Kings Cross is the sole London station with Platform 0, added in 2010 to increase capacity during station upgrades.
They added Platform 0 back in May 2010. A big station upgrade included it. The goal was more train space. They wanted to upgrade other platforms, too. This upgrade kept trains running smoothly.
King’s Cross was already a very busy station. The 2012 Olympics were coming soon. The station needed more room for all those people.
Finding a name for the platform was hard. Platforms 1 to 11 existed already. Platform 12 was confusing; it was near Platform 1. Plus, it was far from Platform 11.
They considered renumbering all platforms. That idea would confuse daily commuters. They also thought about Platform Y. It runs by York Way. Mixing letters seemed too complex.
Platform 0 won out as the simplest choice. It started the platform sequence. It kept the current number system working. Network Rail missed a chance for Platform 9 3⁄4.
Diesel trains cannot use Platform 0 often. It is only for emergencies. This rule cuts down pollution. It protects people by York Way.
First Capital Connect’s Neal Lawson spoke about the platform. He said it was a key step. It helped rebuild King’s Cross. Normal trains could run during construction. The Olympics got more platform space later, too.
Other major London stations did not copy this idea. Waterloo uses Platforms 1 to 24. Victoria uses Platforms 1 to 19. King’s Cross remains the only one with Platform 0.