The Anonymous Widower

Where Should You Travel On An Elizabeth Line Train?

The Lizzie Line has one very annoying problem.

When you catch a train, how do you know which is the best place to board the train, so that you get off at the right place to continue your journey?

I regularly go between the Moorgate entrance at Liverpool Street station to the Barbican entrance at Farringdon station.

  • Liverpool Street station is a double-ended station with an Eastern entrance at Liverpool Street station and a Western entrance at Moorgate station.
  • At Moorgate the Western end of the train is closest to the Moorgate Lizzie Line entrance and it is about a hundred metres walk on the level and two escalators between platform and street level.
  • Farringdon station is a double-ended station with an Eastern entrance near to the Barbican and a Western entrance at Farringdon station.
  • At Farringdon the Eastern end of the train is closest to the Barbican Lizzie Line entrance and it is about a hundred metres walk on the level and two escalators between platform and street level.

Ideally between the Moorgate entrance at Liverpool Street station to the Barbican entrance at Farringdon station, you would want to travel in the Eastern end of the train, as this would mean you had a quick getaway.

So you have to do one of these three things.

  • Walk two hundred metres to the Eastern end of the platforms at Liverpool Street station and board the train at its Eastern end.
  • Board the train at its Western end and walk back two hundred metres or so to the Eastern end of the platforms on arrival at Farringdon station to exit the station at the Barbican entrance.
  • Board the train at its Western end and walk back two hundred metres or so inside the train to the Eastern end before alighting at the Barbican end of Farringdon station to exit the station. Be warned, that Heathrow trains can be blocked by cases, as I said in So Many Cases On A Train!.

I take a different route.

  • I use the lift at the Moorgate Lizzie Line entrance to drop to the Westbound Circle/Hammersmith & City/Metropolitan Line platform.
  • I get the first Underground train that arrives.
  • Whilst it is running to Barbican station, I walk as far forward as I can get.
  • I alight at Barbican station and walk to the Western end of the platform.
  • From there, I take the lift and an escalator to street level.

It is a route which is step-free with less walking and two lifts and an escalator.

I suspect many regular Lizzie Line passengers will have their own regular short cuts.

Station Alighting Positions

These are in my view, the best place to be in a train, when travelling to these stations.

  • Abbey Wood – Eastern end
  • Acton Main Line – Eastern half
  • Bond Street – Hanover Square – Eastern end
  • Bond Street – Davies Street – Western end
  • Bond Street – Central Line – Western end
  • Bond Street – Jubilee Line – Western end
  • Brentwood – Western end
  • Burnham – Middle
  • Canary Wharf – Escalators both ends and lifts in the middle
  • Chadwell Heath – Eastern end
  • Custom House – Middle and lift at Western end
  • Ealing Broadway – Western end
  • Ealing Broadway – Central Line – Western end
  • Ealing Broadway – District Line – Western end
  • Farringdon – Barbican – Eastern end
  • Farringdon – Circle Line – Western end
  • Farringdon – Farringdon – Western end
  • Farringdon – Hammersmith & City Line – Western end
  • Farringdon – Thameslink – Western end
  • Forest Gate – Eastern end
  • Gidea Park – Western half
  • Goodmayes – Western end
  • Hanwell – Eastern half
  • Harold Wood – Western end
  • Hayes and Harlington – Western end
  • Heathrow Central – Eastern end
  • Heathrow Terminal 4 – Western end
  • Heathrow Terminal 5 – Eastern end
  • Ilford – Eastern end
  • Iver – Eastern half
  • Langley – Middle
  • Liverpool Street – Central Line – Eastern end
  • Liverpool Street – Circle Line – Either end
  • Liverpool Street – Hammersmith & City Line – Either end
  • Liverpool Street – Liverpool Street – Eastern end
  • Liverpool Street – Liverpool Street – National Rail – Eastern end
  • Liverpool Street – Metropolitan Line – Either end
  • Liverpool Street – Moorgate – Western end
  • Liverpool Street – Moorgate – National Rail – Western end
  • Liverpool Street – Northern Line – Western end
  • Maidenhead – Middle
  • Manor Park – Eastern end
  • Maryland – Middle
  • Paddington – Escalators both ends and lifts in the middle
  • Reading – Middle
  • Romford – Eastern end
  • Seven Kings – Eastern end
  • Shenfield – Eastern end
  • Slough – Eastern half
  • Southall – Middle
  • Stratford – Middle
  • Taplow – Western half
  • Tottenham Court Road – Central Line – Eastern end
  • Tottenham Court Road – Dean Street – Western end
  • Tottenham Court Road – Northern Line – Eastern end
  • Tottenham Court Road – Tottenham Court Road – Eastern end
  • Twyford – Western half
  • West Drayton – Western end
  • West Ealing – Eastern end
  • Whitechapel – District Line – Western end
  • Whitechapel – Hammersmith & City Line – Western end
  • Whitechapel – Overground – Western end
  • Whitechapel – Western end
  • Woolwich – Western end
  • Woolwich – Docklands Light Railway – Western end
  • Woolwich – National Rail – Western end

Note.

