Traveling Through Victoria Station? Everything You Need to Know
If you are visiting London, you’re probably traveling through Victoria Station. We’ll be talking about what you need to know about this place in particular. London is a large city. Plus, you’ll be going through one of the busiest stations aside from Paddington Station. More than 80 million passengers will travel through Victoria Station every year. It’s also the place where you can go to get to Gatwick Airport outside of London. It’s also a place where you have multiple transit options that will take you to almost anywhere in the UK and even much of Mainland Europe. If you’re in for a long wait, you can use the luggage storage in Victoria Station so you don’t have to keep lugging it. Keep reading to find out more about what you need to know about Victoria Station and what you can do while you’re there.
It’s A Major Transportation Hub
As mentioned before, more than 80 million passengers will travel here every year. Most of them will be coming to and from Gatwick Airport, which can be accessible by train. You can also use other transit options such as trains and buses to get anywhere from parts of the United Kingdom and even Continental Europe. You can even hop on a bus from London to Paris at a pretty good price for the fare. The trip itself will be about 8 hours, but it’s worth it if you want to travel to parts of Europe on the cheap.
If you are an experienced traveler, you’ll know your way around this place. You’ll know which train to go to and where it will take you. You’re in a place where you can just go about anywhere in Europe without having to make the trip to Gatwick or Heathrow if you don’t want to.
Contrary To Popular Belief…The Queen Is Not The Namesake
Victoria Station is not named after Queen Victoria. Its original name was ‘Grosvenor Terminus’ as it was built on what was known as the Grosvenor Canal basin. Victoria Station was named after one of the adjacent streets, conveniently enough known as Victoria Street. This should probably settle any kind of debate that may exist about how Victoria Station got its name.
It Has Some Historical Significance
Victoria Station was a terminus for trains that were carrying the bodies of soldiers that were killed in World War I. Trains would travel to France to pick up the soldiers and bring them back for a ceremony. One such soldier was known as The Unknown Warrior, who arrived on Platform 8 on November 10, 1920. There is a plaque in honor of the nameless soldier that gave their life during the war.
It Was The Site Of A Bombing A Long Time Ago
Back in the 19th century, there had been issues between Britain and a group of Irish nationalists known as the Irish Republican Army. The bombing took place in a cloakroom. At least seven people were injured and no deaths. If there were people in the cloakroom or near it, the situation would have taken a tragic turn.
Fossils Were Discovered Here
Yes, even fossils were found in Victoria Station. These were nautiloid fossils that were said to be around 50 million years old. They were discovered during a digging project on the station years ago. Whether there are more fossils located underneath the station remains to be seen. We probably won’t know until there’s plenty of digging going on for new projects (assuming there are any planned). Only time will tell for sure.
You Could Watch A Film Back Then
Inside the station, there was a cinema where you could watch newsreels, television programs, and even cartoons. The cinema was located on Platform 19 and was open from September 1933 and closed in August 1981. It might have been a cool place to pass the time while waiting for a train. However, the show might have been so compelling that you would have forgotten about it and missed your ride. Then again, you might have done the multi-tasking responsibilities of checking the time and watching the show at the same time.
It’s A Short Walk Away From Many Attractions
What makes Victoria Station’s location so convenient is that it’s close to many attractions in London. You’ll be a stone’s throw away from the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace. It comes as no surprise as to why it’s one of the busiest stations in London. Because people may just be passing through just to check out the nearby attractions. The good news is, if you want to do some sightseeing upon arrival, you can just put your luggage in the proper storage place and pick it up when you need to. here you may know about Andromeda which offers a comprehensive e-commerce and POS solution designed for delivery and takeaway restaurants, streamlining operations with features like ePOS, online ordering, delivery management, and marketing support.
