railway station railway station london terminus london railway london railway opened reaction severe london existing aimed use recently developed technology railway possible newly built surrey location easy travelling distance london distant dead pose risk public locations station operation second branch line route london railway ran existing london consequently site selected near recently opened london terminus bridge station building specifically designed use private waiting rooms hold funeral services hydraulic lift raise platform level existing railway arches storage bodies location terminus blocking expansion station negotiation reached agreement owners cemetery railway return existing site equipped london railway supplied new station westminster bridge road new building designed contrast funeral directors premises attractive possible railway moved new building earlier station demolished april world war station heavily damaged air raid building destroyed tracks station rendered funeral trains continued run nearby station london terminus following end war london company decided reopening london railway financially worthwhile surviving station building sold office space remnant remains intact relatively opening background half 19th century population london doubled little million people half million city dead buried local churches limited space oldest graves regularly free space new despite rapid growth population land set aside use remained unchanged approximately acres km2 spread small sites relatively fresh graves free space new contents unearthed scattered decaying corpses contaminated water supply city suffered regular cholera smallpox established investigate problem concluded london burial grounds impossible dig new grave cutting existing cholera epidemic killed people london overwhelmed burial system completely wake public concerns following cholera findings act amend laws concerning burial dead metropolis act passed act new prohibited built areas london sir proposed use emerging technology land transport solve problem london dead envisaged buying single large tract land miles london near surrey called london distance land far maximum anticipated size city growth greatly reducing potential hazards london connected london enable bodies shipped london site easily site long distance london argued speed railway quicker cheaper reach seven existing required slow expensive horse drawn carry body london burial site june promoters scheme given parliamentary consent proceed london formed common owned chosen site new cemetery prevent exploiting monopoly access cemetery private act parliament scheme bound carry corpses cemetery set maximum levied funeral traffic specify detail funeral trains operate november new cemetery opened southern anglican section consecrated bishop winchester november scheduled train left new railway station cemetery burial twins took place station site london terminus near suggested sir proximity river thames meant bodies transported terminus water london situated near major thames bridges meant area easily accessed north south river road arches huge brick carrying station station easily converted felt journey london rail routes london ran tunnels deep densely populated areas time urban development south london taken place route ran entirely countryside contemplated taking terminus railway station following opening convenient station goods traffic chartered trains taking migrants north_america private trains royal family main secondary terminus despite objections local residents concerned effects potentially large numbers dead bodies stored largely residential area march settled single terminus purchased plot land westminster bridge road york street street site architect engineer drew design station approved june station completed october total construction cost million terms spending power november train left london new design based storey main building separated main private access road beneath twin rail lines private access road intended allow arrive leave avoid need stop public road ground floor contained grand entrance hall staircase attending second class smaller entrance hall staircase attending lower classes funeral occupied majority floor large room adjacent held reserve stock commissioned bought deceased lifetime explained official reserve kept guest die hotel landlord wished quiet notified middle night come corpse away ready wooden floor held workshops series separate waiting rooms attending second class building main toilets second floor level railway line held train shed covering private rail lines single platform trains stopped waiting rooms class toilets use steam powered lift carried lower floors platform level glass roof positioned order shadow cast carriage waiting platform time trains scheduled depart western wall avoid passengers station able station glass panels rail lines allowed sunlight private access road unlike railway stations period designs second class waiting rooms largely identical superficial differences original terminus chapel occasions able willing journey ceremony personal religious reasons unable hold funeral service london church occasions waiting rooms makeshift funeral chapel notable held terminus friedrich creator modern communism died london august expressed wish cremated ashes scattered sea near london arrangement stations trains attending funeral august people attended morning service waiting room terminus scheduled death certificate delayed departure special train arrive cemetery north station station serving cemetery reserved non majority remained north station cemetery accompanied coffin service held london arrival body transferred straight ashes cremated remains recovered transferred location days later removed cemetery scattered daughter died cremated following service london terminus probably room service held years previously carriage north station railway human closely hoped prevent building built building storage ashes added extremely large major public figures provide additional trains station main line meet demand member parliament vocal advocate indian self government popular figure indian community london attended funeral february including year old carried long special trains carriages long station extremely busy attempted rail lines agreement permitted westernmost track served platform return improved terms lease land currently leased taking maintenance structure supporting lines roof western wall train shed demolished replaced single platform platform extended compensate loss second line expansion proposal station renamed bridge station equipped new signals required spanning lines station return entrance westminster bridge road white brick gave consent supporting rest platform right demand removed time leased small plot land west westminster bridge road entrance serve site new offices designed site station intentionally chosen arches acted obstacle increase number lines serving station urban growth area south west london trains ran led congestion station slightly takeover western track 1890s situation began investigate possibility station permit expansion main line terminus formally presented proposal provide new station return existing station agreed proposals number conditions attached allow control design new station lease new station token rent provide new rolling stock remove limit number passengers service provide free carriage machinery equipment cemetery extremely strong negotiating position existing site crucial expansion station addition legal right demand removal supporting signal extremely unhappy considered excessive demands choice comply companies signed agreement gave demand addition paid compensation million terms consumer spending power relocating station offices agreed returning cemetery travel train second station site replacement terminus identified bought terms consumer spending power south existing station opposite main entrance westminster bridge road site roughly shaped