Marylebone is one of London's smallest, and certainly most charming station, as well as being the newest terminus. Now operated by Chiltern Railways, trains run to High Wycombe, Wembley, Aylesbury, Banbury, Stratford-upon-Avon and via Birmingham (Snow Hill) to Kidderminster.
Opened in 1899, charming is not what the directors of the Great Central Railway would have wanted to hear. The Great Central, linking London to Leicester, Nottingham, Sheffield and Manchester, was a grand undertaking, the brainchild of Sir Edward Watkin, who envisaged a line linking England to the Continent, via a Channel Tunnel. The line was built to the European loading gauge (which governs the height, width and length of rolling stock), rather than the more restrictive British standard.
But building the line at such a late stage into London was expensive: there was more development to build through, and although the route of the Metropolitan Railway was followed for much of the way, the last few miles required expensive tunnels and cuttings to avoid the steep gradients into Baker Street nearby.
By the time they reached London, they had virtually run out of money, and there was not enough money even for an architect - the station was designed by the company's Civil Engineer. Instead of a grand terminus, there are charming domestic-style buildings in red brick, with terracotta capitals decorated with the simplest of egg and dart motifs. When built, it only had three platforms. The line never lived up to expectations, and was never expanded, despite having the most comfortable and modern trains.
The rationalisation of the Beeching regime in the 1960s saw the closure of the Great Central main line, and Marylebone settled down to serving the Banbury and Aylesbury commuter services. For years, there was talk of closure. Its salvation came with the privatisation of British Rail, and the advent of Chiltern Railways. Their drive has seen passenger services develop to Birmingham via Banbury, the reopening of Birmingham's Snow Hill station, and more passengers using Marylebone than ever before: they even recently expanded the station, inserting new platforms to cater for the volume of trains.
Although a slower option to Birmingham than Virgin, prices are rather lower and its half-hourly services are still the best way to reach places like Aylesbury, Stratford, Solihull, Warwick, Banbury, Leamington and Bicester. The station itself is now buzzing, with shops (including an M&S Simply Foods) and cafes. The concourse is bright and airy, with the ironwork beautifully restored.
There is a direct connection to the Underground (Bakerloo), a covered taxi rank and cycle storage. Being so small, everything is a few seconds walk away, and the whole station provides step-free access. Chiltern's web-site also provides live real-time departures information.
Finally, a word about the Great Central Hotel. This grand building, between the station and Marylebone Road, was built separately and dwarfs the station behind. Opened in 1899, and designed by the architect R W Edis, it was a byword for luxury, with its huge central Palm Court - the forerunner of to-days atriums. For many years the HQ of British Railways, in 1986 it was acquired and restored, and once again is resplendent at the 5-star Landmark Hotel. A covered entrance runs behind the hotel to the station, allowing visitors to arrive and depart in the dry. The rooms - at 592 square feet - are larger than my flat
(See separate review on Qype for the Landmark Hotel) read more