North Wembley Station
When I missed the last train at Sudbury and Harrow Road station, I had no chance but get a bus. I got a 245 towards Golders Green, but decided to get off at North Wembley station, so I could get a train into London.
I’d never been to the station before and it is purely functional.
On my trip around the area and after my troubles on the Piccadilly Line earlier, it’s almost the area of London that has been forgotten.
The Station With The Least Passengers In London
After my visit to the truly dreadful Angel Road station, which has the next-to-least number of passengers, I just had to go to the only station, which attracts even less.
I arrived at the station at 10:42 after a really tedious journey on the Victoria and Piccadilly Lines, which were both very crowded. To make matters worse, the train was held for several minutes at Acton Town station.
I think that the problems with Sudbury and Harrow Road station are not the normal ones of filth and squalor. In 2013-14 it had just 18,700 passengers.
Although I just missed the last morning train into London at 10:41, I don’t think you can blame neglect on the part of Chiltern Railways.
The main problem I could see was that there is no pedestrian crossing close to the station, as is normal for stations on a busy road. So those needing to get a bus to and from home might go to a station where the walking route is easier.
All the other problems were minor, like the fact that the station sign is not easily visible and there isn’t really a good drop off point for passengers.
Chiltern seem to have spent money here, but they haven’t drawn in the passengers. But then they haven’t done too well in the next station, Sudbury Hill Harrow.
Why Green Park Station Should Be Avoided
I changed between the Victoria and Piccadilly Lines at Green Park station today and had the usual route march.
Why Green Park Station Should Be Avoided
This station must be the one with the longest and most tortuous interchanges.
Do Pedestrians Accept Their Lot?
I regularly get a 30 or 277 bus to Highbury and Islington station to get the Victoria Line and it has never been the most convenient walk from the stop, as you have to cross two busy roads on controlled crossings. Over the last few months, they have been rebuilding the bridge at the station, which means they’ve moved one crossing making the journey longer.
Do Pedestrians Accept Their Lot?
The picture shows the second crossing.
Pedestrians seem to be accepting the extra walk without complaint.
Hopefully, there’ll be light at the end of the tunnel, when the bridge is completed and the traffic is properly reorganised.
Before Crossrail 2 – Surrey County Council Think Crossrail 2 Should Go To Guidford
Chelsea may not want Crossrail 2, but according to this article on a Guildford web site, Surrey wants Crossrail 2 to be extended extended to Guildford and Woking to take pressure off their overcrowded services into Waterloo.
Although it could be a good idea, Crossrail 2 is getting submissions from many places to be included in the network like Stansted.
I think it would be better for Crossrail 2 to have good cross platform interchanges at places like Tottenham Hale, Cheshunt, Broxbourne and New Southgate in the North and Clapham Junction, Epson and Wimbledon in the South West, so that passengers can transfer easily to longer-distance services.
These improvements should raise the stations to a similar standard of say Stratford on Crossrail and they will be needed whether Crossrail 2 is built or not.
1. Wimbledon station must be a prime candidate for rebuilding, especially as eventually it could have an underground station for Crossrail 2. There is a Future section in the Wikipedua entry, which in addition to talking about Crossrail 2, details improvements to Tramlink. In my view the station needs a complete rebuild now, which although would be a challenge for architects, builders and passengers alike could bring capacity, access, operational and other improvements.
As I don’t want to repeat myself, there are more of my thoughts on this dreadful station in Crossrail 2 at Wimbledon.
2. Epsom station would appear to have been redeveloped. But will this be enough to handle Crossrail 2 and improve connectvity into Surrey?
I shall extend this post.
The Luvvies Don’t Like Crossrail 2
Kings Road is one of the worst roads for traffic in London, as Traffic in the New Kings Road shows.
So you’d think that a new Crossrail 2 station would be welcomed. But according to thus article in the Standard which is entitled Felicity Kendal and Trevor Eve join fight to stop Crossrail station on King’s Road, there is a campaign against the line. The article says this.
The campaign group No Crossrail in Chelsea warns that it will lead to years of disruption and ruin the character of one of London’s best loved “villages”
I have always thought that there would be such a campaign in Chelsea, as let’s face it, these people probably don’t go anywhere unless they’re in a large gas-guzzler or taxi.
