‘Platform 9 and 3/4 ‘ is a site of pilgrimage for fans of Harry Potter, as this is the place of departure for the Hogwarts Express. A luggage trolley ‘disappearing’ through a wall marks the spot.
The railway station is the oldest terminus in London, opening in 1836. It was badly damaged in the Blitz, and went through major redevelopment in the 1970s to cope with new levels of traffic.
The station was built in 1874 on the site of the old Bethlem hospital for the mentally ill, which dated back to the 14th century and is the origin of the word ‘bedlam’.
In 1991 an IRA bomb hidden in a bin in Victoria station killed one man and injured 38. This led to the removal of all litter bins from London stations.
