What Housing Is Being Built At Cockfosters Station?
I was looking for something to watch on the television and noticed that Cockfosters FC were in the FA Vase final today at Wembley against AFC Stonham.
For the first sixteen years or so of my life, I lived in Cockfosters, and until now, I never knew they had a football team, which is actually based just around the corner from the church, where I got married to C on September 7th 1968.
This Google Map shows the area.
Note.
- The red arrow at the top of the map indicates Cockfosters F.C.
- Christ Church, Cockfosters is to the South of the football club.
- Cockfosters Road runs slightly diagonally down the map.
- Cockfosters station on the Piccadilly Line is indicated by the London Transport roundel.
- Cockfosters station has extensive car parking to the North-East of the station
- Cockfosters Depot is to the South-East of the station.
Our house was just off the Southern edge of the map, by Southgate School.
A 3D Image Of Cockfosters Station
This Google Map shows a 3D image of Cockfosters station and the buildings around it.
Note.
- Cockfosters station is indicated by the roundel.
- The station is a Grade II Listed building.
- The station has an elevation of 97 metres.
- Half of the station car park is going to be turned into housing.
- Trent Park lies to the North of the station.
- The road in front of the station is Cockfosters Road, which to the North joins the M25 at Junction 24.
- The building between Cockfosters Road and the railway used to be offices, but it is now being converted into starter housing.
In Starter Homes At Cockfosters, I write about starter homes being developed on the South side of the station.
Artificial Intelligence On The Housing In The Car Park
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this post and received this answer.
Places for London (Transport for London’s property arm) and Barratt London are building 373 residential apartments across four tower blocks on the former Cockfosters Station car park site. The largely car-free, mixed-use scheme includes 40% affordable housing, new public open spaces, and revamped TfL staff facilities.
Key Project Details
Total Homes: 373 apartments (a mix of 1, 2, and 3-bedroom properties).
Housing Tenure: All flats will be built for rent, with 40% of them allocated as “affordable” (including social rent and intermediate housing).
Building Heights: Four tower blocks ranging between 5 and 15 storeys tall.
Station Parking: The development is largely car-free.
Around 68 parking spaces will be retained at the station, including 12 dedicated Blue Badge spaces.
Public Amenities: The scheme introduces about 4,500 square meters of publicly accessible open space, children’s play areas, cycle storage, and minor commercial floor space.
Development Background
While planning permission for housing on the site was originally granted by Enfield Council in 2022, the project faced years of delays.
In late 2025 and early 2026, revised plans were submitted to add an extra storey to each building to accommodate updated fire safety legislation—adding 22 more homes to the initial 351 proposal.
You can track local planning updates and track progress via the Enfield Council Planning Portal.
I have some thoughts about this development.
Was There Any Opposition To Building Flats On Cockfosters Station Car Park?
From when I lived in the area, I remember that Cockfosters car park was well used in the 1960s and that trains on the Piccadilly Line were exceedingly busy, as I sometimes used to get them to travel to school.
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this section and received this answer.
Yes, there was intense opposition to the proposal to build flats on the Cockfosters Station car park.
The plans to build over 350 homes across blocks reaching up to 14 storeys faced major pushback from local residents, commuters, and Conservative MPs.
The primary points of contention included:
Loss of Parking: Opponents were concerned that wiping out hundreds of park-and-ride parking spaces would reduce the station’s accessibility.
It sparked fears that it would increase traffic on local roads and make journeys impossible for many, particularly blue-badge holders.
Over-development: The proposed height and density were heavily criticized for being out of character for the surrounding outer-suburb.
Heritage and Green Belt Impact: Residents argued that the massive tower blocks would negatively impact the neighboring Trent Park Conservation Area and the Charles Holden-designed Grade 2-listed station building.
Despite the controversy—which generated nearly 3,000 objections and was temporarily halted by the government in 2022—the project was officially given the green light to proceed. You can find full details on the planning outcomes via the Enfield Council Planning Portal or by reviewing the BBC News coverage of the development’s approval.
Do Any Train Depots Have Housing On Top?
