Stations › London termini › Cannon Street

Cannon Street

The South Eastern Railway’s terminus at Cannon Street, opened in 1866 at the end of its bridge across the Thames. Its great arched roof came down in 1958; the two towers at the river end survive.

Cannon Street: section looking out from the buffer stops (schematic)1234567Class 465 NetworkerClass 465 NetworkerClass 465 NetworkerClass 465 NetworkerClass 465 NetworkerClass 465 NetworkerClass 465 Networker
Looking south from the buffer stops. Today’s office block over the platforms is drawn indicatively. Where the platforms sit is schematic. The train is a Southeastern Class 465. 5 px per metre.
7Platforms
1866Opened
7.5 millionEntries and exits (2024-25)
64thBusiest station in Britain (2024-25)

Facts

Opened
1 September 1866, by the South Eastern Railway
Platforms
7, all terminal; originally nine, cut to eight by the Southern Railway in the 1920s. Numbering 1 to 7 is assumed from the count
Routes
Southeastern’s routes to south-east London; the Hayes line; peak trains to Kent and East Sussex. Route names from Wikipedia only
Operators
Southeastern
Underground
Circle District
Roof
The 1866 roof, an almost semicircular single span by Sir John Hawkshaw and John Wolfe Barry: 190 ft 4½ in clear (Walmisley, 1888; Grace’s Guide gives 200 ft), 680 ft long. Its glass was lost to bombing in 1941 and its ironwork came down in 1958
Architect
Sir John Hawkshaw and John Wolfe Barry (1866); Foggo Associates (Cannon Place, 2011)
Listed
The two river-end towers, Grade II (entries 1192326 and 1359145)
Interchanges
0.26 million (2024-25)
Managed by
Network Rail

unverified Some of these figures haven’t yet been checked against an official source or a published history. What’s in doubt ↓

Where trains go

Where trains from Cannon Street go The 13 London termini at their real positions, with each terminus's routes following the railway out of London and then splitting to the parts of the country they serve, set out by compass direction. N Clapham JunctionClapham Junction StratfordStratford Finsbury ParkFinsbury Park Willesden JunctionWillesden Junction LewishamLewisham Elephant & CastleElephant & Castle WimbledonWimbledon River Thames Cannon Street to West Kent and Hastings: Southeastern Cannon Street to North and East Kent: Southeastern Cannon Street West Kent and Hastings Sevenoaks, Tonbridge,Tunbridge Wells, Hastings North and East Kent Chatham, Ashford, Canterbury,Dover, Ramsgate PaddingtonPaddington MaryleboneMarylebone EustonEuston St PancrasSt Pancras King's CrossKing's Cross Liverpool StreetLiverpool Street Fenchurch StreetFenchurch Street BlackfriarsBlackfriars London BridgeLondon Bridge Charing CrossCharing Cross WaterlooWaterloo VictoriaVictoria Cannon Street

Cannon Street’s routes follow the railway out of London, then split to the parts of the country they reach, set at their compass bearings; point at a line to see who runs it. The other termini are the small dots; select one to open its page. Distances are true at the circle’s edge, 6 miles (10 km) out, and stretched towards the middle so the termini have room. The route colour is the map’s own: not official, and not any operator’s livery. All 13 together: the map on the Maps page.

Platforms 7

Platform plan, to scale from OpenStreetMapRiver Thames1234567Platform 1. About 850 ft (259 m) long, off OpenStreetMapPlatform 2. About 850 ft (259 m) long, off OpenStreetMapPlatform 3. About 850 ft (258 m) long, off OpenStreetMapPlatform 4. About 950 ft (289 m) long, off OpenStreetMapPlatform 5. About 910 ft (276 m) long, off OpenStreetMapPlatform 6. About 900 ft (275 m) long, off OpenStreetMapPlatform 7. About 900 ft (275 m) long, off OpenStreetMapN100 ft (30 m)Platforms, tracks and outline © OpenStreetMap contributors

Seen from above, to scale: the platforms, tracks and the station building’s outline (the grey line) from OpenStreetMap, the buffer stops on the left (north is marked top left). The north bank of the River Thames (the blue-grey line) is from OpenStreetMap, smoothed to within 20 ft.

Trains

None of these trains’ records names Cannon Street yet; they’re listed by operator.

History 5

Cannon Street: section looking out from the buffer stops (schematic)1234567Class 465 NetworkerClass 465 NetworkerClass 465 NetworkerClass 465 NetworkerClass 465 NetworkerClass 465 NetworkerClass 465 Networker1866 roof, taken down in 1958: 190 ft 4½ in (58.0 m) span, 106 ft (32.3 m) high
The 1866 roof, taken down in 1958, drawn dashed over today’s station at the same scale, from Walmisley’s Iron Roofs (1888): 190 ft 4½ in clear, 106 ft to the rib.
  1. Cannon Street opens, with E. M. Barry’s City Terminus Hotel opening in 1867.
  2. Bombing destroys the roof’s glass.
  3. The roof’s ironwork is taken down (dismantling finished in 1959, by one account).
  4. The river-end towers are listed, Grade II.
  5. Cannon Place, the office block over the station, is completed.

Sources 13

Show the 13 sources from Network Rail, Historic England, Hines and 8 more

Where the sources disagree:

  • Shed span: 190 ft (kentrail.uk, Wikipedia) vs 200 ft (Grace's Guide).
  • Shed length: 680 ft (kentrail.uk) vs 700 ft (Grace's Guide, Wikipedia).
  • Shed demolition: 1958 (Network Rail, Grace's Guide) vs dismantling completed 1959 (kentrail.uk).
  • Hotel demolition: 1960 (Grace's Guide) vs 1963 (kentrail.uk). Not needed for the record but noted.
  • Routes list is from Wikipedia only.
  • Platform numbering 1–7 assumed from the count of 7; not separately confirmed.
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