They’re Filling The Big Hole At Kings Cross
I took these pictures from South Eastern’s platform 13 at St. Pancras of the new Kings Cross development. The last time, I looked at it, it was just a big hole.
Judging by the developer’s web site, it will be some place.
Sensible Station Opening Hours
I saw this notice at Kings Cross station yesterday.
Sensible Station Opening Hours
Copenhagen please note!
Completing Kings Cross
I took these pictures this morning, as they were completing Kings Cross station.
The new Great Northern Hotel looks particularly impressive.
Lost In Kings Cross Station
The new Kings Cross station may look very good, but the Underground station seems to have been designed as an incomprehensible labyrinth.
Tonight, I got on a Victoria line train at Oxford Circus and needed to change to the Northern line at Kings cross for the Angel. Unfortunately, I tiook the wrong exit from the platform and ended up walking a lot longer than I should down pedestrian tunnels and up and down stairs.
But I eventually made it and got a 38 bus at the Angel to bring me home.
I’ll be glad, when Crossrail is finished, so that I can get home a lot easier.
Do We Need Big Arrows In Underground Stations?
Last night, as I was coming back from Burnley, I deliberately got to the front of the train and walked straight out through the gates at Kings Cross station. You can see how the square is coming together and soon, you’ll walk straight out and to either the buses or the Underground entrance on Euston Road.
There is a passageway, through the site and I used it to get to the Underground,down the steps and escalator to the Northern line platform for the Angel.
one of the peculiarities of the London Underground, is that unlike many metros in the world, trains don’t necessarily arrive on the platform in the same direction. For example Southbound trains on the Northern line at the Angel, arrive from left to right, whereas those on the Victoria line at Highbury and Islington station, arrive from right to left. I think the Victoria line is the most inconsistent, with Northbound trains at Highbury and Islington station, arriving from left to right.
At Kings Cross yesterday, I wanted to make sure I was in the rear section of the train, as this would mean I didn’t have to walk a long way back down the platform. I walk pretty straight these days, but I do think it is safer to get off the platform as quickly as possible.
There is no indication at Kings Cross to say from which direction the trains will arrive and i think it would be a good idea, if this was indicated on the platforms. Perhaps a big arrow above the adverts or a little sign saying from which direction the trains arrive.
It would have two effects.
Like with me yesterday, you’d probably be more likely to get in the right carriage for your home station.
But also because it would forewarn passengers of the direction of trains, it might be just that bit safer, and we got a few less accidents on the platforms.
Note that Transport for London already announce on the Victoria line, which side the doors open at each station to help passengers, so it wouldn’t be that radical.
Kings Cross Square
This must be a classic design for a barrier to keep people out of a building site.
Kings Cross Square
Kings Cross Square is going to be a welcome addition to London’s streets.
An Unusual Place To Play your Drums
This guy was entertaining everybody at Kings Cross station.
An Unusual Place To Play your Drums
You can’t question his ambition. He wasn’t too bad either!
A Chocolate Brownie At Pattiserie Valerie
Patisserie Valerie was one of C’s favourite places for coffee, although she didn’t usually have one of their cakes.
A couple of weeks ago, I had a cup of tea in their cafe at Kings Cross station with a friend.
Pattiserie Valerie At Kings Cross Station
As it is in a generous-sized china cup and I was in the station again getting tickets for a trip tomorrow, I decided to have another tea today. On asked if I’d like anything else, I said that I was gluten-free and that I didn’t think they had anything, But I was wrong, as the picture shows.
A Chocolate Brownie At Pattiserie Valerie
Although it was plastic wrapped, it was one of the best brownies I’ve ever tasted. Plastic wrapping is acceptable to preserve gluten-free status, when the cake is of this level of quality.
The large cup of tea and the brownie was reasonably priced at £4.60.
Kings Cross station and its neighbour St. Pancras are getting to be very far removed from the tired memories of British Rail’s curled sandwiches and dreadful coffee of the past.
i know it is the policy of Network Rail to take this good food route and they are to be congratulated on their approach.
The Latest Proposal For Crossrail 2
Crossrail 2 has been around since the early days of the twentieth century, but it is only now that Crossrail is well underway, that a serious proposal for a north-east to south-west cross London railway has been brought forward. It’s here on the BBC.
Crossrail 2 will be a lot easier than Crossrail.
When we were planning North Sea Oil platforms in the 1970s, every few years the cranes, barges and drills would be a lot bigger. So for a start, the tunnelling machines available to Crossrail 2, will be an order of magnitude bigger than those for Crossrail. I suspect if you look at the map for Crossrail 2, the two machines will start at Hackney and come out at Wimbledon or vice-versa, as there is no major junction in the middle like Farringdon, where the machines will have to be extracted or turned.
The project engineers for Crossrail 2, will probably take advantage of all the tricks they have learned on the previous project.
But if they follow the design published yesterday, there is tremendous simplification in the design, with much simpler-to-build stations in Central London. One is the very large double-ended station at Euston-Kings Cross. Why we don’t have more of these, I do not know!
I think, an early start is needed.
The New Kings Cross Piazza Is Emerging
This picture shows what the area in front of Kings Cross station will look like.
Most of the demolition appears to have been completely, as this picture from today shows.
Note the short fat tower to the left of the centre of the picture. This must be the top of some sort of shaft and if you look it is also in the design of the new piazza. I bet the architects are cursing it, very loudly!
The Anonymous Widower 