I feel that we should maximise housing and in estates like the Barbican, there is extensive housing on top of car parking and even some active railways.
So why not on top of train depots like Cockfosters?
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this section and received this answer.
Yes, train depots and railyards increasingly feature housing built directly on top of them. Because large, open plots are scarce in dense cities, decking over active railway infrastructure has become an innovative engineering solution to generate new residential spaces.
Prominent examples of housing built over railway land include:
Royal Mint Gardens (London, UK): luxury residential and mixed-use development built directly above active train tracks on the approach to London Fenchurch Street.
Hudson Yards (New York, USA): The largest private real estate development in the U.S. features numerous residential skyscrapers built on a massive elevated platform constructed directly over the active John D. Carolan West Side Yard.
North Manhattan Rail Yards (New York, USA): Several multi-family residential projects, such as the Triangle Equities development over the MTA’s East 180th Street depot, utilize air rights to stack housing above active transit operations.
Hong Kong (Global Pioneer): Many of the city’s MTR depots (such as the Tseung Kwan O or Siu Ho Wan depots) and their surrounding stations have extensive private residential estates (known as Rail + Property Developments) built directly onto elevated decks atop the facility.
How is it done?
Building over a depot or railway requires constructing a heavy-duty “crash deck” or podium over the tracks. To prevent the noise, vibrations, and emissions of the trains from disturbing residents, developers use advanced building vibration isolation techniques. The residential buildings are structurally separated from the rail lines using specialized acoustic bearings and shock-absorbing foundations.
As we haven’t got the land in our big cities we should go for it.
Is The New London Museum Built Over Train Tracks?
This link shows all my posts on the new London Museum, as it will be called.
But what does Google AI say in answer to my question?
Yes, the new London Museum at Smithfield Market is built directly over and intertwined with active railway infrastructure.
The multi-billion-pound cultural project is located over or alongside a number of key transport elements:
Thameslink Tunnels: The subterranean galleries and historic brick vaults of the museum sit adjacent to active Thameslink railway lines that pass through a combined basement complex.
Historical Goods Depot: The museum’s underground level occupies what was originally the Great Northern Railway’s Farringdon goods depot.
Train Viewing Area: The museum features a specialized window where visitors can watch passing trains rumble by.
London Museum
To explore the building’s design, you can read more about it on the London Museum Buildings Guide.
Solar Farms Could Partly Power London Underground
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Transport for London (TfL) is planning to set up solar farms to help power its Underground network.
These three introductory paragraphs give more details.
The transport body has asked for potential “delivery partners” to apply to provide up to 64 megawatts of zero-carbon electricity from purpose-built solar farms.
This would be about 5% of the power needed to run the Tube and would bypass the National Grid, according to TfL.
It says it is the largest single electricity consumer in London – at a level equivalent to that consumed by about 420,000 homes – and the project would reduce pressure on the central grids.
These are my thoughts.
Solar Panels At Cockfosters
This Google Map shows Cockfosters Depot and the surrounding land.
Note.
- The London Underground roundel in the North-West corner of the map indicates Cockfosters station.
- The London Underground roundel in the South-East corner of the map indicates Oakwood station.
- Between the two stations lies the large Cockfosters Train Depot, which is one of the major depots for the Piccadilly Line.
- To the North of the railway is Trent Park, which in its Wikipedia entry is described as a country house in North London.
I know the area well, as I used to live opposite Southgate School, which is towards the bottom of the map, until I was sixteen.
I believe that solar panels could be installed in three places.
- As a solar roof over a rebuilt depot.
- As a solar farm on some of the Trent Park land.
- In Would A Solar Roof With Added Vertical Turbines Work?, I suggested a hybrid installation on top of Oakwood station.
As it is a very windy hill-top, I would look into the possibility of perhaps four large wind turbines between the tracks of the depot.
It is definitely an area, where there are possibilities for renewable power.
But given that the Nimbies are objecting to the building of housing on the car-parks at Cockfosters and Oakwood stations, I suspect they will object.
