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St Pancras International

The Midland Railway’s London terminus, opened in 1868: W. H. Barlow’s single-span train shed behind Sir George Gilbert Scott’s Midland Grand Hotel. Since 2007 it’s also the London terminus for Eurostar and the high-speed line through Kent.

St Pancras International: section looking out from the buffer stops (schematic)5678910Class 374 (Eurostar e320) (size not in our data: a typical train drawn)Class 374 (Eurostar e320) (size not in our data: a typical train drawn)Class 374 (Eurostar e320) (size not in our data: a typical train drawn)Class 374 (Eurostar e320) (size not in our data: a typical train drawn)Class 374 (Eurostar e320) (size not in our data: a typical train drawn)Class 374 (Eurostar e320) (size not in our data: a typical train drawn)Class 700 Desiro CityClass 700 Desiro CityThameslinkposition and depth indicative100 ft (30.5 m)Barlow shed (1868)240 ft (73.2 m)240 ft (73.2 m)
Looking north from the buffer stops. Barlow’s shed is drawn from Walmisley’s Iron Roofs (1888): its 240 ft span and the 100 ft to its crown above the rails (Plate 70); Network Rail gives 243 ft and 110 ft. Eurostar’s platforms 5 to 10 are under it; platforms 1 to 4 and 11 to 13 are in the 2007 extension beyond. Thameslink’s low-level platforms A and B are below: their position and depth are indicative. Where the platforms sit is schematic. The trains are a Eurostar Class 374 and a Thameslink Class 700. 5 px per metre.
15Platforms
1868Opened
38.8 millionEntries and exits (2024-25)
11thBusiest station in Britain (2024-25)

Facts

Opened
1 October 1868, by the Midland Railway, unfinished: the last roof rib went up in mid-September
Platforms
15: 1 to 13 at high level, all terminal, and A and B at low level, through platforms for Thameslink
Platforms by operator
East Midlands Railway 1 to 4; Eurostar 5 to 10; Southeastern high speed 11 to 13; Thameslink A and B
Routes
Midland Main Line; High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel Rail Link); the Thameslink core, at low level
Operators
Eurostar, Southeastern, East Midlands Railway, Thameslink
Underground
Circle Hammersmith & City Metropolitan Northern Piccadilly Victoria (King’s Cross St Pancras)
Next door
King’s Cross, across Pancras Road: LNER, Lumo, Grand Central, Hull Trains, Great Northern
Train shed
One span of 240 ft (73.2 m), 100 ft (30.5 m) high and 689 ft (210 m) long, 1865–68, by W. H. Barlow with R. M. Ordish. Network Rail gives 243 ft and 110 ft.
Architect
Sir George Gilbert Scott (the Midland Grand Hotel and the station buildings); W. H. Barlow (engineer, the train shed)
Listed
Grade I, with the former Midland Grand Hotel (Historic England, entry 1342037)
Interchanges
2.74 million (2024-25)
Managed by
Owned by HS1 Ltd, trading as London St Pancras Highspeed; managed by Network Rail High Speed (platforms 1 to 4 and 11 to 13), Eurostar (5 to 10) and Network Rail (A and B)

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 St Pancras 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 St Pancras to St Albans, Luton and the East Midlands: East Midlands Railway, Thameslink (St Albans, Luton, Bedford) St Pancras to Cambridge and Hertfordshire: Thameslink St Pancras to North and East Kent: Southeastern high speed St Pancras to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam: Eurostar St Pancras to Gatwick and the Sussex coast: Thameslink St Pancras to West Kent and Hastings: Thameslink St Pancras St Pancras St Pancras St Pancras St Pancras St Albans, Luton andthe East Midlands St Albans City, Luton Airport, Bedford,Leicester, Nottingham, Sheffield Gatwick and the Sussex coast East Croydon, Gatwick Airport,Brighton, Worthing, Eastbourne West Kent and Hastings Sevenoaks, Tonbridge,Tunbridge Wells, Hastings North and East Kent Chatham, Ashford, Canterbury,Dover, Ramsgate Paris, Brusselsand Amsterdam Eurostar, through theChannel Tunnel Cambridge andHertfordshire Stevenage, Cambridge, King's Lynn PaddingtonPaddington MaryleboneMarylebone EustonEuston King's CrossKing's Cross Liverpool StreetLiverpool Street Fenchurch StreetFenchurch Street Cannon StreetCannon Street BlackfriarsBlackfriars London BridgeLondon Bridge Charing CrossCharing Cross WaterlooWaterloo VictoriaVictoria St Pancras

St Pancras International’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 15

Platform plan, to scale from OpenStreetMap12345678910111213Platform 1. About 880 ft (267 m) long, off OpenStreetMap. East Midlands RailwayPlatform 2. About 880 ft (267 m) long, off OpenStreetMap. East Midlands RailwayPlatform 3. About 880 ft (267 m) long, off OpenStreetMap. East Midlands RailwayPlatform 4. About 880 ft (267 m) long, off OpenStreetMap. East Midlands RailwayPlatform 5. About 1,620 ft (493 m) long, off OpenStreetMap. EurostarPlatform 6. About 1,620 ft (493 m) long, off OpenStreetMap. EurostarPlatform 7. About 1,620 ft (493 m) long, off OpenStreetMap. EurostarPlatform 8. About 1,620 ft (493 m) long, off OpenStreetMap. EurostarPlatform 9. About 1,620 ft (493 m) long, off OpenStreetMap. EurostarPlatform 10. About 1,620 ft (493 m) long, off OpenStreetMap. EurostarPlatform 11. About 1,040 ft (316 m) long, off OpenStreetMap. Southeastern high speedPlatform 12. About 1,040 ft (316 m) long, off OpenStreetMap. Southeastern high speedPlatform 13. About 1,030 ft (315 m) long, off OpenStreetMap. Southeastern high speedBelow ground: Thameslink’s low-level platforms A and B. Same scale, in line with the plan aboveABN100 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). Thameslink’s low-level platforms A and B, and the tunnels to them, are drawn in the strip underneath. Barlow’s shed covers platforms 5 to 10; 1 to 4 and 11 to 13 are in the 2007 extension.

Trains

Eurostar and Thameslink are listed with their whole fleets. The Class 222’s record says it was built for Midland Mainline but doesn’t yet name St Pancras.

History 5

  1. Barlow’s train shed is built, a single span of 240 ft.
  2. St Pancras opens, unfinished and with little ceremony.
  3. The Midland Grand Hotel is built across the front, by Sir George Gilbert Scott.
  4. Listed, now Grade I.
  5. Extended and reopened as St Pancras International, bringing Eurostar’s trains.

Sources 9

Show the 9 sources from Network Rail, Grace's Guide to British Industrial History, Historic England and 5 more

Where the sources disagree:

  • Shed span: Historic England, Railway Technology and Victorian Web give 240 ft. Network Rail's history page and Grace's Guide give 243 ft. Wikipedia gives 245 ft 6 in wall to wall (240 ft clear).
  • Shed height: Railway Technology and Victorian Web give 100 ft. Network Rail's history page gives 110 ft at the apex.
  • Shed length 689 ft is from Railway Technology and Wikipedia. Historic England does not give it.
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