The Anonymous Widower

Crossrail 2 October 2015 – King’s Road Chelsea Station

The reason for my walk this morning, between Sloane Square and Imperial Wharf stations, was to look at Crossrail 2’s plans for King’s Road Chelsea station.

If the station is built it will sit between Victoria and Clapham Junction stations.

This Google Map shows the area.

Victoria station is in the top right corner and Clapham Junction is at the bottom of the map.

 

So what do Crossrail 2 say about the need for a King’s Road Chelsea station in their document about the station. They say this.

A station in the Chelsea area has always been part of the Chelsea – Hackney line safeguarding since it was first proposed in 1989. A Crossrail 2 station in Chelsea would improve community access to rail based public transport in an area where current service levels are low in comparison to similar inner London locations. It would also improve connectivity to the Royal Brompton and Royal Marsden hospitals and provide access to the existing retail and commercial developments along King’s Road. Providing a Crossrail 2 station in Chelsea would also improve journey times for those travelling to or from King’s Road.

Chelsea currently suffers weekday congestion and delays on its main roads. By 2031 congestion on London’s roads is expected to increase by 60 per cent. Providing a Crossrail 2 station would encourage more people to use public transport, which would help to reduce traffic congestion in the area and improve air quality.

That is an answer that would persuade someone like me, who doesn’t drive and knows the arguments for buses and trains, but to the average selfish driver of a high-powered car or off-road vehicle, that is almost an insult.

The Google Map does show the enormous problem in working out the route of Crossrail 2.

Victoria and Clapham Junction stations are about four kilometres apart, so for safety and ventilation reasons any tunnel between the two stations will need an access shaft.

And what lies between the two stations? The River Thames!

I’m sure that part of the reason for a new station in the Chelsea area, is to provide the necessary shaft for the tunnels, as the only other alternative is somewhere in Battersea and that is probably too close to Clapham Junction.

This creates a wonderful irony for Chelsea. Suppose that Crossrail 2 decide that because of opposition, they are going to drop building a station in Chelsea.

They might still decide to build a shaft in perhaps a block of flats, in the same way they did on Moorgate with Moor House.

So Chelsea would have an unseen emergency access and ventilation shaft, but no station.

This map from the Crossrail 2 document shows the proposed station and its shafts, entrances and work-sites.

This Google Map shows the area of Site A in an enlarged format.

Site A is described like this by Crossrail 2.

Includes the Chelsea Garden Centre and Farmers Market. This would be the main worksite for construction of the station tunnels, station entrance, ticket hall and station shaft. Although the site boundary includes 250 King’s Road and 151 Sydney Street, these buildings would be retained.

I would assume that the buildings to be retained are these on the corner.

This Google Map shows the area of Site B in an enlarged format.

Site B is described like this by Crossrail 2.

Includes retail and office buildings adjacent to The Pheasantry and extends across Jubilee Place, which would be closed temporarily. This site would be used for construction of the eastern station shaft.

The Pheasntry, where Pizza Express has their restaurant is to the right of Waterstones and Ryman

Jubilee Place is to the left of Waterstones and appears to be one-way away from the King’s Road.

This station design is not very ambitious, when you compare it to Balham or Dalston, in that it appears to be single as opposed to double-ended.

Is this because there is no interchange with other lines or because Crossrail 2 want to have to argue only one entrance with protestors?

What Will The New Buildings Be Like?

Obviously I don’t know, but I can make a few points.

• On both sites A and B, I suspect that both shafts and the station at Site A will be incorporated into buildings in keeping with the area.
• It looks from the proposed position of the station entrance, that if the building on the corner of Site A is to be retained as Crossrail 2 say, then it will double as the station.

Surely, this would be two briefs that would be welcomed by one of our world-class architects.

Conclusion

This is probably the most difficult station to build for Crossrail 2.

Not in terms of the actual engineering, but in the sensitive nature of the site and the local residents.

But as I said earlier, I have a feeling that if Crossrail 2 is built it will have to build something in the Chelsea area, due to London’s geography.

 

 

 

 

November 8, 2015 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Crossrail 2, Crossrail 2 October 2015, King's Road Chelsea Station, Moor House