The Anonymous Widower

Between Walthamstow Central And Canning Town Stations On A 69 Bus

I have a feeling, that the 69 bus route, which currently runs between Walthamstow Central and Canning Town stations, could be usefully extended to become.

  • A new route through the Silvertown tunnel.
  • A formal connection between the Eastern ends of the Victoria and Jubilee Lines
  • Part of Superloop

I took these pictures from the front of the top deck.

Note.

  1. I was sitting at the front of the bus on the right side of the top deck.
  2. Walthamstow Central station is served by the Victoria Line and the London Overground.
  3. The 69 bus runs every few minutes.
  4. Walthamstow Central station has a well-connected modern bus station.
  5. Leyton Midland Road station is on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line.
  6.  The Leyton Engineer appears to be a beautifully restored pub.
  7. The six-lane A12 East Cross Route is crossed on a bridge just before Leyton station.
  8. Leyton station is on the Central Line.
  9. Maryland station is on the Elizabeth Line.
  10. The Great Eastern Main Line and the Elizabeth Line are crossed on a bridge at Maryland station.
  11. The prominent church is St. John’s, Stratford.
  12. Plaistow station is on the Metropolitan Line.
  13. Canning Town station is on the Jubilee Line and is a hub for the Docklands Light Railway.
  14. Canning Town station is suffering a degree of refurbishment at the moment and is a bit of a nightmare on foot at the moment.

The 69 bus route connects eight railway stations and at least eight railway lines.

The roads are generally wide and there are more trees than in other parts of London.

April 24, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is The Silvertown Tunnel A Silver Elephant?

I have been through the Silvertown Tunnel several times now and every time the bus has never really slowed for lots of traffic.

I went through this morning on Easter Sunday and these pictures show all the other traffic I saw.

Note.

  1. I was sitting in the front passenger seat of a 129 bus, which is on the left of the bus.
  2. We were going from South to North through the Silvertown Tunnel.
  3. I could read the driver’s speedometer and it showed within a mile per hour of thirty all the way.
  4. We were passed by only one car in the tunnel.
  5. There were about a dozen passengers on the lower deck of the bus.
  6. I didn’t check how many were on the top deck of the bus.

Even on an Easter Sunday, I would have thought the service would have been busier.

Is The Silvertown Tunnel A Silver Elephant?

There are two answera to this question.

  • Yes – A lot of money has been spent for just a few cars and bus passengers to have an easy ride through the tunnel.
  • No – As traffic is flowing freely through the tunnel, it shows the tunnel is doing its job and freeing up traffic in East London.

But whatever view you take, a lot of money has been spent for a small number of vehicles and passengers to pass through the tunnel.

I also suspect very little extra revenue is being generated.

The Jubilee Line Was Busy

The complete route I took this morning was as follows.

  • Home To Angel – 38 bus – Not very busy.
  • Angel to London Bridge – Northern Line – Not very busy.
  • London Bridge to North Greenwich – Jubilee Line – All seats taken.
  • North Greenwich to West Silvertown – 129 bus – Not very busy.
  • West Silvertown to Canning Town – Docklands Light Railway – Not very busy.
  • Canning Town to Canada Water – Jubilee Line – All seats taken.
  • Canada Water to Dalston Junction – Overground – Not very busy.
  • Dalston Junction to Home – 30 bus – Not very busy.

Note.

  1. Only the sections on the Jubilee Line were really busy, with all seats taken.
  2. London Bridge, Stratford and Waterloo stations on the Jubilee Line are also busy National Rail stations.
  3. London Bridge, Canada Water, North Greenwich, Canning Town and Stratford all have large modern well-designed bus stations within easy walking distance of the Jubilee Line.
  4. Given, that there is now a charge to cross the river, have a lot of people decided to take the Jubilee Line rather than their car to go to the O2 at North Greenwich and the Olympic Park and Eastfield at Stratford?

I strongly feel, that more capacity is needed on the Jubilee Line, as no matter what time I use it, I never seem to get a seat.

Taking The Dover Road

This Google Map shows how the A2 ( the Dover Road) links up with the Silvertown and Blackwall Tunnels.

Note.