Solar Roofs Above Depots And Sidings
In the previous sub-section, I suggested what was possible at Cockfosters, by installing a solar roof above Cockfosters Train Depot
These Google Maps show a number of other depots, that have possibilities for solar roofs.
Ealing Common
Edgware
Golders Green
Hainault
Hammersmith
Morden
Neasden
Northfields
Northumberland Park
Old Oak Common
Ruislip
Stonebridge Park
Stratford Market
Upminster
All these depots are different, but I do feel there is scope for solar roofs and panels above the sidings.
Other developments like housing may also be possible over some of the depots.
The Bowes Park And Bounds Green Out-Of-Station Interchange
After I’d taken the latest pictures in Bowes Park Station – 12th January 2023, I walked to Bounds Green station to go back South to the Angel.
I took these pictures on the way.
Note.
- The walk is level and could be done easily, if you were pushing a buggy, dragging a case or in a wheel-chair.
- There is a footbridge over the busy Bowes Road, which doesn’t have lifts. But you don’t need it to go between the stations.
- There is a light-controlled crossing outside Bounds Green station to cross Brownlow Road.
- The walk took me about six minutes.
These pictures show the escalators at Bounds Green station.
Could the central stairs be replaced by an inclined lift?
Would This Out-Of-Station Interchange Create An Easy Route Between Northern Piccadilly Line Stations And The Elizabeth Line?
Consider.
- Cockfosters, Oakwood and Arnos Grove stations have car parking.
- All stations on the Piccadilly Line from Bounds Green Northwards are well-connected by buses.
- Bounds Green station has escalators.
- Bowes Park station has stairs.
- Bowes Park station has a well-stocked cafe.
- Moorgate station has escalators and lifts to the Elizabeth Line.
For a perfect route, some things must be done.
The Frequency Of Trains On The Northern City Line
At the moment the trains through the station are two trains per hour (tph) between Moorgate and Stevenage.
But the frequency has been as high as four tph.
The frequency needs to be higher to cut waiting for a train.
Step-Free Access
This needs to be installed or improved at Bounds Green, Bowes Park and Moorgate stations.
Signage
The route between Bowes Park And Bounds Green stations needs better signage.
Conclusion
This Out-Of-Station Interchange could be made more use of.
Cockfosters Train Depot – 12th January 2023
In Would A Solar Roof With Added SeaTwirls Work?, I showed this map of Oakwood.
Note.
- The striped roofs at the top of the map, with sidings for trains to the North, is Cockfosters Train Depot for the Piccadilly Line.
- Cockfosters station is off the map on the West side of the map.
- Oakwood station is at the East side of the map and indicated by a London Underground roundel.
- The two tracks of the Piccadilly Line between Oakwood and Cockfosters stations, running across the map to the North of the depot.
I took these pictures of the Cockfosters Train Depot as my train went between Oakwood and Cockfosters.
Note.
- The land between the Piccadilly Line and the depot seems to be being cleared.
- Is this to expand the depot for the new trains?
- There are some high lights mounted above the sidings.
- The depot buildings don’t look anything special.
This article on Ian Visits is entitled Depot Upgrade At Cockfosters For The Piccadilly Line’s New Trains.
- Before and after maps show a lot more sidings.
- The new siding layout reaches almost all the way to the Piccadilly Line.
- The old depot has been assessed to be utilitarian with low architectural and historic value.
- The depot will be completely rebuilt over the next two years for the new Siemens trains.
- Nothing is said as to whether the new depot will be fitted with a solar roof.
The new trains will start running in 2025. It seems that the work hasn’t progressed very far.
Would A Solar Roof With Added Vertical Turbines Work?
This picture shows Oakwood station on the Piccadilly Line.
Note.
- The station is the second most Northerly on the line.
- It opened in 1933.
- It is a classic Charles Holden design.
- It is a Grade II* Listed building.
- The station is on top of a hill and has an elevation of 71 metres above sea level.
This Google Map shows a close-up of the roof.
There might be a few aerials on the roof, but no solar panels.
Oakwood’s Location And Weather
I used to live near Oakwood station and it had its disadvantages.