The joke is that if a station is built in the Kings Road, I believe it will be built by uphill excavation from the tunnels deep below and the amount of surface disruption will be about the same as that of building a couple of new shops with flats on the top.
These people don’t know what they are missing, being so detached from London’s transport system. After all Crossrail 2 would allow them to come and enjoy the sights of Dalston, Tottenham and Walthamstow. But they probably go no further than John Lewis at Sloane Square. (I know it’s called Peter Jones, but John Lewis know that to change the name would create a battle that would make Stalingrad look like a childrens tea party!)
These campaign groups are a disgrace and if any of the members have Freedom Passes, they should be publicly cancelled.
Incidentally, Patrick Stewart and other so-called important people staged a campaign against the Super Sewer. That was extremely successful and they are now looking forward to a sewage system of which London could be proud.
Before Crossrail 2 – Tottenham Hale
In the near five years since, I moved back to London, Tottenham Hale station has changed for the better, with the addition of a lift to the Victoria Line platforms and the reorganisation of buses, taxis and other traffic around the station.
But over the next few years, we should be seeing a lot more changes as this Future section in the Wikipedia entry for the station. The significant section is about Crossrail 2.
In February 2013, the Crossrail task force of business group London First, chaired by former Secretary of State for Transport Andrew Adonis, published its recommendations on Crossrail 2, favouring a route almost identical to the regional option proposed by TfL in 2011. The report was endorsed by Network Rail.
This proposal will see four tracks restored through Tottenham Hale and direct links to South-West London.
This Google Map shows the station and the surrounding area.
Tottenham Hale Station
This image appears to have been taken before the new Tottenham Hale Bus Station was created and the traffic system was changed.
With all the development going on, putting four tracks through the station will need a very narrow track and platform layout.
On this page of the Haringey web site are more details and an artist’s impression of the proposed station. This picture is shown in an article in the Tottenham Journal.
Proposed Tottenham Hale Station
I would suspect that a wide bridge would extend eastwards from this building over the tracks with lifts and escalators to the platforms. Looking at this image, it does strike me that the the architect has taken some of Charles Holden‘s stations as their inspiration.
Before Crossrail 2 – Angel Road
Angel Road station is one for which there are big plans.
However, it will be on Crossrail 2 and will be one of the main features of the development at Meridian Water, which may give the station a new name.
This Google Map shows the station and the surrounding area as I walked to the Tesco superstore to get a bus to Tottenham Hale.
Angel Road Station
It is not the most beautiful of stations and the walking route is pretty dreadful.
After I arrived, I walked Northwards along the line and then climbed up onto the flyover on a set of rusty steps, before walking alongside the road and under the North Circular Road, taking these pictures as I walked.
Angel Road must surely, be one of the most inaccessible stations for the able-bodied not just in London, but the whole of Europe. No wonder it is the second least-used station in London. I shall have to visit Sudbury and Harrow Road station, which sees fewer passengers. The station is also so lacking in facilities, that there isn’t even a convenient place to drop or pick-up a passenger with a vehicle.
The one good thing about this truly dreadful station is that there is more than adequate space to put the two extra tracks for stopping trains and Crossrail 2 between the current West Anglia Main Line and the busy Meridian Way.
Short term plans for this station include an hourly service pattern. So when there is limited development at the station, which must include decent pedestrian access direct across Meridian Way from IKEA and Tesco with perhaps a footbridge with lifts, the prognosis for passenger numbers at the station can only be upwards.
Before Crossrail 2 – Northumberland Park
Northumberland Park station is another one with a level crossing, as this Google Map of the station and the area shows.
Northumberland Park Station
I went to the station on a 476 bus and took these pictures.
You get the impression, that despite the problems caused by the level crossing, no-one has ever had a decent holistic plan for this station.
Whitechapel Station – 20th July 2015
I hadn’t intended to go to Whitechapel station, but I did this morning and got a very pleasant surprise.
As the picture gallery shows, what I thought were bearing plates undoubtedly are!
The Anonymous Widower 