Platform Action Has Finished At Willesden Junction
It looks like the low-level platforms at Willesden Junction station are now finished.
As you can see it’s just a simple bay platform between the two main platforms for the Watford DC and Bakerloo Lines.
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.
Do We Have Too Many Breast Cancer Charities?
That may be a controversial thing to say, but these posters for a new breast cancer charity have been appearing everywhere in London.
Do We Have Too Many Breast Cancer Charities?
Now C successfully survived breast cancer, so it is not a subject I know nothing about.
But I think now, that some of the most promising cancer research, like looking at the genetics, is very expensive and covers the whole spectrum of cancers.
So surely, this is where we should give our money. I incidentally subscribe to three different cancer charities, none of which are directly linked to breast cancer.
Although, Cancer Research UK, which I support, does support research into breast cancer.
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.
The New Wall Cabinets In My Kitchen
This morning the Hungarian Handymen put the wall cabinets and my new cooker hood on the walls.
There is still a bit to do, but it has certainly released some more space. I also now have wall cupboards that don’t constantly take lumps out of me, like the steel ones did.
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.
The Anonymous Widower 