- Cycling home was always up a steep hill.
- It could get very cold at times.
There even used to be a plaque at the station, which said that if you flew East, the first land you would hit would be the Urals.
Oakwood station could be an ideal renewable power station.
- The concrete and brick box of the station is probably exceedingly strong.
- Solar panels could cover the flat roof.
- SeaTwirls or other vertical turbines could be mounted around the solar panels.
- There could still be spaces for the aerials.
- I wonder what the reaction of English Heritage would be.
Should we call this mixed solar and wind power generation, hybrid renewable energy? Or do we overdo, the use of hybrid?
London Underground have other stations of a similar design including Sudbury Town and Acton Town.
The Wider Area To The West Of Oakwood Station
This Google Map shows the area to the West of Oakwood station.
Note.
- The striped roofs at the top of the map, with sidings for trains to the North, is Cockfosters Train Depot for the Piccadilly Line..
- The large building in the South-West corner is Southgate School, which I watched being built in the early 1960s, from my bedroom window in our house opposite. It is a concrete frame building typical of the period.
- Oakwood station is at the East side of the map and indicated by a London Underground roundel.
I think the possibilities for hybrid power generation in this area are good.
Cockfosters Depot
Cockfosters Depot could be an interesting site to develop as a renewable power station.
- There’s no way the site could be developed for housing, as it’s in the Green Belt.
- Road access is bad, but access for trains is good.
- I estimate that the depot is an area of at least five square kilometres.
- It’s still windy in the depot.
But it could have a solar roof and a few vertical wind turbines over the whole depot as designs and panels improve.
Southgate School
Southgate School could have a similar setup to Oakwood station.
Opportunities At Cockfosters Station
This Google Map shows a 3D image of Cockfosters station and the buildings around it.
Note.
- Cockfosters station is indicated by the roundel.
- The station is a Grade II Listed building.
- The station has an elevation of 97 metres.
- Half of the station car park is going to be turned into housing.
- Trent Park lies to the North of the station.
- The road in front of the station is Cockfosters Road, which to the North joins the M25 at Junction 24.
- The building between Cockfosters Road and the railway used to be offices, but it is now being converted into housing.
That high roof of the housing development, must be an ideal candidate for solar panels and vertical wind turbines.
Conclusion
I have tried to show the potential of just one of the small hills that ring London.
So Many Cases On A Train!
This afternoon about three, I went to West Ealing station to see what it was like to transfer between the Elizabeth Line Central Tunnel and the Western Branch at Paddington.
Coming back, I took an Elizabeth Line service that had started from Heathrow Airport and it was one of the busiest Lizzies, I’d ever ridden!
To get on the train at West Ealing station, I got in to probably coach 4 of 9, as that was in the dry and the back end of the train I needed for Moorgate station was certainly in the wet.
I then had to walk half the length of the train to get to the back of the train.
It was not easy, as the train was full of scores of passengers with large wheelie cases.
This got me thinking.
Are Passengers Transferring To The Lizzie Line?
And especially those with large cases. that are the sort you could use for bringing in a pair of folded-up contortionists.
- These cases don’t fit well on the Piccadilly Line, which has only a few step-free stations.
- From what I’ve seen cases are easily wheeled to Elizabeth Line platforms at Heathrow.
- Many of these cases won’t fit in the average family car.
- All parking is expensive at Heathrow, whether it is short, medium or long.
- Valet parking at Heathrow has been devalued by all the scam artists.
- Taxis are the province of those that own oil wells, hedge funds or belong to the highest wunch of bankers.
- Pick-up and drop-off is now very expensive.
- There were a good proportion of couples, who were both dragging or pushing a massive case.
- The Elizabeth Line is cheaper than the Heathrow Express.
- The Elizabeth Line like the Piccadilly Line allows the use of a bank card as a ticket.
- Only the Elizabeth and Piccadilly Lines take you direct to dozens of stations with only same-platform interchanges.
- The Elizabeth Line has step-free interchanges with the Bakerloo, Circle, District, Hammersmith and City, Jubilee, and Metropolitan Lines, the Docklands Light Railway and the London Overground.
