Holborn Viaduct station, London 1990

[@ROCKINGMAN]

Fascinating footage, EPBs at Holborn Viaduct closed 1990. The old Blackfriars station, 319 stock brought in for the Thameslink service, linking Bedford and Brighton opening 1988. The only rear-engined Routemaster built 1966, competing with Atlanteans and Daimler Fleetlines. Kings Cross Thameslink station closed in 2007, a lot of history asociated with it and making way for a new larger station just a little further up - St. Pancras International. Thanks for sharing.

[@ianmcclavin]

Yes, the old Holborn Viaduct station entrance was eventually re-used as the second (northerly) entrance to City Thameslink. When this opened (as St Paul's Thameslink), only the Ludgate Hill entrance/exit was operational from Day 1.

[@itsthatsebguy93]

Funny to think this was just 30 years ago yet so much has changed in this time.

[@NESTABROWN9]

What's funny about???

[@rmg5111]

Obvs a lot can change in 3 decades

[@Kennyde]

Fucking hell you two sound fun. I bet Christmas is great at your house...🙄🤦

[@aliartosian6808]

@@Kennyde Weirdos man😂

[@rowellster]

I completely agree. And to the other comments, this is ‘funny’ in its other meaning of “difficult to explain or grasp”. It’s fairly rudimentary English...

[@007bondspy]

1990 time for the guru, guru josh

[@elnido4184]

Wow area surroundings totally different today.

[@BerlietGBC]

Very excellent, I was at the event at Covent Garden , went on to drive FRM 1 a lost after 1990

[@jotyers7845]

Awesome Video I Love the Routemaster Bus .

[@colinbaker3916]

Love the RT buses! I sometimes think people get confused between RTs and routemasters.

[@trainrover]

Simultaneous electric and diesel-electric traction on a train had never ever crossed my mind.

[@oludotunjohnshowemimo434]

Remember these slam door trains well as a kid.

[@lfewell2161]

Interior shots of FRM1, Class 91 powered HSTs / 125s haven't seen videos of these two subjects before.

[@eattherich9215]

@0:28, I used to work in that grey building on the left, but my trains terminated at Cannon Street.

[@IndigoJo]

Funny to see class 317s in BR blue-grey livery, several years into the Network South-East era. I lived in Croydon at that time and I think all the trains in our area had been repainted by then, but a lot of trains on the Kent routes were still blue-grey with a small NSE logo below the door and the area logo (Kent Link) on a patch. I remember when NSE was first introduced, there was a promotion called Network Day and they had a book with some kids' activities and one of them was spotting a train in NSE colours. By 1990 it was rare to see them in the old colours in many places. Also, weird that a hybrid train would have its diesel engine running when going through north London. It would have been going somewhere like Hull and the diesel engine would only have not have been needed for hundreds of miles before it turned on to non-electrified track. What a waste of fuel!

[@bfapple]

Matthew Smith I’m confused. The HST+Class 91 hybrids were not used for that kind of service. The Class 43+Mk3 coaches were used for testing/early service with the Class 91s as the Mk4 coaching stock was not ready on time. The Class 43’s engine was running because the Class 91 wasn’t capable of supplying power to the Mk3 coaches.

[@ianmcclavin]

Yes, they didn't repaint all the EPB's into NSE livery, due to their then pending withdrawal from service. At the moment, the 317's, which have moved around a bit during their careers since their days on the Bedpan line, can still be seen working some services out of Liverpool Street and Stratford to Meridian Water and Bishop's Stortford.

[@jimbo6059]

Looks like they were testing the 225 on the front and had an old hst on the rear of the first intercity train, and the second one was reversed with the 225 on the back

[@AmiHoss66]

this was a great line into the city if you lived in Kent or Dover . It was super fast

[@marc21091]

The film of the platforms, track and trains at the now-vanished Holborn Viaduct really starts at 2:20 and ends at 5:06 . The rest is other locations. From 2:30 one can see the Thameslink trains passing the throat of Holborn Viaduct and dropping down into the then new St Paul's Thameslink (now City Thameslink). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Thameslink_railway_station This shows that Network SouthEast delivered the original Thameslink service very quickly (between 1986 and 1990). Thameslink and the remaining service to Holborn Viaduct ran in parallel for only a few months before the terminus station was closed - and the site redeveloped. The name 'City Thamesliink' is meaningless and unattractive. The original name 'St Paul's Thameslink' should not have been discarded.