  1. Where another line is indicated, the position is for the interchange.
  2. By end, I mean the two end cars.
  3. By half, I mean the end four cars.

All of the routes have lifts.

November 30, 2022 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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.

November 7, 2022 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

The Whitechapel Shortcut

Note that this post is unfinished.

When the East London Line of the London Overground opened just over a decade ago, the interchange with the District and Hammersmith and City Lines at Whitechapel station was not one of the best.

  • There were no lifts.
  • The stairs were too narrow and inadequate for the number of passengers using the interchange.
  • Adding extra Overground trains to Clapham Junction station didn’t help.

If the Elizabeth Line had been added without extra work, the station’s passageways and stairs would have jammed solid.

  • But improvements were added, when the station was expanded to handle the Elizabeth Line.
  • A wide interchange plaza was created between the Eastern ends of the District and Hammersmith and City Line platforms.
  • A double-width spiral staircase was installed between the Eastern end of the interchange plaza and the Southbound East London Line of the Overground.
  • A convenient lift was installed alongside the spiral staircase.
  • The original staircases to and from the Northbound East London Line of the Overground were updated and augmented by a lift.
  • Passengers entering or leaving the station, were given alternative routes to avoid the interchange plaza.

These pictures show the interchange plaza and the various lifts and staircases.

Note.

  1. The spiral stairs and the lift at the Eastern end of the plaza.
  2. The Eastern ends of the District and Hammersmith and City Line trains connect directly with the plaza.

It seems to be working well, since the opening of the Elizabeth Line.

Using The Whitechapel Shortcut

There are eight ways to change between the District and Hammersmith and City Lines and the Overground at Whitechapel station.

Southbound Overground To Westbound District And Hammersmith and City Lines

Today, I travelled between Haggerston and Moorgate stations, which I wrote about in From Haggerston To Moorgate.

I could have changed at Whitechapel station for the brand-new Elizabeth Line, but this would have meant a long walk to get to the Moorgate end of Liverpool Street station.

So I did this.

  •  I got in the front carriage of the Overground train at Haggerston station, which was conveniently by the lift at the station.
  • This meant that on exiting the train, I was by the lift to the interchange plaza at Whitechapel station.
  • The lift took me up a level to the District and Hammersmith and City Line platforms.
  • I got in the rear carriage of a Hammersmith and City Line train to Moorgate station.
  • This positioned me by the lift to the exit at Moorgate station.

I would be surprised if I walked much more than sixty metres between the two station entrances, as against the road distance of around two-and-a-half miles.

Southbound Overground To Eastbound District And Hammersmith and City Lines

This is very similar to the previous section except that you take the District And Hammersmith and City Line trains from the opposite platform.

Northbound Overground To Westbound District And Hammersmith and City Lines

There are two staircases and two lifts between the Northbound Overground and the interchange plaza.

Choose your stairs or lift and then take the Westbound District and Hammersmith and City Line.

Northbound Overground To Eastbound District And Hammersmith and City Lines

This is very similar to the previous section except that you take the District And Hammersmith and City Line trains from the opposite platform.

Westbound District And Hammersmith and City Lines To Southbound Overground

Eastbound District And Hammersmith and City Lines To Southbound Overground

Walk to the interchange plaza and choose the spiral stairs or lift.

Westbound District And Hammersmith and City Lines To Northbound Overground

Eastbound District And Hammersmith and City Lines To Northbound Overground

Walk to the interchange plaza and choose your stairs or lift.

Conclusion

It’s all very quick and painless.

 

 

October 20, 2022 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

From Haggerston To Moorgate

I did this journey this morning and I described it in detail in The Whitechapel Shortcut.

It may seem obvious to take the Overground to Whitechapel and then take the Elizabeth Line to Liverpool Street and come out on Moorgate.

But that route means a long walk at either Whitechapel or Moorgate to get to the right end of the train.

So I took a Hammersmith and City Line train, which was slower, but involved much less walking.

October 20, 2022 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | 1 Comment

I Can’t Wait Until The Sixth Of November

This morning, I wanted to go between Moorgate and Romford stations.

Because the Elizabeth Line is not fully joined up, I wanted to avoid a long walk.

So I had decided, that the best way to go would be.

  • Hammersmith and City Line from Moorgate to Mile End.
  • Central Line from Mile End to Stratford.
  • Elizabeth Line from Stratford to Romford.

Note that both interchanges are cross-platform ones, so it is certainly a route with the minimum of walking.

When I got to Moorgate station, it appeared that there were problems with the Hammersmith and City Line, so assuming that things would be OK from Whitechapel, I took the Lizzie Line one stop to try my luck from there.

But my luck was out and after waiting for about twenty minutes in a stationary District Line train for a lift to Mile End station, I gave up and returned to the Lizzie Line, where I took a train to Canary Wharf station.

I’d changed between the Lizzie and Jubilee Lines before and wrote about it in Changing Trains At Canary Wharf Station – 13th June 2022.

I had not been impressed, as I’d found it a long walk.

