It is said that the Russian word for station – vokzal – is derived from Vauxhall. When an early parliamentary delegation of Russians visited the area, to view the brand new invention of the railway, they asked their British guides what it was that they saw in front of them. Misunderstanding the delegates, and rather than telling them what the actual type of building was, the British replied, “This is Vauxhall,” instead of “This is a station.”

Now, it’s more than likely that this is an old wives tale, as evidence to back this up is virtually non-existent. Still, it’s nice story to tell. Vauxhall now forms an important interchange between tube, bus, road and that very same mainline station the Russian delegates supposedly saw all those years ago.

Image copyright A Carter – CallingAllStations.co.uk