An Alternative Lift At Caledonian Road and Barnsbury Station
I went to look at something this morning, that might have made a post for this blog.
But as it wasn’t worth photographing, I decided to come home and decided to take a train home from Caledonian Road and Barnsbury station.
The station is of a slightly unusual design, which is described in Is Caledonian Road And Barnsbury An Ideal Four-Track Station?.
There is a wide island platform, where the Overground trains call on either side, which is connected to the station exit, by a half-bridge with lifts.
It was an affordable way to make the station accessible for all.
But today the lift on the island platform had failed.
- As I approached the bridge on entering the station, a London Overground station-man was waving at me from the island platform.
- He shouted at me, that the lift on the island platform had failed.
- So I took the working lift and then walked across to the central lift tower, with its failed lift.
- He met me at the top of the stairs and offered to escort me down.
- But I said, that if I could go down the right hand side, with my good arm on the rail, I’d be OK.
- He said that would be fine and he watched me descend, which I did safely.
- Whilst I was there, two mothers with young children in buggies arrived on a train. So after a quick chat, the mothers carried their children up the stairs and he carried the buggies.
London Overground had certainly setup an alternative approach, that should work well until the lift is repaired.
Getting Home From Caledonian Road and Barnsbury Station
The Balls Pond Road of Round The Horne and Beyond Our Ken fame in the 1950s and 1960s, runs between Highbury and Islington and Dalston Junction stations.
- I live about half way between the two stations and as, what would have been my nearest station; Mildmay Park closed in 1934, I have to get a bus from Dalston Junction to get home.
- Today, though, I took a slightly longer route, but one with minimal walking.
- I took a train four stops to Hackney Central station.
- I used the bridge with lifts to cross the tracks at Hackney Central station.
- I exited Hackney Central station through the second exit on Graham Road, that was opened in 2022.
- After crossing Graham Road on a light-controlled crossing, I was able to catch a 38 bus to within a hundred metres of my house.
There would be no case for reopening Mildmay Park station, but as I get older this route is the easiest.
Newsham Station – 30th March 2025
Today, I went to Newcastle and took a ride to the recently-opened ; Newsham station on the Northumberland Line.
Note.
- The road bridge over the railway.
- When complete there will be a lot of parking space.
- The orange bollards in the parking could be electric vehicle chargers, ready to be unveiled.
- The full step-free access over the railway via the lifts is already working.
- British Railways, its predecessors and many other countries would have just put in a level crossing.
- The Completed platform is wide.
- Both platforms already have a shelter.
- There are help points, information displays, facilities for those with limited hearing and readers for smart ticketing on both platforms.
- There is a ticket machine by both lift towers.
- The disabled parking is already marked out.
- The brickwork and other workmanship is top-class.
- There is space behind the platforms for taxis, buses and emergency service vehicles.
- There is enough clearance under the two bridges for overhead electrification.
There is still some finishing off and landscaping to do, but it is a station with everything.
I have some other thoughts.
The High Quality Lifts Are By Stannah
Several of the passengers I saw, were getting on in years.
Does the maker of the well-advertised stair-lifts use station lifts, which are likely to be used by those of reduced mobilility, as a promotional tool?
The Station Will Be One Of The Best Rural Stations In The UK, When It is Complete
I can see other stations on a similar theme being built.
Especially, where a level crossing is to be eliminated.
This Google Map shows the level crossing and former station at Six Mile Bottom, near where I used to live.
Note.
- The Cambridge and Newmarket railway goes across the map.
- Cambridge is to the West and Newmarket is to the East.
- The main Newmarket to London road crosses the railway here in a level crossing.
- Newmarket is to the North and London and the M11 is to the South.
- There used to be a station here and some want it back.
- There have been several incidents on the level crossing and Greater Anglia have had serious damage to more than one train.
A station like Newsham would be ideal here.
I can see Morgan Sindall building a few more on this theme.
Could they licence the design to construction companies all over the world?
I’ve certainly, seen similar layouts in Eastern Poland, where there are lots of level crossing accidents, according to our guide on one trip. But he said Russia is a lot worse for level crossing accidents.
Kentish Town Station – 24th December 2024
Kentish Town station reopened today after the fitting of two new escalators.
It appears that only the two escalators have been replaced and the station has been redecorated.
The Guy With The Hat
Note in the pictures(18-24) going down the escalator, I was following a guy in a checked shirt and a wide-brimmed hat.
When a train was entering the station below he was having difficulty because of the updraft keeping hold of the hat.
Does This Station Need A Lift?
This article on the BBC is entitled Kentish Town Tube Station Reopens After 18 Months.