- Whitechapel has been turned into a major transport hub for the Easternmost part of London.
There seems to be quite a few reasons why a traveller going to or from Heathrow might at least try the Elizabeth Line.
And travellers seemed to be doing it in droves today!
Were Upmarket Passengers Using The Lizzie Line?
Take the couple next to me on the train from West Ealing.
- Around sixty.
- Very well-dressed.
- Possibly Mediterranean or South American.
- Matching medium-size wheelie-cases.
- She was wearing expensive glasses.
A couple of years ago, they would have probably used the Heathrow Express.
They certainly weren’t the only passengers, who looked like archetypal Heathrow Express passengers.
Will The Lizzie Line Take Passengers From The Piccadilly Line?
As the cost will be the same, I suspect the answer will be yes.
Although, there will be groups of travellers, who will probably remain loyal to the Piccadilly Line.
- If you were going to or from the step-free Cockfosters or Oakwood, with a heavy case, all the way on the Piccadilly Line could be a simple sensible option. I used to live near Oakwood station and remember several long trips on the Piccadilly Line, but not too Heathrow.
- The step-free Kings Cross St. Pancras, Green Park, Knightsbridge and Earls Court may well have reasons to keep their regular passengers.
- Those only travelling a few stops to or from Heathrow will probably stay with the Piccadilly Line for convenience.
- Transport for London have been adding step-free access to the Heathrow Branch and this will surely promote use.
The Piccadilly Line is also getting new trains in a few years.
In Extending The Elizabeth Line – Piccadilly Line To Ealing Broadway, I talked about a proposal to turnback some Piccadilly Line trains at Ealing Broadway station.
I think it is a good idea, as it could make it simpler for Piccadilly Line passengers to access Heathrow and reduce congestion on the Piccadilly Line.
Will The Lizzie Line Take Passengers From The Heathrow Express?
This is an extract from Extending The Elizabeth Line – Piccadilly Line To Ealing Broadway
It will be difficult to predict what will happen to Heathrow Express, but I suspect several groups of passengers will desert it.
- Passengers wanting to go anywhere East of Paddington without changing trains.
- Passengers wanting any Elizabeth Line station.
- Passengers, who don’t like the prices of Heathrow Express.
- Passengers using Oyster or contactless cards.
- Passengers who want to ride on London’s spectacular new Elizabeth Line.
After Old Oak Common station is opened for High Speed Two, the numbers could further decrease.
Will Heathrow Express survive?
Will The Lizzie Line Attract Passengers Who Usually Drive?
Large swathes of the country already have single-change step-free access to the Elizabeth Line.
- All services out of Liverpool Street and/or Stratford.
- All services out of Moorgate.
- All Thameslink services through Farringdon.
- All services out of Paddington.
- All services through Abbey Wood.
- When Crossrail to Ebbsfleet (C2E) opens, this will add all services through Gravesend and Ebbsfleet.
- When High Speed Two opens, this will add all services through Old Oak Common.
- When the Western Rail Approach To Heathrow is completed, this will add all services through Reading.
If you can get a train direct to the Elizabeth Line network and then a train direct to your terminal, would you seriously want all the hassle of parking after a two hour drive?
I can see parking at Heathrow suffering a severe lack of demand.
Conclusion
Lizzie will start a revolution in travel to and from Heathrow.
Does London Need High Capacity Bus Routes To Extend Crossrail?
If Crossrail has a major problem, it is that some areas of the capital will find it difficult to access the new line.
Up to the age of sixteen, I used to live half-way between Oakwood and Cockfosters stations on the Piccadilly Line.
There are a large number of people who live along the Northern reaches of the Piccadilly Line, who might want to use Crossrail to perhaps go to Heathrow or places in East London.
But the journey will need a double change as there is no interchange between the Piccadilly Line and Crossrail.
I suspect that many will link to Crossrail by taking the Piccadilly Line to Wood Green, Turnpike Lane or Manor House and then get a 141 bus to Moorgate. It is a route, I use if I want to go to Southgate or Cockfosters from my house, which has a 141 stop opposite.
