercover route along Platform 1 instead of the very unpleasant narrow pavement along York Way. Could we enlist the support of the Islington Neighbourhood police for the retention of this route? And what about alerting The Guardian and other future users of Kings Place? Concert goers will no doubt be put off by the York Way approach. Large numbers of the MacMillan press staff already use this route and many of them may also feel strongly about this shortsighted and provocative plan.
I am really shocked by this news. I hate walking down York Way pavement (rain or shine). It always feels unsafe narrow and dirty. The blocking of access to residents on this side of the station will just create more pedestrian traffic in front of the station. It is really bad planning and inconsiderate to local residents. I would be happy to sign any complaints or write to the appropriate authorities.
…and where will all the taxis go?
Ed Harris (Gattis Wharf)
I share the concern about the proposal, the access to the north east end of the station is a useful local amenity. Campaigners should remember that there is no point expecting Network Rail to spend money providing a handy walking route over their private property for pedestrians who are not rail passengers – why should they? I think the right approach is to emphasise the benefits to rail passengers of access to the east and north of the station and the increasing number of public destinations in this area. King’s Place is adding to these. The planning process is probably the best way to apply pressure because NR has no remit to provide short cuts for local residents. I’d certainly be interested in adding our voice to this. Martin Sach, Chair, London Canal Museum
I think there are two broad issues here: the overall orientation of KX westwards (with consequent “closure” of its eastwards access point); and the opportunity being lost to sort out York Way. The first issue has to be negotiated as part of the Network Rail planning permission (formal comments from Islington Council have to be submitted by 3rd Oct). There may be a technical problem with a tunnelled entrance to the tube because there’s an ancient railway line underneath platform zero, but a bridge would make sense – rather like Paddington’s north entrance. I think we need to get the major employers and landowners around Wharfedale and Regents Quarter (and Kings Place) to object (their employees and customers predominantly come by rail and udnerground).
The second issue is really a lost opportunity to deal with the eastern flank wall of the station which over-powers York Way but is worsened by the grim environment caused by bus stands and one way traffic. Unfortunately Camden is also the highways authority for York Way and is resistant to remodelling the gyratory system which is the most serious environmental problem. Restoring two way traffic or significantly narrowing the roadway and “boulevarding” the road could improve things – like Will’s idea for a canopy and other things to break-up the bleakness of that wall.