  1. The O2 in the North-West corner of the map, with North Greenwich station in red under it.
  2. The Blackwall Tunnel crosses the river to the North-West of the O2.
  3. The Silvertown Tunnel crosses the river to the East of the O2.
  4. Running diagonally across the map is the Blackwall Tunnel Southern Approach, which also serves the Silvertown Tunnel.
  5. The station to the West of the Southern Approach is Westcombe Park station.
  6. Click the map to show it to a larger scale.

This second Google Map shows the O2, North Greenwich station and the approaches to both tunnels.

Note.

  1. The half-moon-shaped building is North Greenwich station.
  2. The tunnel approaches are rather complicated, but seem to be working well.
  3. There is lots of car parking.
  4. The Blackwall Tunnel Southern Approach leaves the tunnles in a Southerly direction.
  5. Click the map to show it to a larger scale.

This third Google Map shows how the A2 (Dover Road) and A20 (Folkestone Road) link up to the Blackwall Tunnel Southern Approach.

Note.

  1. The station in the North-West corner of the map is Westcombe Park.
  2. The road running diagonally South-East from the corner is the Blackwall Tunnel Southern Approach.
  3. The Blackwall Tunnel Southern Approach then turns East to join with the A2 (Dover Road).
  4. The Blackwall Tunnel Southern Approach also links up with the A20 (Folkestone Road) , which is the other road running diagonally at the bottom of the map.

In some ways, I am rather surprised at how little traffic is passing through the tunnels given this double dual-carriageway/motorway connection to East Kent, the Channel Tunnel and the Continent. It also has a double connection at both the A2 and A20 to join the M25.

Perhaps, it does mean that the charges are frightening drivers away.

The Roads To The North

This Google Map shows the main approach road to the Blackwall Tunnel.

Note.

  1. The O2 and North Greenwich station in the South-East corner of the map.
  2. The Blackwall Tunnel crosses the river to the North-West of the O2.
  3. The A12 dual-carriageway runs North up the Lea Valley through Hackney.
  4. There is a dual-carriageway/motorway box formed by the M11 in the West, A12 in the East, M 25 in the North and A 406 in the South to speed traffic on its way, including to the two main routes to the North; the M1 and the A1.

I have lived for thirty years of my life in North London, and I feel, that although the roads to the North of London could be improved, I don’t suspect they are the reason drivers are not using the Silvertown and Blackwall Tunnels.

I would suspect that drivers don’t like or trust the charging system, or could it be that the public transport system in London and especially the East of London is too good?

But we do need to increase the capacity of the Jubilee Line either directly or would a high-capacity bus-route shadowing the line, be able to add the extra capacity needed?

 

April 20, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Coach Chaos At The Finchley Road Coach Stop On A Sunday Lunchtime

I went to Finchley Road coach stop at lunchtime today and took these pictures.

Note.

  1. Finchley Road coach stop is on the Finchley Road, just to the North of Finchley Road tube station.
  2. The Finchley Road coach stop is lavelled CL.
  3. Not all coaches stopped at the Finchley Road coach stop.
  4. I did see a double-deck coach taking visitors to the Harry Potter Attraction pass through ar Victoria Coach station and the Finchley Road.
  5. There is a pedestrian subway under Finchley Road.
  6. There is a second stop for Southbound coaches on the other side of the Finchley Road.
  7. There are a few tatty shops along the pavement selling snacks, coffee, tea and other travellers needs.
  8. In the early pictures note, the large number of travellers queuing along the pavement in front of those shops.
  9. It looks like a lot of those travellers, were waiting for the Flixbus.
  10. The Flixbus stayed parked for several minutes.
  11. Finchley Road tube station is not step-free.
  12. Finchley Road tube station is served by the Metropolitan and Jubilee Lines.

I took most of the pictures from the opposite site to the Northbound coach stop, as the pavement was rather crowded.

This Google Map shows Finchley Road, the tube station and the coach stop.

Note.

  1. The Finchley Road is the dual-carriageway road.
  2. The two grey dots at the Northend end of the Finchley Road, indicate the Coach stop and to its North a bus stop.
  3. The larger orange dot indicates the Tortilla restaurant, which is visible in several of the pictures.
  4. The London Underground roundel indicates Finchley Road tube station.
  5. The building curving away to the North-West is the train shed for the four platforms of Finchley Road tube station.

South of Finchley Road tube station, is a large Waitrose in the old John Barnes building.

This pictures show some of the Train to Street access at Finchley Road station.

Note.