But then as a child to go to Harringay, where my father had an uncle, my mother would use a 641 trolley bus from Wood Green or Turnpike Lane.
Do people follow the public transport habits of their parents?
I know I do!
My father never went on a deep tube. As he several times mentioned the terrible Bank station bombing in the Blitz, which killed 56 people, I always thought that was his problem. But now living as I do along the Northern and Northern City Lines, I suspect it was more to do with air quality, as we were or are both bad breathers.
I suspect that when Crossrail opens, the 141 bus will be heavily used by travellers going between the Northern reaches of the Piccadilly Line and Crossrail at Moorgate.
The 141 bus goes between London Bridge station and Palmers Green and it has a route length of about nine miles.
Currently, buses run every fifteen minutes or so, but I doubt it will be enough in future as Transport for London are rerouting the closely-related 21 bus.
I suspect any route seen as an extension of Crossrail needs to have the following characteristics.
- High frequency of perhaps a bus every ten minutes.
- Interior finish on a par with the Class 345 trains.
- Wi-fi and phone charging.
I would also hope the buses were carbon-free. Given that some of these routes could be quite long, I would suspect hydrogen with its longer range could be better.
Other Routes
According to me, the 141 bus route needs improvement!
But how many other routes could need similar improvement?
Thoughts On Step-Free Access At Manor House Station
I use Manor House station regularly, as I have a bus-stop by my house, that is perhaps fifty metres from my front door, that connects to the station.
- There is also a zebra crossing to get to the other side of the road.
- The 141 bus actually connects me to Manor House, Turnpike Lane and Wood Green stations on the Piccadilly Line.
- This is because it was a replacement for the 641 trolley-bus route that used to run between Winchmore Hill and Moorgate via. Milmay Park.
- I also use the station as a convenient station to go West on the Piccadilly Line.
- As it connects step-free at Finsbury Park station to the Victoria Line, it certainly has its uses.
Click this link to see an excellent photo of a 641 trolley-bus at Manor House station.
The pub in the photo was the Manor House, where I saw such performers as John Mayall and Eric Clapton amongst others.
I took these pictures today
The station has an unusual layout.
-
-
- Two major roads; the Seven Sisters Road (A503) and Green Lanes (A 105) cross at the station.
- The four major roads are all controlled by traffic lights, which also allow pedestrians to cross the major roads safely on the surface.
- There are a couple of staircases at each corner of the junction and these lead down to a maze of passages that connect these entrances to the escalators that lead up and down to the platforms.
- The former Manor House pub and a new Travel Lodge sit opposite each other on the junction.
- The Travel Lodge sits on the South-West corner.
- The North-West corner leads directly into Finsbury Park., which is not a bad place to go for a walk or a jog.
-
The below ground subways in the station are all level.
The staircases between subway and street level are very reminiscent of those at Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square stations.
The staircases also have some excellent period details.
But then they tend to do things as they should in my part of North London.
This picture was taken after a World Cup Third!
What will happen, if England win the Euros?
Manor House station’s design can best be summed up as two level areas connected by a series of staircases.
- Central London stations with this layout include Bank, Cockfosters, Kings Cross St. Pancras,Leicester Square, Manor House, Piccadilly Circus. Tottenham Court Road and Victoria.
- At least Cockfosters, Kings Cross St. Pancras, Tottenham Court Road and Victoria have lifts between the two levels.
- Bank station will have more lifts than Oti Mabusi in a dance routine, after the rebuild.
- Old Street was similar, but Transport for London (TfL) are rebuilding the station.
Cockfosters has level access at both the surface and the platform level and they have sneaked in a lift in a corner of the station.
Grandparents in a wheel-chair or Louis or Lilibet in a pushchair can easily be taken easily between train and the car-park.I am certain, that if there are a number of lifts at the four corners of the road junction at Manor House, then access both to the station and across the junction will be substantially eased.
That just leaves us with the problem of getting between subway and platform levels.
This map from cartometro.com shows the platform layout.
