City widened lines?

As part of the electrification of the suburban services from London to Bedford via the Midland Mainline, as the previous diesel service ran to both St. Pancras and Moorgate (for easy access to the City).


Yes these National Rail lines were the City Widened Lines.

The NR lines never reached Liverpool Street, but terminated at Moorgate. Originally the Moorgate line was the branch, off the line from King's Cross - Farringdon - Snow Hill Tunnel - Blackfriars. This route was lifted in the early 1970s, just leaving the Moorgate branch from the Midland Mainline.

The Farringdon - Moorgate section is now closed, as the Thameslink platforms at Farringdon are being lengthened to twelve cars, over the former branch track bed (and the new Farringdon station building is being built on top of the site). The Moorgate branch closed late 2010.

This was the York Road curve, connecting the London bound East Coast Mainline surburban routes to the same line as above. There was also a connection on the other side for country bound trains (called the Hotel Curve). Both connections closed in 1976, when the Suburban services were diverted to Moorgate using the North City Line tunnels from Finsbury Park(former LU).

New connections to the East Coast mainline are to be opened in a few years time, but connecting from further north into the northern end of the new(ish) St. Pancras Thameslink station.

Wow really quick informative response. Thanks guys.

Have become more interested in railways since I gave up working for them. Was/am GWR fan. Imagine my horror a few weeks ago when I realised that most of my beloved Warships, Hymeks, and Westerns have been broken up. Sad days.

As already mentioned, the platform with its own separate entrance used for Moorgate-bound trains off the GN route was "York Road". Kings Cross suburban was, and still is, the set of platforms on the other side of the main train shed, and outside it. This is the present platforms 9-11, although originally there were more, and included the sloping platform 16 which led off the "Hotel Curve".

Note that the present platform 9 was originally numbered 11, as there were ten platforms in the main train shed (although platforms 3 and 9 were abolished early on).