The Anonymous Widower

Is The City Of London Moving Towards One Giant Station?

Bank and Monument Stations

When I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, there used to be an anomaly shown on Harry Beck’s iconic London  Tube Map, that stood out as a bit different.

It was between Bank and Monument stations and was marked as an Escalator Connection, which connected the Northern Line at Bank to the District and Circle Lines at Monument.

This link was opened in 1933 and has its own section in Wikipedia labeled Monument Link, 1933.

This link has been joined by more tunnels, lifts and escalators over the last eight decades.

• In 1960, the Waterloo & City Line was connected to the main entrance of Bank station by two moving walkways.
• In 1991, the Docklands Light Railway was extended to the complex, with escalators to both the Bank and Monument entrances to the station complex.
• In November 2018, the new Bloomberg or Wallbrook entrance to the station opened, and I wrote about it in The Bank Station Walbrook Entrance Opened Today.

Bank and Monument stations have been developing as a pair of twin stations for eighty years.

The latest phase of the Bank Station Upgrade has added the following to the complex.

• A new and much large Southbound platform for the Northern Line.
• A moving walking between the Northern Line at Monument station and the Central Line at Bank station.
• Escalators between the Central Line and the Bank station end of the new moving walkway.
• Escalators between the Northern Line and the Docklands Light Railway.

The upgrade will be completed by a new entrance to the station complex on Cannon Street.

This Google Map shows the area of the station.

Note.

1. The main Bank station entrance the top of the map, by the Bank of England with multiple entrances to the station.
2. The main Monument entrance in the South-East corner of the map.
3. The Cannon Street entrance will be in the triangle formed by Abchurch Lane, Cannon Street and King William Street.
4. The Wallbrook entrance is under the Wallbrook Building.

The station has spread over a wide area, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more entrances in the future.

Liverpool Street And Moorgate Stations

This Google Map shows Liverpool Street and Moorgate stations.

Note.

1. The green space is Finsbury Circus Gardens.
2. Moorgate station is to the West on the A501 or Moorgate.
3. Liverpool Street station is to the East on the A10 or Bishopsgate.

There is now a tunnel between the two stations, as part of the double-ended Liverpool Street Elizabeth Line station.

The drawing from Crossrail shows a cross-section of the Liverpool Street Elizabeth Line station.

Note.

1. Moorgate station is on the left.
2. Liverpool Street station is on the right.
3. In the middle looking like a giant juicer is the ventilation shaft in Finsbury Circus.
4. The Crossrail tunnels, which consist of two running tunnels and a pedestrian walkway between them are at the deepest level.
5. There are escalators and lifts all over the place.

If it’s raining it’s a good way between the two stations.

The Rail Lines At Liverpool Street And Moorgate Stations

These routes serve the two stations.

• National Rail – Liverpool Street to Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk
• National Rail – Moorgate to North London and Hertfordshire
• Central Line – Liverpool Street
• London Overground – Liverpool Street to North-East London and Hertfordshire
• City, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines – Liverpool Street and Moorgate
• Elizabeth Line – Liverpool Street and Moorgate
• Northern Line – Moorgate

Note.

1. The Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines have separate stations and platforms in both Liverpool Street and Moorgate.
2. The Elizabeth Line station at Liverpool Street is a double-ended station with entrances in both the original Liverpool Street and Moorgate stations.
3. You can walk between Liverpool Street and Moorgate stations using the connecting tunnel of the Elizabeth Line station.
4. Both Liverpool Street and Moorgate stations are well-served by buses.

These connections mean that if you arrive in either of Liverpool Street or Moorgate and need to leave from the other main station, you can catch a train on the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines for one stop or walk through the Elizabeth Line tunnel or on the surface.

The Triangle Of Lines In The City Of London

The City of London effectively has three main Underground stations, that connect to all the important lines through the City.

• Bank/Monument station connects to the Central, Circle, District and Northern Lines
• Liverpool Street station connects to the Circle, Elizabeth, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan and Northern Lines.
• Moorgate station connects to the Central, Circle, Elizabeth, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines.

All three stations have direct Underground connections.

• Bank and Liverpool Street via Central Line.
• Monument and Liverpool Street via Circle Line.
• Bank and Moorgate via Northern Line.
• Monument and Moorgate via Circle Line.
• Liverpool Street and Moorgate via Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines.

Note.

1. All interconnecting services are frequent.
2. The Circle at six trains per hour (tph) is the least frequent
3. The connections at Bank have much improved recently, due to the Bank Station Upgrade.

It is also possible to walk between the three stations.

In Where The City Of London Leads The Rest Will Follow!, I laid out the plans of the City of London to cut vehicles in the City, impose a 15 mph speed limit and improve cycling and walking routes.

If all goes to plan, then this will open up more routes between the three stations.

Conclusion

Bank, Liverpool Street, Monument and Moorgate will evolve into one large interconnected City of London station, that is served by the Central, Circle, Elizabeth, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan and Northern Lines.

The most important thing that must be done is improve the information.

At least though, the vast walls that have been created in the Bank Station Upgrade and the Elizabeth Line stations, will be up to the task of informing passengers, the routes they need to take.

The other important thing, is to provide step-free and wheelchair-friendly routes between, Bank, Liverpool Street, Monument and Moorgate, so that passengers with reduced mobility can safely get on their way.

After the current round of construction and upgrades, I don’t think any of the rail routes between the stations are step-free.

 

 

 

January 27, 2023 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Bank Station, Bank Station Upgrade, Central Line, Circle Line, City of London, District Line, Docklands Light Railway, Elizabeth Line, Escalators, Hammersmith & City Line, Information, Liverpool Street Station, London Overground, Monument Station, Moorgate Station, Moving Walkway, Northern Line