Description
York Station has a rich and long history, dating back to the early days of the railways in the 19th century. Here’s a brief overview:
The First Railway Station (1839-1841)
- The very first York railway station was a temporary wooden building on Queen Street outside the city walls.
- The first York railway station opened in 1839 by the York and North Midland Railway and served as the terminus for trains to London via Derby and Birmingham.
The Old Railway Station (1841-1877)
- This station, designed by George Townsend Andrews, was built inside the city walls and opened in 1841.
- It had two platforms, one for arrivals and one for departures, and was sheltered by a train shed with a wrought-iron roof.
- An interesting feature was the archway that was opened through the city walls to allow trains to enter and exit the station.
- The station also had refreshment rooms and a booking hall.
- In 1852, the York Railway Hotel, later known as the Royal Station Hotel, was built next to the station.
The Present Station (1877-Present)
- The current station, designed by Thomas Prosser and William Peachey, opened in 1877 and was at that time the largest station in the world.
- It had 13 platforms and was built to address the limitation of the old station, which required trains traveling between London and Newcastle to reverse direction.
- The new station allowed trains to pass directly through York.
- As part of the project, the Royal Station Hotel, now known as The Principal York, was also built in 1878.
- The station has undergone several renovations and expansions over the years, including the addition of two new platforms in 1909 and a footbridge in 1938. This would have been the period when clocks much like our reproduction would have been in abundance.
- It was heavily bombed during World War II but has since been restored.
Today, York Station is a major transport hub, serving millions of passengers each year. It is a popular tourist destination and a key landmark in the city of York.
