Canary Wharf Crossrail Station From The Other End
I’ve taken a lot of pictures of Canary Wharf Crossrail station, but never from the eastern end.
Canary Wharf Crossrail Station From The Other End
It must be the only railway station in the world, that looks like a gigantic floating ocean liner, built mainly out of concrete.
Custom House Station Gets Ready For The Flat Pack Station
There’s been a lot of preparation at Custom House station for the arrival of the flat pack Crossrail station.
The most striking feature is a bridge over the site to allow pedestrians to get round it. It looks like it has a temporary lift. That is really something, as many stations don’t have any lifts at all.
The Cost Of Tunnelling
I, like probably many others, have often thought that parts of city infrastructure can be improved by the odd strategic pedestrian tunnel or perhaps an inclined one for some escalators. Underground stations, like Oxford Circus and Highbury and Islington are stations, that could probably be improved in this way.
But an interesting insight into the cost of these connections is given in this article in Construction Enquirer about the contract for a pedestrian tunnel to connect Crossrail to the Bakerloo line at Paddington station. Here’s the start of the article.
London Underground has shortlisted three bid teams for a £55m underground tunnel link at Paddington Station.
The 100m long passenger tunnel will link the new Crossrail station to the London Underground Bakerloo Line station at Paddington.
So this hundred metre tunnel is not cheap.
The Rebuilt Peterborough Station
They’ve spent £43million on Peterborough station and the station now has a new track layout, some new platforms, lifts and a smart new entrance.
As the pictures show, there still a fair bit of finishing off to do.
It is very much a functional rebuild, rather than the more grandiose one at Reading.
The Draining Of Camden Lock
This happens every twenty years or so, to clear out the shopping trolleys and other rubbish. Sometimes, like this year, they change the lock gates.
It has proven to be a popular event this year, as the pictures show. There’s more here on the BBC.
It just goes to show, how everybody loves an event, even if it is not in the mainstream. I had wanted to go down into the lock, but all the tours were full.
Hampstead Heath Station Gets Upgraded
Upgraded might be to soft a word for the work going on at Hampstead Heath station. Demolition and rebuilding might be better.
Lifts are being installed, a new ticket office is being constructed and the platforms are being lengthened to take the five-car Class 378 trains, when they arrive after the end of this year.
Sadly, not everybody would appear to be happy, according to this article in the Ham and High. But then, when the station is finished, it will be a lot better for access than most of the stations on the Victoria line, which handle a lot more passengers.
I think too, we often forget what happens in reality. Yesterday coming back from IKEA, I needed to get on the Overground at West Croydon for Dalston Junction. I had an awkward bag with me and I ended up on the wrong platform at West Croydon by my mistake. To get across, I needed to go up a ramp and down two sets of stairs. So I was asked if I needed help and I said that I didn’t! In the end a member of staff escorted me down the steps to the train.
So provided they are trained and helpful, surely one part of a disabled access strategy, is extra staff on the station. After all, one group who need assistance in unfamiliar surroundings are those who are blind or partially-sighted. I’m no expert, but surely a trained human guide is the best solution to their problems in these circumstances.
Kippers And A Kestrel At The Olympic Park
I went for a walk along the Greenway, that crosses the Olympic Park this morning.
I ended up at the ViewTube, where I had some delicious kippers and scrambled egg on Genius toast for lunch!
The shots labelled Landscapng are of the area west of the Greenway, which was the athletics warm-up area.
A Tidy Site Is A Safer Site
I saw this notice on the fences round a Crossrail site near Liverpool Street station.
A Tidy Site Is A Safer Site
Agreed. The most untidy site I have been over was a nuclear power station in the United States. It was an accident waiting to happen. But one didn’t, although the station is now closed.
Lea Bridge Station
Lea Bridge Station is going to be reopened at the end of next year. As I was passing, I took a few pictures of the station as it is today.
It would appear that a certain amount of clearing up has been done.
What surprised me was the landscaping around the line at this point.
It is also close to a couple of attractions in the Lea Valley Park, is well seved by buses and there were quite a few pedestrians and cyclists about. I had actually been to the nearby Lea Valley Riding Centre, to see about getting back on a horse.
So I am not be surprised that the figures showed the station is a good one to reopen. Although this article says that it might close.
I have a feeling that the figures will be nowhere like they are predicted. But whether they are higher or lower, I will not guess.
A lot depends on the service levels through the station, which currently sees two trains every hour in each direction. If that were to be doubled, it would make a lot of difference.
There is a good article and discussion on Lea Bridge station here on London Reconnections.
On a personal basis, I might use the station to go north, as it is one 56 bus to the station. So if I was going to Broxbourne or one of the other stations up the Lea Valley line, it would be a simple alternative. Especially, if the trains were four an hour.
Getting Ready For The Flat Pack Station
Custom House station on Crossrail has been described as the flat-pack station, like in this article in the Standard. Here’s the first paragraph.
A £35 million “flatpack” station for Crossrail is being built hundreds of miles from London in a first for the rail industry.
The new station for Custom House is taking shape in a factory near Sheffield, pictured left, before being transported to London for assembly in 2015.
The question has to be asked, if they will be bringing the station to London by train.
The pictures show the state of the site, with lots of work going on.
If we can buy flat pack furniture from IKEA and their ilk, why can’t Crossrail use similar suppliers?
The Anonymous Widower 