Which London station is the starting point for the Hogwarts Express in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books?

King’s Cross Station is the starting point for the Hogwarts Express in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books.

Harry and other students reach the train at the hidden Platform 9¾, which is accessed between Platforms 9 and 10 in the story. The train then carries them north to Hogwarts for the school year. King’s Cross was chosen as a memorable London departure point in the series’ fictional transport network.

In the real station, Platforms 9 and 10 are separated by railway tracks, so the exact book arrangement is not a normal public passage. A Platform 9¾ sign and luggage trolley installation became a popular visitor attraction in the station’s concourse area.

The Hogwarts Express itself is fictional, although scenes for the film adaptations used real railway locations and trains. King’s Cross is therefore both a real London station and a famous gateway to Rowling’s invented magical world.