Moorgate Station – 26th April 2022
In July 2021, I wrote Down Into The Depths At Moorgate Station and I included this picture of the lift that connects the Northern and Elizabeth Lines.
For much of the last few months, this lift lobby has been full of builders junk piled along the right hand side.
But today, everything looked finished.
The yellow bars are the barrier to stop passengers taking a closer look.
When Will Crossrail Open?
Between Angel and London Bridge stations, there are four projects underway on the Northern Line.
The Rebuilding Of Old Street Station
This page on the Transport for London web site, describes the rebuilding of the station.
This is an extract.
In summer 2022 we will:
- Create an interim exit route through the main station entrance stairs while works continue on the above-ground part of the new entrance
- Complete final changes to the traffic layout and close Subway 3 over the weekend of 10, 11 and 12 June 2022.
Transport for London’s journey planner also indicates that up to the end of June, there will be no closures of Old Street station or the Northern Line through the station.
It would appear that this project is totally independent of the trains and access to the platforms.
The Bank Station Upgrade
As far as Angel, Old Street, Moorgate and London Bridge stations are concerned, these stations are generally not affected by the work at Bank, as one line between Moorgate and London Bridge stations is being replaced by another.
- The signalling will have to be thoroughly checked.
- Drivers will have to be trained.
- Station staff will have to be trained in the procedures in the new platform at Bank.
I have checked the closed sections of the Northern Line on Transport for London’s journey planner and found this.
- May 1st to May 19th – Northern Line closed between Moorgate and Kennington. As now!
- May 20th – Northern Line fully open
- May 21st to May 22nd – Northern Line closed between Archway and High Barnet
- May 23rd to May 31st – Northern Line fully open
Note.
- I haven’t checked June yet!
- Archway has a turnback siding to allow the High Barnet branch to be closed.
- All dates are 2022.
It does look that the new Southbound tunnel through Bank station could open on May 20th, which is a Friday.
Crossrail Opening
Transport for London’s journey planner provides some interesting information about TfL Rail services.
- May 1st – Slightly reduced service
- May 2nd to May 6th – Normal service
- May 7th to 8th – Slightly reduced service
- May 9th to May 19th – Normal service
- May 21st to 22nd – Slightly reduced service
- May 23rd to May 31st – Normal service
Note.
- The slightly reduced service has a few less early morning services and a possible reduced frequency. It only applies at weekends.
- Normal service is just that, although trains might not be stopping at all stations.
I wouldn’t be surprised to find, that Crossrail can open on any day, where normal service is running.
With the new Southbound tunnel of the Northern Line possibly opening on the 20th May, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Crossrail opening a few days before, so as to give the very busy part of the London Underground in the City of London, a good test.
The Crossrail Pedestrian Route Between Liverpool Street And Moorgate
I described this pedestrian route in London’s First Underground Roller Coaster and as it is part of the Crossrail pedestrian routes, I suspect it will open with Crossrail.
This picture shows a cross-section of the massive Liverpool Street Crossrail station, which will connect Moorgate and Liverpool Street stations when it opens in December 2018.
Note.
- Moorgate station is on the left.
- Liverpool Street station is on the right.
- In the middle looking like a giant juicer is the ventilation shaft in Finsbury Circus.
- The Crossrail tunnels, which consist of two running tunnels and a pedestrian walkway between them are at the deepest level.
- There are escalators and lifts all over the place.
The route will become an ideal walking route between Liverpool Street and Moorgate stations in heavy rain, for those who don’t want to get wet.
But it could open earlier, as it would test the pedestrian tunnels.
Crossrail is Over Budget And Very Late – But The End Is Nearly In Sight
The title of this post is a quote from this article on the BBC, which is entitled Elizabeth line: The Ambient Detailing Behind Crossrail’s New Stations.
There have been little signs appearing in the last few days.
- In Is The Paddington Bakerloo Line Link Opening Soon?, it looked like the new tunnel, that will form the Bakerloo Line Link to Crossrail could be opening soon.
- In The Covers Are Off At Tottenham Court Road Station, it looked like the builders were finishing off Tottenham Court Road station.
- I go through Moorgate station about six times a week.This morning, as I normally do, I took the rat-up-the-drainpipe route to the surface, that I described in Up From The Depths At Moorgate Station. The escalators have been reversed and there were a lot of staff around.
- I’ve also seen guys and gals walking around with clipboards.
This all indicates to me that D-Day is not far-off, when passengers will be allowed to set foot on Crossrail’s platforms and trains.
Is The Paddington Bakerloo Line Link Opening Soon?
I took these pictures on the Bakerloo Line platforms at Paddington station yesterday.
Note.
- There are new direction signs by the entrance, but they are covered in white plastic.
