▁per ▁hour ▁to ▁Wat ford . ▁Ste am ▁services ▁continued ▁to ▁Pop lar , ▁with ▁a ▁peak ▁service ▁to ▁. ▁These ▁latter ▁trains ▁continued ▁to ▁use ▁old ▁li very , ▁without ▁modern ▁conven ien ces ▁such ▁as ▁he ating ▁and ▁electric ▁light , ▁and ▁were ▁un pop ular . ▁ ▁The ▁station ▁came ▁under ▁the ▁ownership ▁of ▁the ▁London , ▁Mid land ▁and ▁Scottish ▁Railway ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Big ▁Four ▁grouping ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 3 . ▁The ▁former ▁G NR ▁services ▁from ▁Broad ▁Street ▁were ▁stopped ▁completely ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁accommod ate ▁essential ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁traffic . ▁Broad ▁Street ▁was ▁badly ▁dam aged ▁during ▁the ▁war . ▁The ▁lines ▁leading ▁to ▁the ▁station ▁were ▁taken ▁out ▁of ▁action ▁after ▁an ▁over night ▁ra id ▁on ▁ 3 – 4 ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁closing ▁the ▁station ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁days . ▁Similar ▁dis ruption ▁occurred ▁on ▁ 1 3 ▁October ▁and ▁ 1 1 ▁November . ▁The ▁service ▁to ▁Sh ored itch ▁closed ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁while ▁the ▁service ▁to ▁Pop lar ▁was ▁with dra wn ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁May ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁and ▁was ▁never ▁re inst ated . ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁peak - season ▁main line ▁trains ▁to ▁ ▁used ▁Broad ▁Street ▁to ▁take ▁pressure ▁off ▁King ' s ▁Cross ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁but ▁otherwise ▁only ▁a ▁small ▁number ▁of ▁local ▁services ▁remained