Note that as at Turnpike Lane station in this platform layout, there is also a generous space between the platforms.
The two escalators and a set of stairs face North.
Wood Green station is a bit different, as it has a turnback siding
The two escalators and a set of stairs also face South.
When I used to use the Piccadilly Line in the 1960s, it tended to be pain, if a Wood Green train turned up, when you wanted to go to Oakwood or Cockfosters.
Bounds Green station is shown in this map.
Again the tracks appear to have been curved to allow generous space.
The two escalators and a set of stairs face North.
Arnos Grove station is a station with sidings and four platforms on the surface.
The car parks are likely to be developed for housing, so there will be major changes at the station.
Southgate station is the last station, that doesn’t have step-free access.
But again there is some space between the tracks.
The two escalators and a set of stairs face North.
So did the designers of the Northern Extension of the Piccadilly Line leave space to put in more equipment or even lifts?
After all they didn’t stint themselves on the design of the stations.
Designing Step-Free Access
This is not easy and various considerations must be taken into account.
Revenue Protection
At Cockfosters station, the new lift goes between two areas that are outside the ticket barriers.
If as I have proposed at Manor House station, where there would be lifts between the surface and the subway level, both areas are outside the ticket barriers.
At Tottenham Hale station, there several lifts all of which are inside the ticket barrier.
Staff At The Barrier
Nearly all ticket barriers in London are watched by staff to sort out problems like passengers, who don’t know how to use the system.
Costs
It is unlikely, that large sums of money will be available to add step-free access to all stations on the Underground.
I also think, that step-free access at stations will be funded by developments close to stations.
A London-Wide Solution
It is for these and other reasons, that I think London needs to look in detail at all stations and see if a series of solutions can be developed for all stations.
In this section of the Piccadilly Line, there are five stations with three escalators or two escalators and a staircase.
But there are others on the other deep tube lines.
So should a standard solution be developed for all stations like this? And for all groups of similar stations.
Could An Inclined Lift Be Used At This Group Of Stations?
This picture shows the first inclined lift, I ever saw, which was on the Stockholm Metro.
Looking at the picture shows it was installed on a very long set of escalators.
At present, there is only one inclined lift on the London Underground and that one is at Greenford station.
It is a very neat and compact installation, that incorporates a double-staircase, an up escalator and an inclined lift in a confined space.
I think we’ll see similar solutions to Greenford employed in some stations on the Underground. In Is This A Simple And Affordable Solution To Providing Step-Free Access At Essex Road Station?, I outline how an inclined lift could be used at Essex Road station.
These pictures show the three escalators at Manor House station.
Note.
- The middle escalator was switched off.
- There is a spacious lobby at the bottom of the escalators.
The other four below-ground stations North of Finsbury Park; Turnpike Lane, Wood Green, Bounds Green and Southgate all have two escalators and a central staircase
These pictures show Bounds Green station.
Note that the stairs are in the middle.
It looks to me, that all five escalator systems to the North of Finsbury Park are more or less identical.
- Only Manor House has a third escalator.
- There is a large lobby at the bottom.
- All stairs are in the middle escalator slot.
- Are the stairs designed to be replaced with a third escalator?
So would it be possible to design an inclined escalator solution for all stations, that fitted all of the stations?
I think it might be very much a possibility.
- The central staircase would be replaced by a third escalator.
- One of the outside escalators would be replaced with an inclined lift.
Note
- Many of these escalators were probably installed in the early 1990s, a few years after the Kings Cross Fire.
- Escalators are replaced regularly every ten or twenty years.
So could the installation of the inclined lifts, be worked into the schedule of escalator maintenance and replacement?
I believe with good project management it could be arranged.
- At no time during the works would any station have less than two escalators.
- If there were to be an escalator failure, all of the stations are connected by frequent buses and some are even within walking distance.
The works could also be arranged to fit in with available cash-flow.
I believe that eventually all these stations will need to be provided with full step-free access.
Conclusion
I believe that a sensible program of works can be developed to make all deep-level stations North of Finsbury Park step-free on the Piccadilly Line.
