The original station, built, after the Gothic plan, on the west side of London Road, was opened by the London and Windsor Railway on 22 August 1848. Preparatory work for rebuilding by the Southern Railway in its "Southern Odeon" style on the east of London Road was halted by the outbreak of the World War II, with most trackwork and the vertical edgings of the five planned through platforms in place. After the war some platforms were made level for rugby spectators' trains which were hand-flagged through the embryonic station. It was not until 28 March 1954 that the present station came into use with three through tracks inconveniently having the two up platforms facing each other. The track at platform 1 is disconnected and like that of platform 2 stops at a causeway which allows rugby cro