Ceramic maps dating from the reign of Queen Victoria that had been hidden from sight at Victoria station have been restored as part of the celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of the railways. For decades, the hand-painted maps – at one of the entrances to the Grade II-listed station - had been blocked from sight by a block of phone kiosks, then more recently by a newspaper booth. But now Govia Thameslink Railway has overseen their restoration with funding from Network Rail and a grant from the Railway Heritage Trust. A blue heritage plaque has also been unveiled to celebrate the restoration work. The line maps showed the routes of the London Brighton & South Coast Railway, which was in competition with South Eastern Railway for passengers travelling to and from Victoria. They were made in 1899 for part of a grand new entrance to the station in the Renaissance revival style. An extension was also added to the hotel above the station entrance. One of the maps shows the London Brighton & South Coast Railway’s entire network. The other shows its suburban lines. Both maps include many stations that are no longer part of the network, following the Beeching closures in the 1960s. The maps illustrate “motor halts”, golf links and race courses and feature stations including Clapham Junction, Norwood Junction, Mitcham Junction, Sutton, Purley and Epsom Downs. In recent decades the walls and maps were visible to passengers but had remained in a damaged state. Govia – which operates Southern and Gatwick Express trains from Victoria – arranged to have the maps cleaned by specialists Restore London. Broken tiles and surrounding stonework was carefully matched in colour and detail by tilemaker Craven Dunnill Jackfield. Benedict O’Looney, Govia Thameslink Railway’s architect and a committee member of Victorian Society, said: “Around 1900, the two companies that developed Victoria station built impressive new station fronts in the fashionable Beaux Arts style. “The shimmering, ceramic-clad, entrance of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway matched the ambitious, Baroque revival South Eastern Railway side, with its heroic-scaled figurative sculpture. “These maps shine a spotlight on rival railway companies, The London, Brighton & South Coast Railway and South Eastern Railway, deploying sophisticated Edwardian architecture, craftsmanship, and materials, to show the public their quality. “These walls also show the Edwardian railway’s energetic use of architectural ceramics creating elaborate, robust, and soot-resistant walls for railway stations, underground stations, and much else.” Keith Jipps, infrastructure director at Govia Thameslink Railway, said: “Two hundred years ago the modern railway was born with the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1825. “Railways are vital for communities and the economy so it’s fitting to preserve and celebrate our heritage like this. The restoration of these two maps demonstrates true collaboration between different railway industry partners.” Tim Hedley-Jones, executive director at the Railway Heritage Trust said: “These historic tile maps were discovered behind an old news stand a number of years ago and it has long been an aspiration of the Railway Heritage Trust to restore them. “Thankfully match funding money became available within Network Rail and we were able to grant support the works. “These maps give us a glimpse of what the entrance to this wonderful Grade II listed station would once have looked like.” Lucy McAuliffe, Sussex route director for Network Rail, said: “The restored maps will be a great reminder for future generations of passengers passing through Victoria station about the incredible history of our railway."