- The deep-level platforms would be served by two escalators and an inclined lift.
- The works would be performed alongside the regular maintenance and replacement of the current escalators.
- There would be no substantial tunneling.
- The works could also be arranged to fit in with available cash-flow.
The technique would be applicable to other stations on the Underground network.
Turnpike Lane Station
In Is Turnpike Lane Tube Station Going Step-Free?, I tried to explain the puzzling works going on at Turnpike Lane station.
Could those works be digging a lift-shaft or something in a more engineering line, like installing more ventilation or new power cables?
There’s certainly no clues on the Internet.
This table shows step-free status and 2019 passenger numbers at the Piccadilly Line stations to the North of Kings Cross St. Pancras station.
- Cockfosters – Step-Free – 1.86 million
- Oakwood – Step-free – 2.78 million
- Southgate – 5.43 million
- Arnos Grove – 4.44 million
- Bounds Green – 5.99 million
- Wood Green – 12.13 million
- Turnpike Lane – 10.6 million
- Manor House – 8.55 million
- Finsbury Park – Step-free – 33.40 million
- Arsenal – 2.77 million
- Holloway Road – 6.69 million
- Caledonian Road – Step-free – 5.60 million
- Kings Cross St. Pancras – Step-free – 88.27 million
Note.
- The high passenger numbers at Finsbury Park and Kings Cross St. Pancras, where there is interchange with lots of other services.
- The long gap of step-free access between Oakwood and Finsbury Park.
- Arnos Grove could be an easier station to make step-free.
I just wonder, if a lift at Turnpike Lane station could be the interim solution, until inclined lifts are installed in the distant future.
Starter Homes At Cockfosters
This would seem to be the final failure of a 1960s office development at Cockfosters.
It must have been about 1962, when I remember my mother telling me about the topping-out ceremony of these blocks by Cockfosters station.
They probably will satisfy a need, but it wouldn’t be my place to choose to live.
- You may have the Piccadilly Line to Central London, but it is a long way. It takes 43 minutes to Leicester Square.
- Cockfosters shopping centre hasn’t improved much since the 1960s.
- I doubt that the development will have lots of parking.
But then on top of the hill with all the wind blowing from the East in the winter, it will be a bitterly cold place to live!
There are perhaps two good points.
- The development is close to Trent Park for walking.
- The buildings do seem to be structurally fairly sound.
But they’ll need to be, with all that cold wind!
A Tasteful Lift Installation In A Listed Tube Station
These pictures show Cockfosters station a couple of years ago and recently.
Note.
- There are two similar entrances on either side of the busy Cockfosters Road.
- Both have wide staircases down to the platform level.
- There is a subway between the two entrances.
- There is also a level light-controlled crossing across Cockfosters Road for those who need to cross the road.
- The station was designed by Charles Holden.
- The station opened in 1933.
The station is a Grade II Listed Building, which could have made designing a lift system tricky.
This Google Map shows the station layout.
Note.
- Cockfosters Road at the West of the map.
- The white roofs of the buses, indicate, that there is a small bus station at the Western entrance to the station.
- The London Transport roundel indicates the Eastern entrance to the station.
- There are two trains in the four platforms of the station.
- There is a large level car park.
- Transport for London have a small office block in the car park.
- The London Orbital Path and a hidden path to Trent Park can be accessed from the entrance to the station car park.
It is a well-equipped terminal station.
Transport for London could have opted for a double lift installation with one lift on either side of the road.
But they have opted for a single lift at the Eastern side of the station.
I took these pictures of the new lift.
Note.
- The first picture shows the lift in the corner of the station ticket hall and lobby.
- From the lift to the trains is a level walk or push.
- The second picture shows the surface installation in the car park.
- The lift is positioned by the two walking routes and conveniently for anybody being dropped off or picked up by car.
- The light-controlled crossing is perhaps fifty metres away to give access to both sides of Cockfosters Road.
- The third picture shows a close-up of the lift.
- The fourth picture shows a seat, for those who need to wait.
It is a very simple and well-thought out installation.
The Anonymous Widower 