  1. There is a high step out of the Jubilee Line trains.
  2. The steps from platform to the street are steep with a heavy case or a baby in a buggy.

But it’s a long time, since I’ve done any travelling with a baby.

I have some further thoughts.

Travelling With Heavy Luggage, In A Wheelchair Or A Baby Buggy

It might be better to take a 13 or 113 bus to Finchley Road tube station, as the stop is just South of the station and no more than fifty metres from the Finchley Road coach stop.

You could even get the bus from Swiss Cottage station, which is the next station South from Finchley Road and has a complete set of traditional escalators with uplighters.

Note.

March 9, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

More Mushroom Management On TfL Buses

After my experience in Mushroom Management On TfL Buses, I’ve changed my weekend breakfast routine at weekends, to one where on Saturdays and Sundays, I eat breakfast in London’s poshest Leon at Hanover Square, which I wrote about in A Quality Takeaway With A Station And A Large Garden.

It is a large restaurant.

It has comfortable seating.

It is within my not very long walking distance of the Bakerloo, Central, Elizabeth, Jubilee and Victoria Lines, and Oxford Street with all its buses.

There is a garden with seating in the square.

This picture shows the frontage of the building.

It’s certainly not your average takeaway or fast food outlet.

Normally, Hanover Square is a very easy location for me to travel to.

  • I walk round the corner to the stop for the 38 bus.
  • The 38 buses are usually every 3-4 minutes and I travel to Tottenham Court Road station.
  • I go one stop on the Elizabeth Line, travelling in the rear of the train to Bond Street station.
  • I’m then at the right end of the station to exit directly into Hanover Square, after riding up from the depths on a long escalator.

Leon is just a fifty metre walk away.

Today, there were no problems, although I did cut it a bit tight.

But all was fine in the end and I had a good full-English breakfast.

A Difficult Journey Home!

When, I set off from home, I wasn’t sure which way, I would come home.

In the end, I decided to come home the simple way of taking the Elizabeth Line to Moorgate station and then getting the 141 bus from there, as it stops close to my home.

But this route has the Elizabeth Line end-changing problem, in that the Hanover Square entrance at Bond Street station is at the Eastern end of the train and the Moorgate entrance at Liverpool Street station is at the Western end of the train.

So at some point in the journey, I would have to take a two-hundred metre walk, either on the platform or inside the train. The latter is not easy on a train to and from Heathrow, as it is often stuffed full with cases in the aisle. Why do people want to take all the contents of their house on holiday?

So I decided to go via a reverse at Whitechapel, where I positioned myself at the Western end of the train for exit at Moorgate.

It really was necessary to install travellators at Liverpool Street station on the Elizabeth Line, as between the two entrances is a long walk, as this graphic shows.

Note.

  1. Moorgate is to the left
  2. Liverpool Street is to the right.

But then Transport for London wanted a spectacular line with spectacular stations, that would win awards. Which it has!

I alighted from the train at the Moorgate end of the station, which meant that after two escalator rides and a short walk, I was at the 141 bus stop on the surface.

But there were no buses of any numbers calling at the stop.

This was because of the Lord Mayor’s Show, which meant there were no buses through the City.

But.

  • There were no posters at stations saying that the show was taking place and buses would be diverted.
  • Displays on bus stops were not saying anything about the show.
  • The BBC hadn’t mentioned the Lord Mayor’s Show on the TV this morning.
  • The BBC doesn’t have a local news at weekends, which would surely have mentioned the show and its effects on public transport.
  • The display on the bus stop at Moorgate was still broken, as it has been for six months.
  • There was a small information poster on the bus stop, but it was positioned too high for me to see.
  • Taxis seemed to be avoiding the City.

There were a few stewards about and one suggested, that I walked to Old Street, which would not be easy on my legs.

In the end, I decoded that a retreat via Whitechapel and Dalston Junction was probably the best way to get home, as the Overground would be unlikely to be effected.

But I made the mistake of getting on a Circle Line train at Moorgate, so I didn’t get to Whitechapel.

Instead, I walked to the 141 and 21 bus stop at Monument station and caught a 21 bus North. I hoped that I would be able to connect to the 141 bus, that I needed to get home.

I did get safely home, but only after two long waits at bus stops, where I changed bus routes twice.

Conclusion

Transport for London need to devise bus plans for all major events and publicise them well in advance.

