The Anonymous Widower

The Camden Town Station Upgrade Exhibition

This afternoon I went to the Camden Town Station Upgrade Exhibition at the Trinity United Reformed Church, Buck Street, Camden Town NW1 8NJ.

It will be on tomorrow and Saturday.

I did get a few questions answered and I have a few comments.

1. This capacity upgrade is only concerned with the upgrade to Camden Town station and has nothing to do with improving the routes between this station and Camden Road station.
2. I do think that provision should be made for a connection, even if it isn’t made until quite a few years.
3. As in the current station, steps will still normally be used to access the two Southbound platforms from the main circulating space.
4. For those needing step-free access to and from the surface, there will be a second lift lobby at Southbound platform height, below the main circulating space.
5. Anybody crossing between the two Southbound or the two Northbound platforms will have a step-free route across.

I think that it is important that in addition to upgrading the capacity at Camden Town station, that the routes between the two Camden station; Town and Road should be improved for the following reasons.

1. Camden Road is a station with full step-free access and if you lived or were staying within easy reach of the North London Line, you might find the route a much better alternative for going to the attractions of Camden Town and Camden Lock. I sometimes go for a coffee with my son, who works in Camden Town by that route from Dalston.
2. Camden Lock is five hundred metres from Camden Road station and three-hundred and fifty metres from Camden Town stations and the longer route can be less busy.
3. Walking between Camden Road station and Camden Lock has been improved recently, by creating a set of steps down from Camden Road to the Regent’s Canal. This may encourage many to walk to the Camden Lock area along the canal.
4. Using Camden Road station or a bus for leaving the area avoids using the long spiral staircase to descend to the Northern Line at Camden Town station, which at times is the only route to the platforms.
5. During the building of the capacity upgrade at Camden Town station, any alternative route that takes pressure off the station will be welcomed.
6. The current walking route along Camden Road is very crowded and involves two crossings of roads on controlled crossings.
7. Access to buses could be better thought out.

I would do the following.

1. Improve the Regent’s Canal route between Camden Road station and Camden Lock. At present it is a bit difficult at the Camden Lock end, due to the development of Hawley Wharf.
2. Improve the steps from the canal to Kentish Town Road, so that, when the Buck Street entrance to Camden Town station is opened, you have a shorter walk between the two stations.
3. The Kentish Town Road steps could also provide a possibly quicker route to Camden Lock and the Roundhouse from the Buck Street entrance.

In addition lots of maps and signposting could point out some of the myriad routes and short-cuts in the area.

Eventually, a second entrance could be built at an expanded Camden Road station in the area of Camden Gardens.

Perhaps, by building much of the entrance in the three empty arches under the railway and using external lifts and escalators as has been done in buildings like the Pompidou Centre, the Lloyd Building or Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop in Manchester.

This Google Map shows the area.

Camden Gardens, Camden Lock And Buck Street

Camden Gardens is at the top right around the viaduct of the North London Line, which runs across the map to Camden Lock. Kentish Town Road goes almost North-South through the area, with Buck Street towards the bottom. The triple building is the school that currently occupies the proposed station site. I would estimate that the distance between Camden Gardens and Buck Street could be little more than two hundred metres.

Perhaps, the Buck Street entrance building, needs a back entrance on Kentish Town Road?

To finish this is a picture of the viaduct across Camden Gardens.

After being rebuilt since the freight train crash of a couple of years ago, I’m sure another good use can be found for it.

October 21, 2015 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Architecture, Camden Road Station, Camden Town Station, Camden Town Station Upgrade, London Underground, North London Line