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Victoria station circa 1896: This view gives one a really capital notion of the general aspect of this West-end railway terminus, and also of the activity that characterises it at most hours of the days.
The great building that is seen above the entrance to the London, Brighton, and South Coast Station is the Grosvenor Hotel, which has direct communication with the railway platforms. Straight up past the terrace of mansions indicated in the distance, Grosvenor Place leads to Hyde Park Corner, while sharp on the right Victoria Street leads through “Flat-land” to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.
The station yard here is also one of the great terminal stations for the omnibuses from all quarters of the Metropolis; and this, combined with the cab traffic, which is enormous – never fails to impress the visitor from the Continent with a sense of the bewildering energy of our mighty city. And, of course, this may be described as the station for Continental and foreign arrivals generally.
On the right is seen the entrance to the Victoria Station belonging to the Metropolitan and District Railways, whereby one may reach any part of London.
The connecting subway comes as a boon and a blessing to travellers not accustomed to crossing crowded thoroughfares.
The fact that there are two distinct railway stations here, quite apart from that belonging to the District Railway, often leads to confusion. The two companies who each have a terminus here are the Chatham and Dover, and Brighton and South Coast lines.
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Victoria Station today: The weight of traffic at Victoria makes this one of London’s busiest termini, which also happens to be one of the most poorly designed for 21st Century purposes. Today the train company that runs from Victoria is called Southern, which sports green and yellow livery and runs relatively comfortable trains.
Looking at today’s photo we see that the hotel building in the distance is still standing, although I did not investigate what its purpose now is. It’s probably still a hotel.
The houses and flats at the far end and running to the right of the photo are also present in the Circa 1896 image and look surprisingly untouched.
Victoria Station is a major bus hub, with what appears to be half of London’s routes running through it. For the poor befuddled tourist the system probably makes no sense whatsoever: most trust themselves to the vagaries of the Undergound system.
I was once told – and I believe this to be true – that the person arriving in London at will begin by depending almost entirely on the Tube. A year or two later, he realises journeys would be less uncomfortable and possibly quicker by taking a bus. Eventually, with several years of London life under the belt, he decides to walk regardless of the weather, knowing that the journey on foot will be almost as quick and far less stressful.
The station that brings tourists in from the continent is now King’s Cross, the English home of Eurostar. One interesting relic of Victoria’s days as a tourist hub is an unusual clock that resembles Big Ben and displays both British and French times.
