Places in Bucharest - Gara de Nord (North Railway Station)
The first stone of the railway station was set on September 22nd 1869 and the same day they began the first railroads starting from it, covering around 650 km in the beginning.
It used to be called Railway Station Targoviste because of the road passing by leading to town Targoviste and it was built on the former property of boyar Dinicu Golescu
The well known Grivitei Road had this name only after 1877, in memory of the War for Independence and the conquest of fort Grivita.
The official opening was in 1872, together with line Bucharest-Pitesti-Roman-Galati.
The architecture of the building imitates almost perfectly the railway station with the same name in Paris and it was initially thought of as a transit station with 6 railroads.
In 1888 Railway Station Targoviste changed its name into North Railway Station. At the same time te building stated to be developped with new adjacent wings.
At the end of 19th century a new project for the Central Railway Station and the Palace of the Romanian Railroads (CFR). "The new railway station was supposed to be near parc Cismigiu, between Elisabeta Boulevard, Splaiul Independentei and Plevna Avenue" [from here]
After the first World War it is decided that Gara de Nord should be enlarged and modernized, and be kept in the same place.
After the second WW, the station was thoroughly finalized.
The first electric locomotive was used in 1969. the first modern electric train came in Romania in 2003
For a long time it used to be a favorite place for the homeless and beggars. It was finally cleaned up and now you have to pay a small fee at the entrances which are permanently guarded. (Although we are not quite sure what happens with all the 0,5 lei/ entrance)
