King’s Cross railway station, which you may also find referred to as London King’s Cross, is a passenger railway terminal in the London Borough of Camden in Central London and is also one of the busiest stations in the United Kingdom.
You can find London King’s Cross Station at Euston Road, Kings Cross, London N1 9AL, United Kingdom.
King’s Cross and the nearby St Pancras station share an Underground stop, which is served by more lines than any other but are separate and situated right across the street from each other.
Essentially, King’s Cross is in two stations in one. First, you have The LNER, Grand Central, and Hull Trains that all arrive and depart at platforms (tracks) 0-8 in the main area of King’s Cross.
Secondly, you also have the trains that are operated by Lumo and Thameslink, and Great Northern, which include the non-stop trains to Cambridge and mainly depart from platforms 9-11.
Rest assured, you can temporarily leave your belongings at luggage storage in Kings Cross Station during extended days in and around King’s Cross Station to move around more freely.
Also, here are four other things you need to be aware of when you are traveling back and forth at King’s Cross Station.
Getting to King’s Cross Station
If you are taking the Northern, Piccadilly, and Victoria Lines to Kings Cross-St Pancras, you will have to walk through fairly long subways to access the mainline trains which depart from St Pancras International.
For an onward departure that is less stressful, give yourself no less than five minutes to transfer over when taking the Northern and Piccadilly lines. Please give yourself at least seven minutes when taking the Victoria line.
Leaving by Train
If you are in search of the main departure board, you can find it in the stunning main concourse at King’s Cross station.
The exact numbers of the platforms (tracks) that the trains are leaving from will typically pop up on the main departure board and additional departure screens around the station somewhere around 10-20 mins ahead of the departure times.
The majority of the Lumo trains and the Great Northern trains leave from platforms (tracks) 9-11 and are located off to the left-hand side of the main concourse.
Just so you know, trains operated by LNER, Grand Central, or Hull Trains leave from platforms 0-8. There are two routes in the station to these platforms.
First of all, you have the option to wait with your fellow travelers on the concourse at the ground level.
When the specific platform gets confirmed, your next move will be to advance to the right of the departure board to get to your train.
The golden rule is you pass through an area at the front of the station and access each platform (track) from the back of the train.
Your second option if you wish to separate yourself from the rest of the crowd is to head up to the mezzanine level in the station where most of the food is sold.
If you are at the main concourse, this mezzanine level can be entered by using an escalator and elevator, and on its far side, an elevated walkway bridges the concourse and leads into the part of the station where platforms 0 -8 are.
There is just one exit from each of the platforms at King’s Cross available, and it makes no difference which of them you have arrived at, which means that you have to move towards the front of the train to leave the station.
Transferring to the Underground
For the closest access to the Underground from platforms 0-8, you would have to be outside the front of the station.
Keep in mind that if your train has arrived at platforms/tracks 0-8, the first access point to the Underground is over to the left, just outside the station.
If you are taking the Northern and Piccadilly Lines, also go to the left and not to the right.
Taking the Underground to King’s Cross
Here is some advice if you are taking the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, or Victoria* lines to get to King’s Cross.
There is only one route to follow if you want to connect to the main station, and that is to keep following the signs that luckily enough say ‘To the trains.’
The Victoria Line trains use a different section of the station to those other three lines.
4 Things to Know About Kings Cross Station Before You Go_800words4 4
Remember, when you are transferring to the mainline station, don’t pay attention to the signs pointing to the trains. You want to follow the signs that point you in the direction of ‘Euston Road.’
These escalators will take you up to this Euston Road exit, and you will notice signs that say ‘The Trains.’
It is these escalators that will lead you up to an Underground ticket hall. Once you reach this point, you will have access up to Kings Cross main station is just off to the right.
Follow the posted signs, and you will be able to guide your way into a passageway that leads under the concourse in the main station.
Being aware of these four things about King’s Cross Station before heading over there gives you a glimpse into what you can expect and how better to maneuver during your travel journey.