Editing Liverpool Street station (section)

====Nationalisation (1946–91)====
[[File:Liverpool Street – 20180308 152347 (40650187682).jpg|thumb|Interior view of the station]]
After the formation of the [[London Passenger Transport Board]] in 1933, work to electrify the line from Liverpool Street to [[Shenfield railway station|Shenfield]] began in association with the LNER.{{sfn|Duffy|2003|p=271}} Progress had been halted by the war but work resumed after the end of hostilities. The line between Liverpool Street and [[Stratford station|Stratford]] was electrified from 3 December 1946, and the full electrification of the Shenfield line at 1500{{nbsp}}V DC was completed in September 1949.{{sfn|Duffy|2003|p=271}}<ref name="Cowley 1987 11">{{cite book |last=Cowley |first=Ian |title=Anglia East |date=1987 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbot |pages=11 |isbn=9780715389782}}</ref> At the same time, electrification of [[London Underground]] services in Essex and in northeast and east London led to the withdrawal of some services from Liverpool Street, being replaced with LU operations. Electrification continued with the line to [[Chingford railway station|Chingford]] electrified by November 1960.{{sfn|Powell|1966|pp=47–63}} In 1960-61 conversion of the 1500{{nbsp}}V DC route to Shenfield which had been extended to Southend and Chelmsford was converted to 6.25{{nbsp}}kV AC.<ref name="Cowley 1987 11"/>

[[File:LiverpoolStreetStation(ChristineMatthews)May2003.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[split-flap display]] board, which was replaced in 2007]]
In 1973 the [[British Railways Board]], [[London Transport Executive (GLC)|London Transport Executive]], [[Greater London Council]] and the [[Department of the Environment]] produced a report examining the modernisation of London transport. It recommended high priority given to reconstructing Liverpool Street and Broad Street stations and recommended financing this through [[property development]] on the site.{{sfn|Campion|1987|p=99}} Liverpool Street had a number of design and access issues, many of which derived from the 1890 extension which had effectively created two stations on one site, with two [[concourse]]s linked by walkways, booking halls, and inefficient traffic flows within the station. Additionally the rail infrastructure presented limitations; only seven of the platforms could accommodate 12-carriage trains, and the track exit layout was a bottleneck.{{sfn|Campion|1987|loc=pp. 98–99, sections 6, 9–12}} In 1975 British Railways announced plans to demolish and redevelop both stations.<ref>{{cite journal |journal = The Illustrated London News| volume = 263| issue=2| page =22| title = Window on the World}}</ref> The proposed demolition met considerable public opposition and prompted a campaign led by the [[Poet Laureate]] [[John Betjeman|Sir John Betjeman]], leading to a [[public inquiry]] from November 1976 to February 1977.{{sfn|Thorne|1978|p=7}}

In autumn 1980 conversion of the overhead electrification from 6.25{{nbsp}}kV [[alternating current|AC]] to the standard supply of 25{{nbsp}}kV AC.<ref>{{cite book |last=Cowley |first=Ian |title=Anglia East|date=1987 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbot |pages=59 |isbn=9780715389782}}</ref> The inquiry recommended that the western (1875) train shed roof should be retained in new development; consequently it was repaired and reinforced between 1982 and 1984, followed by repairs to the main roof completed in 1987.{{sfn|Campion|1987|p=105-106}} Initial plans included adding two additional tracks, with 22 platforms in a layout similar to that of [[London Waterloo station|Waterloo station]]; the combined Broad Street and Liverpool Street station was to be at the level of the latter, with relatively low-rise office developments.{{sfn|Campion|1987|loc=p. 102, sections 20–23}} The development was reassessed in 1983/4, when it was decided to retain the existing six-road exit throat and 18-platform layout, in combination with resignalling; this resulted in a station confined to the Liverpool Street site, with ground space released for development.{{sfn|Campion|1987|loc=pp. 106–107, section 37-40}} British Railways signed an agreement with developers Rosehaugh Stanhope in 1985, and work on the office development, known as [[Broadgate]], began.{{sfn|Campion|1987|loc=pp. 106–107, section 40}}

Railway work included the construction of a short link from the [[North London Line]] to the Cambridge main line, allowing trains that had previously used Broad Street to terminate at Liverpool Street.{{sfn|Campion|1987|loc=p. 107, section 43}} The station was reconstructed with a single concourse at the head of the station platforms, and entrances from Bishopsgate and Liverpool Street, as well as [[Liverpool Street bus station|a bus interchange]] in the south west corner.{{sfn|Campion|1987|loc=p. 109, Fig. 4}} The Broadgate development was constructed between 1985 and 1991, with {{convert|330000|m2|abbr=on}} of office space on the site of the former Broad Street station and above the Liverpool Street tracks.{{sfn|Sutcliffe|2006|pp=204–5}} Proceeds from the Broadgate development were used to help fund the station modernisation.{{sfn|Campion|1987|p=97}}

In 1988, [[The Arcade, Liverpool Street|The Arcade]] above the underground station on the corner of Liverpool Street and Old Broad Street was due to be completely demolished by London Regional Transport and MEPC, who wanted to develop the site into a five-storey block of offices and shops. More than 6,000 people signed a petition to "Save the Arcade", and the historic Victorian building still stands today.<ref>{{cite web|title=Petition addressed to the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Commons of the City of London, requesting them to do all in their power to preserve the arcade & surrounding buildings at Liverpool Street and to oppose any redevelopment and to endeavour to have these buildings listed as of historic interest for the City and its heritage|publisher=Corporation of London Record Office|url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/191874e4-1320-4d91-ae86-af7f917fd0a5|date=1988}}</ref> The campaign against the development was led by Graham Horwood, who owned an employment agency within the Arcade at the time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taichi-horwood.com/uncategorized/liverpool-street-arcade-still-standing/|title=Liverpool Street Arcade Still Standing... – Tai Chi Chuan|date=30 April 2015}}</ref>

In 1989, the first visual display unit-controlled signalling operation on British Rail (known as an [[Integrated Electronic Control Centre]]) became operational at Liverpool Street.<ref>{{cite conference | title = New generation signalling control centre| work = International Conference on Main Line Railway Electrification| date = 28 September 1989|publisher = Institution of Electrical Engineers| pages=317–321| first1 = F.F.| last1 = Beady| first2= P.J.N.|last2= Bartlett}}</ref>

[[File:Rebuilt Liverpool Street station plaque.jpg|thumb|left|Plaque commemorating the opening of the rebuilt station in 1991]]
The redeveloped Liverpool Street was officially opened by [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] on 5 December 1991.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper = The Times |location= London |date=6 December 1991| issue = 64196| pages = 4, 19|title = Main line Masterpiece}}</ref> At that time a giant departures board was installed above the concourse; it was one of the last remaining mechanical [[split-flap display|'flapper' display]] boards at a British railway station until its replacement in November 2007.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/last-of-the-flapper-boards-depart-liverpool-st|title=Last of the Flapper Boards depart Liverpool Street|work=Network Media News|date=7 November 2007|access-date=25 August 2016}}</ref>