Nothing is said about why the eighteen months wasn’t used to fit a lift to make the station fully step-free.
There have been two Mayor’s Questions about putting in lifts at Kentish Town station and both answers were similar. This was the first answer.
TfL has carried out a high-level investigation into installing lifts at Kentish Town. It has indicated that the scheme would involve digging new tunnels and installing a new lift shaft in a very constrained worksite adjacent to the main road and busy operational railways. Due to the complexity of this project and therefore high estimated cost, in the region of £40m, Kentish Town is not being considered as part of the £200m five-year programme.
This Google Map shows Kentish Town station.
Note the footbridge over the station leading over the National Rail station to the Underground station marked by the red logo.
In any scheme to make all of Kentish Town station step-free, this bridge would surely be made step-free or replaced by perhaps a tunnel under the railway.
Costs would be very high, even with a very expensive development on top, which was making a contribution.
Unless an architectural genius comes up with a better scheme, I think what has just been installed, will be the best that can be provided.
Camden Council will probably find it better to send disabled taxis.
The Shuttle Lift At Whitechapel Station
Whitechapel station is an unusual station on the London Overground/Underground network, as the two Overground tracks are underneath the two Underground tracks.
But then Marc Brunel and his more famous son; Isambard didn’t realise that their Thames Tunnel would eventually be part of London’s circular Overground railway.
The interchange is further complicated, by the Elizabeth Line being dozens of metres below the Overground, so that is connected to the main station bridge concourse by a giant three-barrel escalator.
A single shuttle lift and a set of stairs connect the bridge concourse to the Northbound Overground platform.
Note.
- The route is well used, as passengers have realised it is the fastest way between the Elizabeth Line and the Northbound London Overground.
- Judging by the number of passengers, who exit from the first car of Northbound Overground trains, this route could be a popular one for passengers from South London, who are continuing their journey on the Elizabeth Line.
- I use the route to come home with shopping, I’ve bought along the Elizabeth Line. I can manage the Lizzie Line escalators with two shopping bags and after rising from the depths at Whitechapel, I can take this lift to the first car of a train for Dalston, where there is a lift to the street and a bus to home.
- The lift has only two stops and one button is used to shuttle it, between the stops.
- The lower lift stop is perhaps ten metres from the first car of Northbound Overground train.
- The upper lift stop is perhaps ten metres from the bridge concourse and twenty from the escalator to the Elizabeth Line.
Strangely, the lift and stairs arrangement is more complicated on the Southbound platform of the Overground.
London’s transport network needs more simple shuttle lifts like this.
Elizabeth Line To Northern Line At Moorgate Station
In Elizabeth Line – Moorgate Station – 27th May 2022, I took the recommended step-free route at Moorgate station between the Northern Line and the new entrance to the station.
It is a rather underwhelming and long route and this was my conclusion.
The rat-up-the-drainpipe route is acceptable to me, but I don’t feel the step-free route via the long tunnel will be acceptable for all those, who need to use it.
It’s just too long to walk for many!
Perhaps the addition of seats for a rest would help.
I wrote about the rat-up-the-drainpipe route to the surface, in Up From The Depths At Moorgate Station and in my view, if you can manage an escalator it is a better route between the Northern and Elizabeth Lines. Once at the surface, there are lifts and stairs to the new entrance, where there are escalators and a lift to the Elizabeth Line.
This morning, I was coming the other way, as I’d just off an Elizabeth Line train from Canary Wharf. These pictures show my route to the Northern Line.
Note.
- The signing at the start of the route, which is shown in the first picture is dreadful.
- I suspect, it leads to some of those in wheel-chairs ending up at the main escalators to Moorgate.
- The main route to the Northern Line includes a double set of stairs, but there is a by-pass lift.
- The connecting tunnel is overly long.
- At the end of the tunnel, there is a choice of a lift or long stairs.
- At least the tunnel is fully air-conditioned.
I took the lift and then used the escalator to the Northern City Line opposite.
Step-Free Access To The Northern City Line
It hasn’t been added.
Conclusion
Routes between the Northern and Elizabeth Lines at Moorgate need to be improved.
Is This One Of The Most Useful Lifts In London?
This lift at King’s Cross station must be one of the most useful lifts in London’s extensive public transport system.
At the top-level it comes out into King’s Cross Square and it is a level walk to the following.
- All the platforms in King’s Cross National Rail station.
- The shops, which include Leon, Marks and Spencer, Waitrose and W H Smith, in King’s Cross National Rail station.
- The taxi rank.
- The Eastbound buses, which line up at their stops along the side of King’s Cross Square.
