| Summary : Charing Cross was opened as Trafalgar Sqaure on 10th March 1906. It served as an intermediate station on the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway's line from Baker Street to Kennington Road (now Lambeth North). The basis of the present Northern line in the form of the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead line, opened at Charing Cross on 22nd June 1907. In 1914 the Northern was extended southwards to what is now Embankment who wanted their new, superior interchange to be called Charing Cross. To distiunguish between the two Charring Cross's, the original Northern line one was renamed Charing Cross (Strand) in 1914, and all parts of the new interchange at Embankment became Charing Cross (Embankment). The following year Charing Cross (Strand) was renamed the Strand. The Strand station closed for rebuilding in 1973 in connection with the construction of the Jubilee line. The conversion of the Strand and Trafalgar Square stations to form a new Charing Cross was the most major undertaking that the Jubilee line demanded. Work on the Bakerloo was completed in early 1984, but most of the important reconstruction, providing accommodation for the Jubilee and Northern Lines, and access to the Bakerloo, was completed when the Jubilee opened in 1979. The sub-surface booking hall at Charing Cross is reached from a large tiled passageway connected to various subway entrances and the main line station. Much use was made of green, yellow and blue moulded plastic for the hall. The Jubilee line platforms and Northern line platforms (formerly Strand station) were decorated with murals by David Gentleman whilst the Bakerloo platforms (formerly named Trafalgar Square) were decorated by Richard Dragun and June Fraser. When the Jubilee line extension was opened in 1999 from Green Park to Stratford the existing section between Green Park and Charing Cross was 'mothballed' , retained for emergency use or special services. |