In London’s New 733 Bus Route, I described how Transport for London put in a temporary bus route between Finsbury Square and Oval stations to replace the Northern Line during the upgrade of Bank station.

As the Lord Mayor’s Show happens every year, surely the same plan can be rolled out each year, with any appropriate changes.

I’d be interested to know whether other large cities have plans for big celebrations in city centres.

November 9, 2024 Posted by | Food | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

London Overground Train Makes Rare Diversion To London Bridge Station

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

This is the sub-heading.

On Sunday morning, a London Overground train paid a visit to London Bridge station — a station that the Overground doesn’t usually visit.

These were the first two paragraphs.

It was here for a test run ahead of a special service that will run on Easter Sunday, and the test was needed to ensure that what worked on paper also worked in practice.

The reason for the Easter Sunday special is weekend engineering works elsewhere which would mean no Southern trains between Victoria and London Bridge, while at the same time, the London Overground south of the river can’t go north.

Note.

  1. Judging by Ian’s pictures, it was a very thorough test of clearances and ramp functions.
  2. According to Real Time Trains, the two services used platform 5 at Crystal Palace and Platform  13 at London Bridge.
  3. The distance was 7.5 miles.
  4. Services took 23 minutes to London Bridge and 19 minutes for the return.

This image shows a London Overground train in Platform 5 at Crystal Palace station.

In Overground To London Bridge Under Consideration, I talked about how Transport for London were thinking about creating a new Overground service between London Bridge and Crystal Palace.

Sunday’s test also shows that if the paths are available, London Overground can run a service between London Bridge and Crystal Palace.

Given that the times for the out and return trips were 23 and 19 minutes on Sunday, it appears to me, that the following is possible.

  • One train could run an hourly service.
  • Two trains could run a two trains per hour (tph) service.

Trains could terminate in platform 3, which is on the right in the image and only has two trains per day.

There would be the following trains to London from Crystal Palace.

  • London Overground – Four tph to Canada Water, Whitechapel and Highbury and Islington.
  • London Overground – Two tph to London Bridge
  • Southern – Two tph to London Bridge
  • Southern – Four tph to London Victoria

These would total to.

  • Canada Water – four tph for Jubilee Line
  • Highbury & Islington – four tph for Victoria and North London Lines
  • London Bridge – four tph for Thameslink, Jubilee and Northern Lines
  • London Victoria – four tph for Victoria, Circle and District Lines
  • Whitechapel – four tph for Elizabeth, Victoria, Circle, District and Hammersmith & City Lines

Note.

  1. The two extra tph to London Bridge even everything up to four tph.
  2. The London Bridge and Crystal Palace service could be run by any suitable train and I suspect it could be eight cars. What about using some of the spare Class 379 trains?

The London Bridge and Crystal Palace service wouldn’t need trains with a tunnel evacuation capability, so could use Class 378, 379, 387 or 710 trains.

 

 

February 28, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Are Londoners The Tunnel Kings?

I was born in 1947 and it was in the early 1960s, that I started to develop an interest in engineering, which eventually led me to study Electrical Engineering and Electronics at Liverpool University.

Like most Londoners, I was a frequent user of the Underground and for six or seven years, I took the Piccadilly Line many days between Oakwood and Southgate to go to Minchenden Grammar School. Often, after school, I would go on to my father’s print works near Word Green tube station.

But not memories of London’s tunnels were so memorable at that time. One day, we were driving to see my Uncle Bert in Broadstairs and we were held in the Blackwall Tunnel for an hour or so because of an accident.

Perhaps, this is why I can remember a black-and-white video of digging the Western Tunnel of the Dartford Crossing so vividly. But as Raymond Baxter probably explained to BBC viewers at the time, it dug using a Greathead shield under pressure to keep the water out. It was probably the last tunnel dug under the Thames using methods, that would have been familiar to Victorian engineers.

This British Pathe video shows some of the construction of the Western tunnel.

This paragraph from the Wikipedia entry for the Eastern Tunnel describes its construction.

Construction was approved in April 1971, with an initial expected opening date in 1976. Work was delayed due to a lack of funds, which was resolved by EEC funding granted in 1974. The second tunnel opened in May 1980, allowing each tunnel to handle one direction of traffic, by which time the joint capacity of the two tunnels had increased to 65,000 vehicles per day. Connection of the crossing to the M25 was completed on the northerly Essex side in September 1982 (Junction 31), and to the southerly Kent side in September 1986 (Junction 1a)

The tunnels may be inadequate in terms of capacity, but they have certainly done a reliable job for sixty and forty-three years respectively.