- The lights on the lift were showing sensible messages.
- The escalators behind the grill doors were running.
- It was only shut off using a barrier and black and yellow tape.
- The access between the Northbound Bakerloo Line platform and the escalator lobby, still needed to be opened up.
But it does look to me that this route is getting ready to be used.
In The Crossrail Article That Everyone Must Read, I review this article on Ian Visits, which is entitled A Sneak Preview Of London’s New Elizabeth Line Railway.
In a section, that is entitled The Bakerloo Line Link At Paddington Station, I wrote this.
Ian writes this interesting paragraph.
Something though that was added to Paddington station after the funding was approved was a new direct deep tunnel link from the platforms to the Bakerloo line. London Underground contractors built the link, and Andy Lord suggested that they are considering opening up the link before the Elizabeth line opens fully as it would help with offering step-free access for Bakerloo line customers.
Many people find getting to Paddington difficult, as I do from Dalston.
I typically use some roundabout and slow routes and most end up with arriving at Paddington on the Bakerloo Line.
Opening the link early would have the following effects.
- It would make things a lot easier for me and probably many other passengers.
- It would add passengers to London’s least-used Underground line.
- It would add capacity to the Bakerloo Line station at Paddington.
It would also give a piece of the infrastructure, a good soak testing with real passengers and may flag up some changes that needed to be made to details like signage.
Did Ian call it right?
Conclusion
I think he might have!
One Broadgate – 9th April 2022
I haven’t walked down Eldon Street for some time from Moorgate to Liverpool Street station and last time, there was an office block on the North side of the street.
Note.
- Yesterday, there was just a large hole there, which will be filled by the new development of One Broadgate.
- The silver building in the background of many of these pictures is 5 Broadgate, which is the London offices of UBS.
- One Broadgate will be a ten story development.
- The development will be a mixed development with retail and leisure on the lower floors and offices above.
- The last three pictures show the developing plaza in front of Broadgate, with another new development in the South-West corner.
Despite Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and now the Russian attack on Ukraine, there seems to be no letup in the building of new offices in London.
The Covers Are Off At Tottenham Court Road Station
These pictures show some of the new signs at Tottenham Court Road station.
As the covers seem to have been taken off, does that mean that like with cricket, something is about to happen?
The Crossrail Article That Everyone Must Read
This article on Ian Visits is entitled A Sneak Preview Of London’s New Elizabeth Line Railway.
As the title of this post indicates, Ian’s article is very much a must read and it gives everybody something worthwhile to look forward to, after what has been the worst two years of many peoples’ lives.
The Crossrail Opening Date
There are a few more tests to do and Ian says the line could open a few weeks after Easter. With the Bank station upgrade apparently going well as I reported in Final Tunnelling Gets Underway On Bank Station Blockade and likely to open in mid-May, I wonder if TfL would prefer that the two projects opened at different times for management and operational reasons.
Easter is the 17th of April, and two weeks later is May Day, with the Bank Holiday on the Monday.
If they can do all the tests, there would be good reasons to open Crossrail on the first of May.
- It’s a different day to the opening of the Bank station upgrade.
- They would have two clear days to get Crossrail open.
- A lot of people will be going to Central London.
- Other Mayors would have organised a party.
- A Bank Holiday would give the new infrastructure a proper test with real passengers and lots of children.
- Crossrail could also help to cover for a late-opening Bank Station Upgrade.
If I needed to bet on it, my money would be on an opening on Sunday, the first of May.
The Bakerloo Line Link At Paddington Station
Ian writes this interesting paragraph.
Something though that was added to Paddington station after the funding was approved was a new direct deep tunnel link from the platforms to the Bakerloo line. London Underground contractors built the link, and Andy Lord suggested that they are considering opening up the link before the Elizabeth line opens fully as it would help with offering step-free access for Bakerloo line customers.
Many people find getting to Paddington difficult, as I do from Dalston.
I typically use some roundabout and slow routes and most end up with arriving at Paddington on the Bakerloo Line.
Opening the link early would have the following effects.
- It would make things a lot easier for me and probably many other passengers.
- It would add passengers to London’s least-used Underground line.
- It would add capacity to the Bakerloo Line station at Paddington.
It would also give a piece of the infrastructure, a good soak testing with real passengers and may flag up some changes that needed to be made to details like signage.
Opening The Liverpool Street and Moorgate Pedestrian Link
In London’s First Underground Roller Coaster, I described this link, which I believe will be used by more than just rail passengers.
I feel that like the Bakerloo Line Link at Paddington station, that this link could be opened early.
Conclusion
I can’t wait for Crossrail to open.
A Thought On The Prospects For Crossrail
Someone asked the question, in a discussion group, that I visit, if Crossrail will be a success.
