Charing Cross and the Royal Commission on Cross River Traffic

[PMN1]

Did the suggestion to replace Hungerford Bridge with a double deck road / rail bridge, and a new Charing Cross station built to the east of the old one result in any drawings/plans or did it just stop at a suggestion?

 

[Sad Sprinter]

I should know this, because I touched on it in one of my Masters essays. IF I am correct, I don't think the idea got to the drawing phase. I think it might be mentioned on Kent Rail under the Charing Cross entry, so maybe check there.

 

[etr221]

My understanding is that at least some of the various proposals to 'do something' about the railway to Charing Cross/Hungerford Bridge (none of which, AIUI, originated from the railway) were worked up to reasonably detailed published proposals (including outline plans), and one or two into the authorisation pipeline, but I don't know how far.

There is a chapter in a book (I forget which one) on the Southern Railway 'How Sir Herbert [Walker] held the bridge' on the subject of the 1920s-30s proposals...

 

[Bevan Price]

I read somewhere that the proposals would have needed an Act Of Parliament, but it soon became clear that there was no chance that Parliament would pass any such Bill.

 

[Helvellyn]

Fascinating 'what if' though if Charing Cross went and Waterloo East effectively became a South Bank Station adjacent to Waterloo.

Would there have been pressure to reinstate through lines again to Waterloo?

Would there have been more tube lines to this terminal complex, e.g. Piccadilly actually extended from Aldwych to Waterloo via Temple?

 

[Dr_Paul]

I have seen in a book some detailed maps of a proposed large station replacing Waterloo and Charing Cross, taking up much of Waterloo and what's now the South Bank Centre, along with a general redesign of the whole area. I can't recall at the moment which book it was, but I'll post here again if I can recall the title. From what I remember, there have been several plans to close Charing Cross and replace it with a station on the South Bank; the driving force for this seems to be a deep dislike for Hungerford Bridge.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

In the 1920s the condition of the old Waterloo Bridge was becoming a concern, with several of the piers being undermined by the river. The initial plan envisaged replacement of the Hungerford Bridge with a new double-deck road / rail structure and the preservation of Waterloo Bridge as a pedestrian only crossing. This was deemed too expensive, so attempts were then made to get the SR to build a new station on the South Bank and make a new Hungerford Bridge road only. In 1933 Herbert Morrison (Peter Mandelson's grandfather) became leader of London County Council and pushed through the demolition of Waterloo Bridge and the building of its rather fine replacement instead.

 

[Snow1964]

In 1933 Herbert Morrison (Peter Mandelson's grandfather) became leader of London County Council and pushed through the demolition of Waterloo Bridge and the building of its rather fine replacement instead.

There was recently a documentary on TV on this, because of WW2 they trained and employed lots of female welders to complete the bridge during the war. Rumours are that is why it was built so well because everything was done properly with no corner cutting.

Hungerford bridge was a rebuild, it replaced a suspension bridge (which is why even today there are two proper piers and others are just columns). Look closely and you can see where it was widened. I think the old suspension chains were reused (now on Clifton bridge which was finally finished after Brunel had died).