I was using it yesterday, to get a bus to Boots at the Angel, as I had a prescription to pick up. The 30 or 73 bus is quicker than the Northern Line, as that is a long walk and a road crossing at the Angel.
I’d arrived at King’s Cross on the Circle Line from Paddington and the bottom level of this lift is by the ticket gates under King’s Cross Square, that give access to all lines through King’s Cross Underground station.
There is also a middle level on the lift, that takes you under Euston Road to get a Westbound bus or gives you access to a step-free route to St. Pancras station.
On The Finishing Straight At Moorgate Station?
As I passed through Moorgate station this morning, there were signs that work was coming to an end in the non-Crossrail parts the station.
Note.
- The blue hoardings had been taken away on two staircases.
- The lifts were going up and down.
- I couldn’t be sure, but there did appear to be people going around with lists and clipboards.
These were the first visible signs of work in a current passenger area, since, the new lift was unveiled in March, which I wrote about in The New Lift To The Northern Line At Moorgate Station.
Market Harborough Station – 11th July 2019
Compare these pictures taken today, with those in Market Harborough Station – 10th May 2019.
In the intervening two months, there have been major changes at Market Harborough station.
Two Shorter Curved Platforms Have Been Replaced
The two shorter curved platforms have been replaced by two long straight platforms.
- They can handle the longest trains likely to stop in the station.
- As they are straight, it is likely that there will be a smaller gap to mind, between platform and train.
- The platforms and the tracks have been moved to the West by several metres.
- The platforms are now furnished to a high standard, with shelters and information screens.
The new platforms and tracks are a great improvement for passengers, staff and train operators.
But they also mean.
- Trains that stop at the station, can perform faster stops, as the better train-platform interface speeds passengers entering or leaving the train.
- Passing trains can benefit from a higher speed limit through the station.
This should mean a faster journey time along the Midland Main Line.
The Land Released Will Be Used To Extend The Car Park
Several hundred new car parking spaces will be provided on the Eastern side of the line, in the land released by moving the platforms and tracks.
There Is A Fully Working Step-Free Bridge
The new step-free bridge is now fully working.
- The steps are wide enough for bi-directional traffic.
- There are lifts on both sides.
It is asymmetric, with the steps probably leading in the direction most passengers will be walking to and from.
- On the Eastern London-bound platform, passengers will be walking to and from the car park.
- On the Western Leicester-bound platform, passengers will be walking to and from the main station building with the exit to the town, the ticket office and the cafe.
The bridge will certainly handle commuters to London or Leicester, who drive to the station and have to cross the tracks before or after one journey.
It will also handle commuters, who walk or cycle from the town centre.
This bridge has been placed by someone, who knows what they’re doing!
There Are A Pair Of Crossovers To The North Of the Station
I don’t know whether these are new, but they certainly will give operational advantages, if for instance, a train should fail in Market Harbprough station.
As it is likely, that the Midland Main Line will be electrified as far North as Market Harborough station, could they be used for other purposes?
125 mph electric services could be run between London and Market Harborough.
- The two crossovers would easy turnback of the trains or the building of a stabling siding, North of the station.
- Trains would probably take under an hour.
- They could stop at intermediate stations like Luton Airport Parkway Luton, Bedford and Wellingborough.
- Market Harborough station has a lot of parking.
- It could be a second electric service into St. Pancras.
It could be a useful complimentary service or an alternative one whilst planned major regeneration work is ongoing at Leicester station.
Market Harborough Station Has A Bigger Capacity
Consider.
- The longer platforms will allow longer trains with more seats to call at the station.
- The shorter dwell times at the station of stopping trains will allow more trains to stop in the station every hour.
- The step-free bridge is additional capacity for crossing the tracks.
- There will be a massive increase in car parking.
It looks to me that the station has been upgraded to fulfil a need for more trains.
These figures show the population and passenger numbers at stations around Market Harborough.
- Corby – 70,800 – 300,000 – 4.24
- Kettering – 56,200 – 1,070,000 – 19
- Market Harborough – 22,900 – 900,000 – 39.3
- Wellingborough -49,100 – 1,015,000 – 20.7
The last figure was obtained by dividing the number of journeys by the population.
Does Market Harborough’s high figure mean that there is a high demand for travellers living around Market Hsrborough and the large amount of extra car parking will be well-used.
Note.
- I travelled to Market Harborough with a lady and her two young children, who wee actually going to Leicester and were being picked up by family at the earlier station due to all the traffic problems around Leicester station.
- There used to be four stations between Market Harborough and Leicester, but all closed in 1968.
- There used to be two stations between Market Harborough and Kettering, but all closed in the 1960s.
- Market Harborough is well-connected by roads.
