Sky trains: St Pancras station to open famous roof up for summer
Thursday April 1, 2010
By DAN CARRIER
IT took the Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman to save it from the wrecker’s ball, and a £1billion project, opened by the Queen two years ago, to make it the most exciting and admired railway station in Europe.
Now the next phase in the illustrious history of St Pancras has been announced. Owners High Speed One, who run the rail link to Europe from the Victorian brick pile, have announced they are installing technology similar to that found at Wembley Stadium and Wimbledon’s Centre Court to allow them to retract the majestic roof during the summer.
The station’s platforms have been converted since it reopened to house Europe’s longest oyster and champagne bar – and now engineers are working on installing a special system of pulleys and levers to allow the warmer months to do their worst.
To help keep passengers and shoppers cool, they also plan to offer free sunglasses, hat and sun cream with drinks as the weather improves.
High Speed One executive Ben Ruse said: “We are committed to delivering the best services for our customers and this includes providing adequate ventilation and the opportunity to grab a few rays during hot weather. We are sure that the original designer, William Barlow, would approve of this innovative design.”
Pictured: Artists' impressions from High Speed One of how the retractable roof at St Pancras will look