[@dannypaulread1023]

the reason it was renamed is to avoid confusion between br & the tfl station

[@southerntransport466]

Ok if that’s the case why is West Hampstead Thameslink called West Hampstead Thameslink they should’ve kept the name St. Paul’s Thameslink anyway how could you get confused between Thameslink and a Tube Station

[@marc21091]

@@southerntransport466 St Paul's was a good name - everyone knows the great Cathedral of Sir Christopher Wren. St Paul's underground station on the Central Line is however rather nearer to the cathedral. Another memorable name would be 'Fleet Street' - no longer the street of national newspapers sadly. However, the main entrance to City Thameslink station is in the less-recognisable Ludgate Hill !

[@brianfretwell3886]

@@dannypaulread1023 Especially if there was a fire, delays to response from the fire brigade would have been a big problem. I hear some firemen saying so when they inspected St Pauls Thameslink on the day it opened. That was when it was still all open to the sky!!!

[@uhegbu]

King's Cross Thameslink closed I think 2007. I went to Brighton from this station in 1999.

[@ashleyjiscool]

Correct

[@Cheeseatingjunlista]

Used it evey day when I lived in Blackheath, sadly missed, that route not pos now as most of thameslink are entirely for the Brighton ponce route

[@tombaxter6228]

Brighton is well on course to becoming SE England's first, twat-only enclave...

[@mrkipling2201]

I live in Blackheath, trains are just as bad now!!

[@Andrewjg_89]

Which has now been replaced by City Thameslink station. Could of done one of Broad Street which was right next door to Liverpool Street station and close to Moorgate station.

[@jacksugden8190]

I remember that sad looking building at Cannon Street very well, in my time in London, seen it rebuilt a few times, hopefully for the better in 2020, and although we now have St. Pancras International, closing King’s Cross Thameslink was a mistake, as a very handy connection without the need to walk such a vast distance to the station, should reopen it.

[@nickbarber9502]

I'd agree that closing Kings X Thameslink was a poor decision. Apparently it was because it would have been fearsomely expensive to lengthen for 12 cars...but the local Thameslink trains are limited to 8-car anyway,so it could have been retained for those,and some useful connections still offered.

[@jacksugden8190]

@@nickbarber9502 Many thanks 😊

[@Mgameing123]

Honestly I think it was a fine decision though if they reopen King's Cross Thameslink then it needs to include the met line platforms so that you can do a cross platform interchange from a met line train Aldgate bound to a Thameslink train St Pancras bound.

[@coopermartin66]

I used to enjoy the section between Blakfriars and Holborn, travelling over Ludgate Circus with a fine view of St. Paul's. I was working in London when they closed Holborn station and replaced it with the soulless City Thameslink station.

[@Mgameing123]

Holborn Viaduct was never replaced. City Thameslink is just a station on Thameslink.

[@coopermartin66]

@@Mgameing123 my memory must fail me. I thought I recalled an above ground Holborn Station before they built the ghastly Thameslink station that was facilitated by the removal of the railway viaduct at Ludgate circuits and lowered the line. Either way, the “Thameslink station was, and is I suppose (I don’t know I don’t live in England anymore) ghastly and I missed the view of St. Paul’s on the train afterwards.

[@Mgameing123]

@@coopermartin66 No it doesn't well I can't really say so myself as I was not even alive in the 1990's. But City Thameslink is a station on Thameslink. Holborn Viaduct served terminating trains that would be now the Southeastern services. They have since been moved to other London terminals.

[@eattherich9215]

@@Mgameing123: City Thameslink station has two entrance/exit points. The one on Holborn Viaduct is pretty much where the old station was.

[@Mgameing123]

@@eattherich9215 Yeah I know but the services served by Holborn Viaduct went to different destinations.

[@Yolticat]

@class37100 No sorry, except I have an old audio cassette recording of a 2epb in the 80's (and many other classes too) but there's no picture, just sound.

[@johnclark7065]

31 years ago London has changed so dramatically it's so unrecognisable and demographics have changed and the people too.

[@Nikkilovesgils]

have you got anything either passing through or stopping at Snow Hill / Holburn Viaduct Lower?

[@williamlekstakaj5892]

Was Holborn Viaduct at ground level or raised up, as I was never there, and can't find a picture can someone please help.