So is Market Harborough station used by locals as a Leicester South station?
As an aside, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a new parkway station developed in conjunction with a large housing development, built between Kettering and Leicester, at some point in the future..
Future Electrification
There is a section entitle Electrification in the Wikipedia entry for the Midland Main Line.
This is the last paragraph.
On 26 February 2019 Andrew Jones, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, announced that electrification would be extended northwards from Kettering to Market Harborough, enabling the connection of the railway to a new power supply point at Braybrooke.
I will assume that this means, that electric trains will be able to run to Market Harborough station.
As I said earlier, there are a pair of crossovers to the North of the station, which could be useful for turning trains or giving easy access to a couple of stabling sidings.
Hopefully, electrifying the station will not be difficult, as it has only recently been built and foundations for the electrification gantries have either been built or surveyed thoroughly.
Battery Trains Through Market Harborough Station
One thing that won’t be needed at Market Harborough station is a charging station for battery-electric trains, as this will be handled by the electrification.
Bi-mode and battery-electric trains would either raise or lower the pantograph at speed or at a stop in the station.
The operation of a battery-electric train going North could be interesting.
If it wasn’t scheduled to stop in the station, the train would go through Market Harborough station, with maximum charge in the onboard storage, after being charged by the overhead electrification, on the way up from London. The train would also run through the station, at the highest possible speed, as allowed by the track, so that the train had the highest possible kinetic energy.
Electrification to Market Harborough will act like a catapult to send trains North at their maximum kinetic energy and they could probably glide all the way to Leicester station using little of their energy stored in the onboard battery.
The electrification would probably go a short way North of Market Harborough station, so that sropping trains could be accelerated to full speed using the electrification.
There Is Still Work To Be Done
Work to be done appears to include.
- Refurbishing the original subway to give access between the London-bound platform and the station building.
- Finishing the shelters and other platform furnishings.
- Landscape the car-park and create ramped access to the London-bound platform.
A notice said the subway would reopen in December 2019.
Conclusion
Market Harborough now has a much higher capacity modern station.
Brentwood Station – 2nd July 2019
I took these pictures of Brentwood station today.
For comparison, this second set of pictures were taken in October 2014 and I posted them in Before Crossrail – Brentwood Station.
Note the excellent toilets.
There is still work to do to finish the station.
The biggest problem appears to be squeezing the lifts into the structure.
There is this article on Essex Live, which is entitled Brentwood Station Lift Fiasco Is Penalising Buggy-Users And Disable People.
This is said in the article.
Network Rail has previously said that the decision to not install a lift on platform four was “not taken lightly.”
But, the discovery of power cables and a disused culvert underneath where the lift shaft would go led to Network Rail’s conclusion that a lift could not be installed there.
I’m afraid that station modifications are liberally sprinkled with stories like this.
St Michaels Station To Go Step-Free
This document on the Government web site is entitled Access for All: 73 Stations Set To Benefit From Additional Funding.
St. Michaels station is on the list.
These pictures show the current station.
St Michaels station, like Hunts Cross station, has rather unusual long shallow angle ramps, with steps.
This 3D Google Map shows the station.
Note.
- It is a well-appointed and well-maintained station with a Ticket Office, a toilet and cycle storage and hire.
- Car parking is very limited.
- But the station is designed for pedestrians, cyclists and visitors
- The station has a rather chequered history, being closed in 1972, only to be reopened six years later.
- I think the design of the ramps is a good example of independent Liverpudlian thinking, which often ignores conventional practice.
The ramps were built for International Garden Festival in 1984, the site of which is shown on this second Google Map.
St. Michaels station is in the top-right corner of the map.
The International Garden Festival site has since been updated and 1300 new houses are being built on the site.
Adding step-free access to the station, will surely be a big asset to the area.
Preparation For Class 777 Trains
Note that St. Michaels station has been updated to allow step-free access between the new Class 777 trains and platform.
According to a fellow traveller, it had been done at night with little inconvenience to passengers.
Installing The Lifts
I would suspect, that the two new lifts could be installed in the space currently occupied by the two disused stairways.
Conclusion
This is the type of station that needs step-free access.
- It will make nearby developments more desireable.
- It will facilitate walking with children and for those in wheelchairs.
- It will increase traffic at the station.
I would also suspect the lifts can be added without too much disruption to the travelling public.
I also think there a lesson in the chequered history of St. Michaels station.
Next time a station or even a whole line has to be closed, make sure that it can be reopened, if necessary in the future. To many useful stations like Horden and Maiden Lane have been reduced to rubble. The former is being rebuilt and many believe the latter is needed.
The Anonymous Widower 