There are other tunnels under the Thames, that have been built in my lifetime.

There are also these tunnels, which don’t go under the Thames

Bank Station Expansion And New Southbound Northern Line Tunnel – 2022

Note.

  1. The date is the opening date.
  2. I am pleased to see that at least some projects were planned, with the software, I wrote in a Suffolk attic.

In my lifetime, at least 27 substantial tunnels have been completed, a very large proportion of which have been on time and on budget, with the possible exception of the Heathrow Rail Tunnels, which collapsed.

So Why Has London Got A Good Record On Tunnelling?

In Millicent And Ursula Prepare To Go Tunnelling, I describe my visit to the Tideway Open Day today to see the tunnel boring machines; Millicent and Ursula before they went tunnelling.

On that Sunday morning, I also chatted with the engineers and tunnelers.

  • All had worked on at least one of London’s previous tunnels.
  • One had worked on the Second Dartford Tunnel, the Channel Tunnel and Crossrail.
  • A couple said, that after the Tideway finished, they would be off to High Speed Two.

Is London’s good record on delivering tunnels safely and on time and on budget, a case of lots of experience and practice makes perfect?

If it is, we should definitely think hard about how we handle large projects.

Wind Farms

Many have been constructed this way.

  • The grid substation and connection to the grid is built.
  • The foundations of the turbines are installed.
  • The turbines are erected.
  • All the turbines are commissioned.

This sequence or something like it can be applied to onshore and offshore wind farms.

  • Most jobs are repeated many times by specialist teams using purpose-built cranes, ships and other equipment.
  • Bigger wind farms, just need more repeated operations.
  • All operations are generally in a small geographical area.
  • I suspect specialist software has been built to project manage, the building of wind farms. If it hasn’t, I have my ideas.

Project management should be relatively easy.

 

 

January 31, 2024 Posted by | Energy, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Canary Wharf Move Means Expansion For Drug Trials Operator

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

These three paragraphs outline the story.

An Aim-listed company that tests infectious and respiratory disease products on volunteers is preparing to move its operations to Canary Wharf.

Amid booming demand for its services, hVIVO, which infects volunteers with safe doses of virus agents, then quarantines them before testing the efficacy of vaccines and antivirals — in so-called human challenge trials — will move from its clinics in Whitechapel, east London, to a new larger facility near by owned by Canary Wharf Group early next year.

Canary Wharf is aiming to attract businesses from the life sciences and health sectors in a drive to become a sciences hub and less reliant on the financial services industry.

This is the second story about life science companies moving to Canary Wharf after Canary Wharf Boosts Its Science Ambitions.

I have my thoughts.

Canary Wharf Is A Transport Hub

Canary Wharf is served by the following transport links.

  • Buses
  • Docklands Light Railway
  • Elizabeth Line
  • Jubilee Line
  • Thames Clipper

It is very well-connected, which means that staff and volunteers can get there easily.

Canary Wharf Is A Leisure Destination

Canary Wharf is very much more than a collection of expensive offices.

There are shops, bars, restaurants, a museum and a cinema complex.

There Is A Shortage Of Lab-Rats

I volunteer for medical research and regularly, I’m called in to help with the recruitment of more volunteers.

I suspect, that many would prefer to volunteer at Canary Wharf, rather than some parts of London.

Conclusion

I suspect that we’ll see an expansion of medical research of all kinds at Canary Wharf.

August 29, 2023 Posted by | Health, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Riding The 182 Bus Between Harrow Bus Station And Brent Cross

I did this journey, which could be part of the Superloop, in good weather, and was able to take these pictures.

Note.

  1. The roads were not bad and were partly two lanes each way, with large roundabouts at junctions.
  2. I suspect the bus was going at between 30 and 40 mph most of the way.
  3. There was still quite a lot of traffic.
  4. It is a distance of about 7 miles.
  5. The timetable says that buses run every 10-13 minutes.
  6. Harrow-On-The-Hill station is next to Harrow Bus station.
  7. Harrow-On-The-Hill connects to the Metropolitan Line and Chiltern
  8. Northwick Park Hospital is on the route.
  9. Sudbury and Harrow Road station connects to Chiltern.
  10. South Harrow station connects to the Piccadilly Line.
  11. Wembley Central station connects to the Bakerloo and Watford DC Lines and National Rail.
  12. Wembley Stadium station connects to Chiltern.
  13. Wembley Park station connects to the Metropolitan and Jubilee Lines.