[@eattherich9215]

Holborn Viaduct station was at ground level and crossed over Ludgate Hill on a bridge. When the Snow Hill tunnel was re-opened, the bridge was taken down and the tracks lowered so that trains now descend into the renamed Thameslink station.

[@JeSuisRene]

1:33 how did those departure boards change, and which stations had these?

[@JeSuisRene]

TreeMovies Aah, so essentially the mini version of what was at Liverpool Street mainline station until 2007?

[@ianmcclavin]

The flaps moved over to display the correct stopping pattern of the next train, controlled by someone in the office with a selection of buttons.

[@alexsmith5083]

who was the name of the person doing the voice for the calling of stations i know the man who did charing X some platforms at london bge and victoria was john elgar but who was female who did em at london bge and here

[@midnight_styx]

I think her name is (if I’m not mistaken) Angela Perberdy

[@Yolticat]

Unfortunately I have nothing. I assume you refer to the old line, which I think closed a long time before this video was taken. Of course we can now see trains going through City Thameslink instead.

[@class37100]

wow at ali pali a class 91 and 125 powercar at back where is the class 91 dvt ?

[@lfewell2161]

Possibly still under construction.

[@bfapple]

L Fewell Correct, the Mk4 coaching stock wasn’t ready in time for Class 91 testing.

[@NESTABROWN9]

Thameslink seating is too low like the kids. Needs replace and upgraded for new seating upper better than low. Is feeling uncomfortable low seat is on Thameslink trans!

[@bobblue_west]

Hi, When I lived in London (70's), Hol' Viaduct was a terminus station, for trains coming over the river from the south. Is the stn now gone entirely? Apparently City Thameslink station now serves the same area, but has trains going north and south? And, in case you know, at the foot of Fleet Str, Ludgate Circus, there was a train bridge over the street. Is that still in use for any service? All the years I lived London, I don't think I ever saw a train roll over that bridge? Thanks

[@Yolticat]

+mill101 Where Holborn Viaduct was there now is the northern entrance to the new City Thameslink station. Trains run through between Bedford and South coast now. That bridge was from Holborn Viaduct when the trains terminated at high level, but now is gone as they go downhill steeply from Blackfriars north into the Snow Hill tunnel. I hope all this makes sense!

[@bobblue_west]

Thanks for details. Your video I think shows the tunneling work in progress. I'm a native London ex-pat living in Calif, USA. I always thought it was oddly quixotic to have a over-ground train terminus in what is a quirky neighborhood. Not quite City, not quite West End. I looked on Google street view. The old bombed out church seems to still be there, but the street has had the drab office bdlg sterilization process applied. Sorry, I'm just being nostalgic. They might have used the Ludgate Circus bridge as a bike path or something, but hey, who am I.

[@robtyman4281]

mill101- yes it has gone completely. City Thameslink replaced it because they wanted to run 'through trains from Brighton to Bedford. This service is run by Thameslink, and the trains used now are the new class 707 ones.

[@philwoodward5069]

They built a couple of buffer platforms at Blackfriars, so trains from south of the river either terminate at Blackfriars or continue north via City Thameslink and St Pancras.

[@aldertravels]

@@robtyman4281 *Class 700, but yeah

[@Keithbarber]

Alexandra palace in the good old days Still as busy but not the variety

[@eattherich9215]

I use Ally Pally on exhibition days. It doesn't seem to have changed much.

[@class37100]

have you got anything on broad street in the last days when they used 313s and 2epbs

[@idontknow12383]

I didn't know it existed 💀

[@mrkipling2201]

I miss the London of the 1980's and very early 1990's. It was instantly recognisable. Now it's just another generic city. Places and people have changed beyond all recognition and not for the better.

[@harryelliott4310]

Trains Station 🚉

[@class37100]

they should of never closed it now some stupid yuppie block is there

[@DANEBLUEGNOME]

Huh, why this???

[@class37100]

@MusicalElitist1 Fuck off you twat why don't you chat to me personally face to face or are you just a troll who is bored

[@class37100]

@MusicalElitist1 And another thing you haven't got any videos what a fucking loser

[@srfurley]

Why should they not have closed it? City Thameslink is in basically the same place, just lower down. The entrance to Holborn Viaduct seen here became one of the entrances to City Thameslink until the building above it was later demolished and replaced by a new one. Holborn Viaduct was only served by trains from the South, was closed at weekends, and I think in evenings as well. The Thameslink service which runs today is far more useful.

[@NESTABROWN9]

Why stupid??