entrance westminster bridge road led strip land right angle entrance running existing buildings westminster bridge road turn led location identified new rail lines right angle central strip parallel entrance work new station began summer completed february total construction cost million terms consumer spending power excluding cost land construction underway original terminus remained use granted running rights station february major inspected new building expressed concerns safety arrangements trains entering station main line entailed crossing multiple tracks unhappy newly installed passenger lifts unfinished nature passenger terminus nonetheless approved limited use new station funeral trains soon transfer services new building widened serve greatly enlarged station destroying traces original terminus new building designed designed contrast traditional associated funeral industry narrow storey office building stood westminster bridge road ground floor taken large arch leading waiting room office general long leading station offices class entered office building turned sharply left run beneath glass canopy parallel stretch faced white brick lined palm bay trees ran past lifts stairs platforms secondary entrance hercules road workshops lifts elaborate wrought iron staircase led lower floors platform level second floor upper level housed oak intended unable journey pay respects deceased short wide led class platform lined waiting rooms ticket office class platform equipped separate waiting rooms different funeral parties separate glass screen separated class platform circulating area platform circulating area class passengers class section entered secondary entrance sparsely furnished equipped lifts entrance staircase led single communal waiting room floor class platform second floor shorter class platform ability transport large parties occasions funeral indian businessman sir july saw travelling class dedicated train operations offered classes class funeral allowed person buying funeral select grave site choice cemetery time opening class prices began terms basic foot plot special coffin specifications expected class graves erect permanent memorial kind course following funeral second class cost terms allowed control burial location right erect permanent memorial cost additional shillings terms permanent memorial erected reserved right use grave future class reserved buried parish expense section cemetery designated parish forbidden mass graves burial grave lowest class funeral provided separate grave deceased class granted right erect permanent memorial site families buried pay upgrade class grave higher class later wanted erect memorial practice rare despite graves granted dignity deceased period continued practice mass graves poor permit sundays popular choice poor allowed people attend need day work theatrical performances banned sundays time popular choice burial actors reason extent actors provided dedicated section cemetery near station entrance class paid parish class tickets provided parish expense ticket case child death class obliged pay tickets arrival terminus led dedicated class waiting rooms second class communal class waiting room coffin sent platform level lift attending second class permitted watch loaded train wished relocation new london terminus funeral services held platform level cases unable journey door waiting train labelled deceased ensure passengers travelled correct funeral party names deceased carried train called turn person board train time service inaugurated trains divided class religion separate anglican sections train distinction applied living dead passengers intended prevent persons different social background mixing potentially prevent bodies persons different social classes carried compartment provide different facilities carriages intended classes religions similar design primary difference different ornamentation compartment doors sundays train leave london arriving branch line cemetery left main line sundays train ran coffin passengers london terminus waiting use journey london later return cancelled leave london morning run single second class coffin carried cases coffin funeral party held service generally trains ran direct london cemetery occasional stops water trains stopped benefit south west london want travel terminus intermediate stops discontinued reinstated october sunday trains discontinued daily train service ended trains ran required destruction second world war station nearby thames bridges significant target axis bombing near misses station london blitz train service owing enemy action line station undamaged early stages bombing campaign services generally continued normal night april major air raids london bombs repeatedly fell area good fortune avoiding damage facilities finally ran early stages air raid rolling stock stored siding burned railway arch connecting main line terminus damaged terminal building remained unscathed multiple devices high explosive bombs struck central section terminus building office building platforms survived workshops destroyed class waiting room absorbed restructuring britain railways inspected damage april report read simply buildings demolished station officially declared closed recorded funeral carried london railway edward irish buried april offered temporary use platform station allow service continued refused allow continue sell cheap tickets visitors travelling cemetery stations involved funeral day meaning visiting cemetery little reason choose irregular trains fast frequent services railway station attempted negotiate deal travel cemetery service service closest traditional departure time management severe financial pressure owing wartime constraints damage refused entertain compromise closure september following end hostilities directors met consider rebuild terminus reopen london railway main line remained use war good condition branch line cemetery unused destruction london terminus soil cemetery causing branch deteriorate use regularly maintained branch line extremely poor condition original promoters scheme envisaged london main cemetery scheme popular hoped original proposal sir calculated century operations cemetery seen million rate year great majority utilised railway reality time train ran april years opening people buried cemetery outbreak hostilities increased use road transport damaged railway faced costs rebuilding cemetery branch line building new london terminus replacing rolling stock damaged destroyed air raid directors concluded past experience present changed conditions running private train obsolete formally informed terminus reopened decision prompted complicated negotiations future facilities london december directors companies finally reached agreement railway related portions site waiting rooms flat platforms pass direct ownership remaining surviving portions site office block westminster bridge road ruined central portion site pass use dispose saw fit sold site terms consumer spending power offices transferred continued use surviving sections track occasional 1950s clearing remained section site business operated road agreement allowed use services station subject condition service heavily british railways reserved right restrict number funeral parties given train carriages survived bombing unlikely carried space coaches shipped ahead funeral party transported road disused cemetery stations travel train funeral party transported station burial site chapel road site today site terminus cleared expansion early 20th century trace remains site second station sold built new office developments years following end second world war office building westminster bridge road entrance station remains relatively externally words carved stone covered cleaning 1980s restored façade building appearance similar time building iron columns supported railway tracks surviving section internal car park building surviving london railway london
London Necropolis railway station