Before Crossrail – Maryland
Another Station That Needs Imagination And Lifts – Rating 2/10
Maryland is another ruin, but it is not as bad as Manor Park and it doesn’t have any redeeming feature like Forest Gate‘s kiosk.
In fact one of the best things that could happen to the three stations, is that a driverless Class 66 ran away with a heavy cargo of something like aggregate and careered through all the stations demolishing them completely.
What worries me about this station is that somebody was paid to design it and another was paid to build it, probably at great expense.
But look at this page to see Crossrail’s ideas about transforming the station.
Before Crossrail – Forest Gate
Another Dreadful Station, But With A Lovely Kiosk! – Rating 3/10
Forest Gate is better than Manor Park, if only for the charming kiosk in front of the station.
If I were a young architect, which I’m not on either counts, I would love the challenge of turning this sow’s ear into a silk purse.
Crossrtail have published some of their ideas for the station.
Before Crossrail – Manor Park
A Ruin With Serious Issues – Rating 1/10
Manor Park is very unusual architecturally. I do wonder if the Luftwaffe tried to demolish the station.
Perhaps the builders just ran out of money and couldn’t afford to put in windows.
I can imagine the words of Crossrail’s architect, when he saw this station. According to Wikipedia, in their section on Future Development they say this.
The platforms will not be lengthened so selective door operation will be used instead, allowing the freight loop to remain in use. Due to the narrow platforms, and the layout of the station, fitting lifts for disabled access would be difficult and expensive, requiring the walkways to be rebuilt and closing the station for several months.
If there was a Carbuncle Cup For Ruins, then this station would be up there with the worst.
Perhaps though Crossrail’s architect is a supreme optimist.
Look at this artists’s impression of what is a proposal for the future on Crossrail’s web site.
Before Crossrail – Ilford
A Station That Needs Work – Rating 4/10
Ilford has a modernised entrance building, but some of the stairs are difficult.
Money certainly needs to be spent on this station that serves quite an important town centre.
Before Crossrail – Seven Kings
This Could Be A Good Station – Rating 6/10
Seven Kings has the usually access problems, but some interesting brickwork.
I’ll be looking forward to seeing this station with an upgraded bridge, lifts and a good cleaning of the brickwork.
Before Crossrail – Goodmayes
A Station With Bad Access And A Small Convenience Store – Rating 6/10
Goodmayes is a station I spot every time I pass through on the Way to Ipswich, due to the Tesco.
This station obviously needs the same treatment as Chadwell Heath, with new lifts.
Before Crossrail – Chadwell Heath
An Almost Crossrail Ready Station – 9/10
Chadwell Heath had a new footbridge and lifts installed a few years ago.
The stairs at Chadwell Heath show the problem that the original design of some stations create. You can add lifts, but you still have the problem of making the remaining stairs totally safe, Chadwell Heath is probably as best as you can do, given the height you have to negotiate.
After a quick refurbishment with new signs and information, this station will be ready.
Before Crossrail – Romford
An Important Schizophrenic Station – Rating 6/10
Romford is an important station on this line and it is the middle of a fairly large High Street shopping centre.
Although it has some marble facings in the booking hall, it has terrible stairs and passages everywhere.
The station is crying out for lifts, especially as when Crossrail arrives some might transfer to Crossrail here from services that come from further afield.
Before Crossrail – Gidea Park
The Bridge Is Falling Down – 6/10
Gidea Park is another station where I’ve not been before.
One of the station staff told me, that the bridge had obvious corrosion problems and it was being replaced with one with lifts.
Before Crossrail – Harold Wood
A Tidy Station With A Bad Bridge – 6/10
Harold Wood is a station that is deep in my mind, as it the Zone 6 boundary, so I’ve bought many tickets from the station to Ipswich and other places in East Anglia.
But I’d never visited the station before.
The station has toilets but a bad bridge and no lifts.
It won’t take much to get it ready for Crossrail.
The Anonymous Widower 