The journey took about 70 minutes, mainly because of the traffic at the road works.

I have a few thoughts.

The Route Of The Bus 182 Could Be Part Of The Superloop

I feel my journey today, proved that this would be part of a feasible Superloop leg between Harrow and North Finchley bus stations.

A Chiltern Metro

Wikipedia says this about a  proposed metro service between Marylebone and West Ruislip stations.

  • The Metro would have a frequency of four tph.
  • It would call at Wembley Stadium, Sudbury & Harrow Road, Sudbury Hill Harrow, Northolt Park and South Ruislip.
  • The service would require a reversing facility at West Ruislip.
  • There would need to be passing loops at Sudbury Hill Harrow, and  Wembley Stadium.

Given that the Chiltern Metro was first proposed over a decade ago, perhaps the concept could be increased in scope.

  • Housing and other developments along the route may suggest that a station further out like High Wycombe might be a better terminal.
  • ERTMS in-cab digital signalling is likely to be installed at some time, which would decrease headways between trains and allow more services.
  • Electrification is likely in some form before 2040 and this will improve train performance.
  • If Neasden station were to be rebuilt, as a comprehensive transport and residential development, I believe that this Metro service should also call at Neasden, as it would complement the West London Orbital Railway.

I believe that a review of the Chiltern Metro may mean, that an improved version is worth creating.

March 30, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Extending The Elizabeth Line – Connection To Southeastern High Speed One Services

The Two Stratford Stations

In this post, Stratford station is the station handling Greater Anglia and London Overground, Underground and Docklands Light Railway services, with Stratford International station handles High Speed services.

The Elizabeth Line And The Great Western Railway Services

One of the most important stations on the Elizabeth Line is Paddington, where it connects to the London terminus of the Great Western Railway.

I would expect that quite a few passengers going to the West and Wales on the Great Western Railway, will be transported to Paddington by the Elizabeth Line.

The Elizabeth Line And Greater Anglia Services

Another of the important stations on the Elizabeth Line is Liverpool Street, where the station is the London terminus of the Greater Anglia.

I would expect that quite a few passengers going to East Anglia on the Greater Anglia, will be transported to Liverpool Street by the Elizabeth Line.

Southeastern High Speed One Services

Southeastern runs some High Speed services  on High Speed One to provide Kent with an improved service to London.

Current services are

  • London St Pancras International to Ramsgate via Faversham.
  • London St Pancras International to Ramsgate via Dover Priory.
  • London St Pancras International to Margate via Canterbury West.

Note

  1. All trains are one train per hour (tph).
  2. All trains stop at Stratford International and Ebbsfleet International.
  3. All trains are run by 140 mph Class 395 trains.

There has also been talk of running a fourth service to Hastings and Eastbourne via Stratford International, Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International.

St. Pancras Station

All of these trains terminate in three platforms; 11 to 13 at St. Pancras International station.

St. Pancras is not the ideal terminal for the Southeastern High Speed services.

  • St. Pancras is not on the Elizabeth Line.
  • St.Pancras doesn’t have good connections to Heathrow.
  • All connections to the Underground are a long walk.
  • Eurostar services are a longer walk.
  • East Midland services are also a longer route, with stairs and escalators for good measure.

St. Pancras station was designed by a committee, as a museum to Victorian architecture, rather than as a working station.

Ebbsfleet International Station Must Be The Largest Parkway Station In The UK

It holds nearly five thousand cars and it is served by Southeastern High Speed Services.

Thanet Parkway Station Will Open This Year

Thanet Parkway station is under construction.

  • It will have nearly three hundred parking spaces.
  • It will be served by Southeastern High Speed Services.
  • It should open in May 2023.

This station will need a good connection to London.

Could An Interchange Between The Elizabeth Line And Southeastern High Speed Services Be Provided At Stratford?

Such an alternative interchange would be popular with passengers.

