Victoria Station Its o ri gins lie w ith the Great Exhibiti on o f 1 8 5 1 . Ho w e v er, it w a s s o o n re c o g niz ed that a ter minal w a s n e e d e d o n the n orth sid e o f the River Tha m e s, and o n the 2 3 rd of July 1 8 5 8 the Victoria Station & Pimlic o Rail way w a s inc orp orated, w ith the o bj e ct of e xten din g the rail w ay a cr oss the riv er to a m o r e c o n v e ni ent l o c ati o n n ear er the West End. Th e stati on o p en e d o n the 1 st o f Octo b er 1 8 6 0 . It w a s for m e d in t w o parts: the w e st ern sid e, o c cupi ed b y the Brighton c o m p any, w ith six platfor m s, ten trac ks and a h ot el (the 3 0 0-b e dr o o m G r o s v e n o r ); w hil e the Chatha m c o m p any o c cupi ed a less i mp o sin g w o o d e n-fr onted b uildin g. Th e latter's stati on had nin e trac ks and w a s shar ed b y br o a dg au g e trains o f the GWR, w hi c h arriv e d fro m Southall via the We st L o n d o n E xten si on J o int Rail way thr ou g h Chels ea. Th e appr o a c h trac ks and stati on w er e b uilt o n the r oute and b asin of the Gros v en or Canal. Th e GWR re m ain e d part o w n er o f the stati on until 1 9 3 2 , alth ou g h its trains had l on g sin c e c e as e d to us e it. Each sid e o f the stati on had its o w n e ntran c e and a s eparate stati on m a st er; a w all b et w e e n the t w o s e cti o ns e m p hasized that fact. A pla qu e m ar ks the arrival o f the b o dy of Th e Unkn o w n Warri or at platfor m 8 at 2 0 : 3 2 o n the 1 0 th of Nov e m b er 1 9 2 0 . At the start of the 2 0th c e ntury b oth parts o f the stati on w e r e re built. It n o w had a d e c e nt fr ontag e and for e c ourt, b ut n ot as y et a unified existen c e. Work o n the Bright on sid e w a s c o m pl eted in 1 9 0 8 and w a s c arried o ut in red bric k; the Gros v e n or Hotel w a s re built at the sa m e ti m e. Th e Chatha m sid e, in an Edwardian styl e w ith b ar o qu e el e m e nts, w a s c o m pl eted a y ear later. Th e t w o s e cti ons w er e c o n n e cted in 1 9 2 4 b y re m o vin g part of a s cr e en w all, w h e n the platfor m s w er e renu m b er e d as an e ntity. Th e stati on w a s n o w s er vin g b o at trains, and durin g World War I it b e c a m e a ter minus for trains c arryin g s oldi ers to and fro m Fran c e, m a n y of the m w o un d e d. After the w ar the Contin ental stea m er traffic b e c a m e c o n c e ntrated h er e, includin g the m o st fa m o us o f th os e trains, the Gold en Arro w . Th e Night Ferry als o o p erated to/fro m Victoria stati on. Th e ar ea ar ound the stati on als o b e c a m e a site for oth er for m s o f transp ort: a b us stati on in the for e c ourt; a c o a c h ter minal to the s outh; and n o w a ter minal for trains s er vin g Gat wi c k Airp ort. Th e stati on had a n e w s cin e m a , later a c arto o n cin e m a that w o uld sh o w a c o ntinu ous pr o gra m m e for trav ell ers. Th e cin e m a w a s d esi gn e d b y Alastair Macd onald, s o n o f Pri m e Minister Ramsay MacDonald and w a s in o p erati on fr o m 1 9 3 3 until b ein g d e m o lish e d in 1 9 8 1 . Th e stati on w a s red e v el op e d internally in the 1 9 8 0 s, w ith the additi on o f sh ops w ithin the c o n c ours e, and a b o v e the w e stern platfor m s (the "Victoria Plac e" sh oppin g c e ntre). On the 1 8 th o f February 1 9 9 1 an IRA b o m b expl o d e d in a litter bin, killin g David Corn er, and injurin g 3 8. Sinc e that ti m e, ther e ha v e b e e n n o litter bins any w h er e o n the stati on platfor m.
Th e A tea m (Ă€xel A., Albert A, Amad eu A, Arnau C)1 st b at A