King's Cross, between 1923 and 1930. Courtesy of Transport for London at the London Transport Museum. King's Cross is the more senior of the two stations. Built by the Great Northern Railway, it opened in 1852.

King’s Cross is the more senior of the two iconic London terminals. Built by the Great Northern Railway as the London terminus for the East Coast Main Line, King’s Cross officially opened its doors on October 14, 1852. Its design was famously simple and functional, featuring two large arched sheds. In contrast, St Pancras International was built later by the Midland Railway and opened in 1868. The magnificent St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, which forms the station's famous Gothic facade, was completed even later in 1873. While both stations now serve as a unified transport hub (King's Cross St. Pancras), King’s Cross had already been operating for 16 years by the time St Pancras was inaugurated, making it the historical pioneer of the pair.