  • The Elizabeth Line from Stratford currently serves the West End, the Northern section of the City of London, East London, Liverpool Street, Paddington and the West End directly.
  • The Elizabeth Line from Stratford currently serves Canary Wharf, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Euston, Heathrow, King’s Cross. Reading, St. Pancras and Victoria with a change at Whitechapel.
  • The Central Line, which shares platforms with the Elizabeth Line  serves Bank and the West End directly.
  • The Overground is easily accessed for travel across North London to Richmond.
  • The Jubilee Line is easily accessed for travel to London Bridge, Waterloo and Westminster.

It would be connected to two large parkway stations and lots of parking all over Kent.

I believe that Stratford must be promoted as an alternative terminus for Southeastern High Speed Services.

Today, I walked both ways between two Stratford stations.

These pictures show the route I took between Stratford and Stratford International stations, through the Eastfield Shopping Centre.

Note.

  1. I went through the Shopping Centre.
  2. I passed Marks & Spencer’s large food hall, excellent toilets and a Food Court.
  3. By the Food Court is an exit that leads to an entrance to Stratford International station.
  4. The walk took about 10 minutes.
  5. It was vaguely level.
  6. Lifts by-passed the escalators.
  7. One thing that makes the journey to London easier, is to travel in the Eastern end of the train, as the lifts and escalators at Stratford International station, are at that end.

It does need some better signage, but they were doing a bit of refurbishment, so that may already be underway.

It could be a very high quality interchange and it is already better than St. Pancras.

Coming back I took the longer route outside the Shopping Centre.

Note.

  1. I just turned left out of the entrance, walked along the road and turned right past the bus station.
  2. If the weather had been colder or wetter, I’d have gone back via the Shopping Centre.
  3. The walk took about 12 minutes.

I think normally, I’d go back through the Shopping Centre, as there’s a Marks and Spencer Food Hall on the route and it’s slightly quicker and often warmer.

 

Could Stratford Station Be A London Superhub Station?

When you consider the stations connected to Stratford in London, East Anglia and Kent, it has an excellent collection.

  • Airports – Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Southend and Stansted
  • Cities – Cambridge, Canterbury, Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and Southend-on-Sea
  • London Main and Terminal Stations – Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Clapham Junction, Euston, Farringdon, King’s Cross, London Bridge, Liverpool Street, Marylebone, Moorgate, Paddington, Victoria and Waterloo
  • Major Areas – Canary Wharf, City of London, Hampstead, Olympic Park and West End
  • Ports – Dover, Felixstowe, Folkestone and Harwich

You can even get a train to Slough, with a change at Whitechapel.

I would think it already is a London Superhub Station.

January 30, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Could The Giant Station At Bank, Liverpool Street, Monument And Moorgate Be Considered A Superhub?

In Is The City Of London Moving Towards One Giant Station?, I showed how the four stations were being drawn together and developed as one large station that served the heart of the City of London.

London is also developing other large interchange stations that could claim because of their connectivity could be classed as London superhub stations.

  • Canary Wharf stations, which connect the Elizabeth and Jubilee Lines, and the Docklands Light Railway.
  • Old Oak Common station, which could bring together the Central, Chiltern and Elizabeth Lines, the London Overground and High Speed Two.
  • Stratford station, which connects the Central, Elizabeth and Jubilee Lines, the Docklands Light Railway, the London Overground, High Speed One and the Great Eastern Main Line.
  • Whitechapel station, which connects the Circle, District, Elizabeth and Hammersmith & City Lines, and the London Overground.

But what are the  characteristics of a superhub station?

A Lot Of Lines And Services

Obviously, it must have a lot of lines and services, so perhaps Clapham Junction station is the original superhub station.

All Lines Should Have Step-Free Access

This surely, goes without saying.

There Should Be Lots of Information

If the station is large it needs a lot of information and there’s probably the space to put it.

Helpful Staff

Should we have a fully-staffed kiosk at superhub stations, as there are at some main line stations?

Good Bus Connections

Bus connections at a superhub station must be comprehensive and probably connect to other superhubs.

There Should Be A Selection Of Shops For Travellers

I do my daily food and other shopping, as I travel around London. I’ll often use a station like Paddington with a good selection of shops.

Toilets

There are not enough public toilets in London.

Cash Machines

I know we’re using less cash, but a large station is a secure place to put a cash-machine.

Works Of Art

I also believe that railway stations are a secure place to put some of those large bronze sculptures and other works of art, that are currently locked away in the storerooms of galleries.

January 29, 2023 Posted by | Food, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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