I believe that you only have to look at the success of the London Overground to realise that Crossrail will be a success.
When the North London Line reopened as the first route of the London Overground with new Class 378 trains, it used to run four-car trains at a frequency of six trains per hour (tph) between Stratford and Willesden Junction stations.
Now the line runs eight tph on that route and the trains are five cars.
That is a capacity increase of 66% in terms of cars per hour.
And still at times, the trains are full and Transport for London are looking at ways of adding extra trains and/or cars.
Crossrail will have the factors going for it, which helped to make the Overground that success. It is new and has a novelty value, but above all like the Overground, it is built for full-sized people, who could be pushing bikes and buggies and trailing baggage.
Crossrail, also increases options for alternative routes for Londoners , who are World Champions at ducking-and-diving.
Crossrail has also been designed so that the trains can be extended.
If Crossrail has a problem, other than the lateness and budget overrun, it is that it doesn’t connect to the Victoria or Piccadilly Lines.
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?
Farringdon Station – 13th February 2022
The two main entrances to Farringdon station have now been finished and the road that runs between them has now been pedestrianised.
Is Farringdon station the only London station with separate entrances for National Rail and the Underground that are on opposite sides of a pedestrianised plaza?
Does it need to have some outdoor cafes in the Summer months?
Barriers And Planters On The London Overground Platforms At Clapham Junction Station
To get home from Feltham station, after my visit this morning to see the new bridge, which I wrote about in The Completed Bridge At Feltham Station, I changed trains at Clapham Junction station.
I noticed that a barrier has been put up between the current two Overground platforms; 1 and 2.
.I suspect it is for safety reasons, as it will certainly stop passengers falling off the platform.
I also noticed that planters had been placed where I suspect that the new Platform 0 will be built.
Note.
- If the track is to placed between the planters and the platform, the space could be a bit small.
- Or is the platform going to be rebuilt a bit narrower?
- It also looks like the platform won’t be long enough for the planned eight-car train.
I also took these pictures of what looks to be a Fire Exit.
Could it be a temporary entrance, that will be used if there is a lot of work going on about the Grant Road entrance to create the new platform?
I also took these pictures of the Eastern end of the platform.
Considering, that the Class 378 train is five cars and an eight-car train would be sixty percent longer, it looks to me, that they will have to extend the platform, behind the temporary entrance or perhaps further towards the East.
Or could Network Rail have called up Baldrick, and asked him for one of his cunning plans?
Consider.
- Currently, there is a one train per hour (tph) between Milton Keynes and Clapham Junction stations, run by Southern.
- The service used to run between Milton Keynes and South Croydon stations.
- There surely is a need for a high-frequency service between the High Speed Two station at Old Oak Common and Clapham Junction station.
- Currently, there is no planned link between Crossrail and the West London Line.
Hythe Road station is planned to be on the West London Line and will serve the High Speed Two station at Old Oak Common.
This Transport for London map, shows the position of the proposed Hythe Road station with respect to High Speed Two and Crossrail.
Note.
- The West London Line to and from Clapham Junction goes down the East of the map.
- The North London Line to and from Richmond goes down the West of the map.
- The current Milton Keynes and Clapham Junction service doesn’t go through the site of Hythe Road station, but somehow sneaks round on the freight line in the map.
Wikipedia describes the proposal for Hythe Road station like this.
Hythe Road railway station would be situated about 700 metres (770 yards) from the mainline Old Oak Common station. Construction work would involve re-aligning the track along a new railway embankment (built slightly to the north of the existing line) and demolishing industrial units along Salter Street, on land currently owned by a vehicle sales company (‘Car Giant’). The station structure will sit on a viaduct, with a bus interchange underneath. The station will incorporate 3 platforms, allowing through services between Stratford and Clapham Junction with an additional bay platform to accommodate terminating services from Clapham Junction.
I can envisage an eight tph service between Clapham Junction and Hythe Road stations, made up something like this.
- Four tph between Stratford and Clapham Junction stations
- One tph between Milton Keynes and Clapham Junction stations
- Three tph between Hythe Road and Clapham Junction stations
Note.
- Services would stop at Shepherd’s Bush, Kensington (Olympia), West Brompton and Imperial Wharf.
- Two platforms at Clapham Junction station could easily handle eight tph.
- The London Overground’s five car Class 378 trains would probably be long enough for the shuttle.
- There is even the possibility of running the Milton Keynes and Clapham Junction service with five car trains, to void the expense of creating an eight-car platform at Clapham Junction station.
It would be better if the Milton Keynes and Clapham Junction service could go through Hythe Road station. But this might be difficult to arrange.
Conclusion
An eight tph service through Old Oak Common could be a nice little add-on for both High Speed Two and Crossrail.
The Anonymous Widower 