But this time, I followed a route between the Eastern ends of both stations, which goes past Waitrose in the shopping centre. Opposite Waitrose was this stall.

That looks good for a pit stop. Badiani 1932 appear to have realised that London has a chronic shortage of ice cream and have opened a number of shops.

Once on the Jubilee Line, I finally got to Stratford and walked to the Lizzie Line for Romford Station.

What Had Caused All The Delays?

It appeared there had been a power supply problem on the Hammersmith and City Line.

Conclusion

Once Crossrail is fully open, it will be a bypass around problems like today.

 

August 31, 2022 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

HS2 Completes First Tunnel Cross Passages

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from High Speed Two.

This is the first paragraph.

As the tunnelling machines under the Chilterns approach the four-mile mark, HS2 completes the first of thirty-eight underground connections between the northbound and southbound tunnels.

This video from High Speed Two, shows the construction of the cross tunnels.

There appears to have been a resurgence of traditional tunneling methods, albeit it with the assistance of modern mechanised tools.

In London recently, these tunnels have been dug without the use of expensive tunnel boring machines.

  • The running and station tunnels for the Bank Station Upgrade.
  • The tunnel for the Paddington Bakerloo Line Link.

I suspect there will a lot more dug traditionally in the future.

Bank And Moorgate

The map from cartometro.com shows the plethora of lines at Moorgate and Bank stations.

Note.

  1. Moorgate station is served by the Circle, Elizabeth, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Northern and Northern City Lines.
  2. Bank station is served by the Central, Circle, District, Northern and Waterloo & City Lines.
  3. Bank station is also one terminus of the DLR.

I believe it would be possible to dig a long pedestrian tunnel with a travelator, between Moorgate and Bank stations under Moorgate, which connects the two stations.

City Thameslink Station And St. Paul’s

I discussed this in A Pedestrian Connection Between City Thameslink Station And St. Paul’s Tube Station.

August 30, 2022 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Moorgate Station’s Facade At The New Entrance – 17th June 2022

These pictures show, the  new facade of the Moorgate station’s new entrance.

 

This entrance is in addition to the original entrance on Moorgate and it has stairs and lifts to the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines and a giant escalator and a lift to the Elizabeth Line.

It does look as though, the construction of the offices on top of the entrance is coming to a completion. Two escalators will be fitted in the space guarded by the green hoarding to give access to the offices and the walkways, that will lead to the Barbican.

 

 

June 17, 2022 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Barbican Entrance To The Elizabeth Line – 10th June 2022

This series of pictures shows the route between the Westbound platform at Barbican station to the Elizabeth Line at Farringdon station.

Note.

  1. There is only a single lift between the Western end of the Westbound Platform 2/3 at Barbican station and the lobby between the two banks of escalators and inclined lifts, that give access to the Barbican end of Elizabeth Line platforms.
  2. Currently, there is no access between the Elizabeth Line and the Eastbound Platform 1 at Barbican station.
  3. If you lived in one of the towers of the Barbican estate, if might be a marginally shorter walk to walk along Platform 2/3 and up the stairs to the street.

When C and myself, lived in Cromwell Tower in the Barbican, in the 1970s, we must have walked that route with our three children hundreds of times. It really isn’t very different.

I have a few thoughts.

Is The Route Really For Passengers?

Consider.

  • A journey, where you might need to use the route could be one like Barking and Heathrow.
  • But you have a wide choice, as you could alight at Whitechapel, Liverpool Street, Moorgate, Farringdon and Ealing Broadway on the sub-surface lines and have step-free access to the Elizabeth Line.
  • I suspect most customers will choose Whitechapel or Liverpool Street.

This picture shows the comprehensive control panel in the lift.

Could it be, that the main purpose of the lift is for staff access to hard to reach plant rooms?

Or perhaps it is designed to get a stretcher or wheelchair to the island platform at Barbican station?

Is The Connection Incomplete?

It could be that there is more work to do and the connection is incomplete.

There is a section, which is entitled Elizabeth Line, in the Wikipedia entry for Barbican station, where this is said.

Farringdon’s Barbican ticket hall for the Elizabeth line is just to the west of Barbican station along Long Lane. This construction involved significant changes at the western end of the station, including the demolition of the former signal box to construct a lift shaft from the Elizabeth line station to the westbound Underground platform only. The original plan of a new footbridge spanning the tracks to the eastbound platform was not proceeded with on the grounds of engineering difficulties. Work was anticipated to be completed in 2018, but was completed in May 2022.

It does look like, that the best that was possible was built.

 

 

June 10, 2022 Posted by | Design, Transport/Travel | , , , , , | Leave a comment

London Underground Trains Are Getting Faster

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Ian Visits.

A long-running signalling upgrade on the London Underground is starting to show results as the latest timetables show faster journeys on some trips. The four lines modernisation project is replacing antiquated signals across the entire sub-surface part of the Underground – that’s the District, Circle, Metropolitan, and the Hammersmith & City lines.

Iam then goes on to detail some of the timing improvements.

In Between Liverpool Street And Wimbledon Park Stations, I note that I think station dwell times are getting shorter.

September 16, 2021 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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