Thameslink service. The southbound Metropolitan and northbound Widened shared an island platform. After closure of the Metropolitan platforms a high wall was built on that island. The two platforms in use during the King's Cross Thameslink era were lettered rather than numbered, to avoid confusion with the platforms at nearby King's Cross among staff who worked at both stations. In 1983, British Rail introduced the London station group, a group of stations in central London which were regarded as a single destination for ticketing and fare purposes. King's Cross Midland City, as it was then called, was one of the original eighteen stations in the group, and it retained this status until closure in 2007. History Early history The area of King's Cross was previously a village known as Battle Bridge, an ancient crossing of the River Fleet. The river flowed along what is now the west side of Pancras Road until it was rerouted underground in 1825. The mainline King's Cross station was built in 1851–52 as the London terminus of the Great Northern Railway (GNR), and was the fifth London terminal to be constructed. The station took its name from the King's Cross building, a monument to King George IV that stood in the area and was demolished in 1845. Plans for the station were made in December 1848 under the direction of George Turnbull, resident engineer for constructing the first of the Great Northern Railway out of London. The station opened on 14 October 1852. The first suburban services to and from King's Cross began operating in 1861, initially to Seven Sisters Road station (which was renamed to Finsbury Park in 1869), and later to Hornsey and beyond. King's Cross Metropolitan The first underground station at King's Cross was planned in 1851, during construction of the mainline station. The intention was to connect the Great Western Railway (GWR) at Paddington with the Great Northern Railway (GNR) at King's Cross. The line was opened on 10 January 1863, along with six other stations, as part of the original section of the Metropolitan Railway, which would later become part of the London Underground. King's Cross Metropolitan, the predecessor of King's Cross Thameslink, opened at the same time and was located to the east of the mainline station. The line was initially dual gauge, enabling both the GWR's broad gauge trains and other standard gauge stock to run. Later that