King X / St P Circle - connection to Piccadilly?

[j0hn0]

Morning All

I've noticed as I return to King X St Pancras every evening that there are some points on the anti-clockwise road that appear to send a track down through the middle of the station.

Having checked the recent metro map that someone posted on here, there is an indication that there is either a siding here or a connection to another tube. Does anyone know what this is?

Its as the 2 tracks split from the west side just before the island platforms, the siding/connection appears to go to the middle of them.

 

[Mojo]

It is just an extremely short non electrified stretch of track which ends at a blank wall barely running for a few metres. The west end did have a bay platform, I don't know if this is connected.

 

[j0hn0]

great thanks Mojo

 

[trentside]

IIRC this siding was installed when it was proposed to create an additional subway from the tube lines to the SSL platforms following the fire in 1987. This scheme was never proceeded with, and the siding never served any purpose.

 

[j0hn0]

sorry not very good with acronyms, IIRC and SSL?

 

[jopsuk]

IIRC: If I Recall Correctly
SSL: Sub Surface Lines (on the London Underground- the Circle, Hammersmith and City, District and Metropolitan Lines)

 

[W-on-Sea]

According to someone quoted at this site
http://www.abandonedstations.org.uk/Kings_Cross_station.html


" the western end of the replacement Kings Cross station had a bay platform for terminating trains. It was of six-car length but was rarely used as the norm was for eight-car trains after the war. It remained until the 1960s but was mostly filled in, leaving just the short section shown here."

(The current Kings Cross Met line station dates from 1941)

 

[j0hn0]

thanks all

 

[Daniel]

I'm working in the control room for the Met/Circ/Ham at the moment. Speaking to both service controllers, I think the general opinion is that it was built to remove spoil from excavations for a tunnel down to tube level after the King's Cross fire, a tunnel which was abandoned before it was finished.

Must admit the above is what I thought it was for, and I've never heard of the "bay platform" explanation before.