The Anonymous Widower

‘Packed Trains And Delays On The New Misery Line’

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

These four paragraphs introduce the article.

It is another weekday and thousands of people are using the London Underground’s Central line to get to work.

The problem is there aren’t many trains and the boards show a gap of 17 minutes between each one.

When the trains arrive, they are packed and many passengers cannot get on; there has been disruption nearly every day since Christmas on the Central line.

Welcome to the new misery line.

These four paragraphs outline the problems.

It needs 77 trains to operate a full service with a train every couple of minutes. Unfortunately, at the moment it is operating using 50 or so.

The problem is an unpredicted spate of faulty DC motors. These motors are obsolete and no longer made, and so have to be repaired and that takes time.

The trains are from the 1990s and transport bosses say they are not particularly reliable. The older trains on the Bakerloo line have a better performance; the Central line trains are the workhorses of the capital and they have been hammered.

They are heavily used in different environments and that adds to the wear and tear.

This is so unlike London Underground.

According to the Wikipedia entry for the 1992 Stock trains, the trains entered service in 1993 and had their first refurbishment in 2012. Wikipedia says this about the 2012 refurbishment.

From 2011 to 2012, the Central line 1992 Stock units underwent a refresh of both the interior and exterior. Some of the noticeable changes included the addition of the new “Barman” seat moquette, new brighter interior lighting and the installation of new window frames. The front of the driving cabs were also refreshed. This included repairing water ingress and replacing a large number of parts with a much simpler design, saving costs on future work and cleaning up the appearance of the front end. The new-style front end can be easily identified by the new red panelling installed on most units instead of the original grey. The refresh came after nearly twenty years of continuous service on the Central line.

Note.

  1. This looks like a fairly typical refurbishment.
  2. Boris Johnson was mayor, but it was probably more important that Peter Hendy was the London Transport Commissioner.

I don’t remember any problems being reported in the press, railway media or on BBC London.

These two paragraphs from the Wikipedia entry describe the current refurbishment.

Since 2019, TfL is doing a major refurbishment on the Central line units as part of the Central Line Improvement Programme (CLIP). This includes a complete overhaul of the interior and adding new features such as new wheelchair spaces, PIS (Passenger Information Screens), and CCTV installed throughout the train. The London Underground corporate livery will also be repainted on these units as well as the replacement of the original DC motors with new AC motors. It takes approximately 10 weeks to refurbish a train. Refurbishment is planned to be completed in 2029. Work started in 2019 and has been heavily delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and financial reasons.

The first upgraded train was previewed in passenger service on 24 November 2023.

Note.

  1. In total there are ninety trains to refurbish; which includes 85 for the Central Line and five for the Waterloo & City Line.
  2. Ninety trains is 900 weeks of work or seventeen years if trains are refurbished one at a time.

In the November 2017 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article which is entitled Central Line Improvement programme.

These two paragraphs outline the programme.

In summer this year it was confirmed Bombardier had been awarded a £112.1 million contract to supply new traction motors and traction control equipment for the 1992 stock trains operating on the Central Line. But this is just one part of a £314 million programme to improve the 85-strong fleet.

The 1992 stock trains are one of the least reliable fleets on the London Underground network, and LU says almost £8 million per year is spent repairing and overhauling the trains’ motors and containing the frequency of motor damage to below 200 per year. With replacement under the Deep Tube Upgrade Programme (DTUP) not planned until the early 2030s, LU has therefore initiated the Central Line Improvement Programme (CLIP) to improve the fleet’s overall reliability and provide an improved passenger experience, as well as to meet current accessibility requirements.

Note.

  1. It was known that the motors were a problem, when the contract was awarded in 2017.
  2. A cost of £8 million was also put to keeping the motors going.

The two paragraphs explain the need for AC traction.

The 1992 stock fleet was the last procured by LU to use direct current (DC) motors and the first to use electronic rather than electro-mechanical control systems. The aim of the upgrade is to reduce customer-affecting failures attributed to the Central Line fleet by 14% and to eliminate a quarter of cancellations due to trains being unavailable.

Other benefits include lower fleet maintenance costs, reduced energy consumption, which should in turn reduce peak tunnel temperatures, and improved acceleration of heavily-loaded trains.

Bombardier seem to have come up with a sensible solution.

  • Use a solution based on the AC traction systems of the Bombardier-built trains for the Victoria and sub-surface lines.
  • The traction systems will be manufactured in Sweden.

The article also states that the trains’ data transmission system is a very unreliable component.

In the last three decades of the last century, Artemis planned similar upgrades for companies like BAe Systems, Hunting Engineering, Lockheed-Martin, McDonnell-Douglas, except that they were upgrading aircraft in the main.

I do wonder, if this upgrade is going to take such a long time, that their project management is not top-notch.

Conclusion

It looks to me, that the Central Line Improvement programme might still be underway, when Siemens are ready to start building new Central Line trains after completing the orders for the Piccadilly and Bakerloo Lines.

My project management knowledge says, that a really good project manager could improve the future for customers of the Misery Line.

February 14, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Safety On The London Underground

This post has been inspired by this article on The Times, which is entitled Woman Who Lost Limbs In Tube Accident Seeks Sadiq Khan Meeting.

This is the sub-heading.

Sarah de Lagarde has launched legal action against Transport for London, which she says has not accepted responsibility and needs a comprehensive safety review.

These two paragraphs add a few details to the story.

A public relations executive who lost her right arm and leg after being hit by two Tube trains has called on Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, to meet her to discuss Transport for London’s “outdated” attitude to safety.

Sarah de Lagarde, 46, slipped on a wet and uneven platform at High Barnet station in north London in September 2022 and fell down the gap between the train and the platform. No one heard her cries for help after she broke her nose and two teeth in the fall. After being hit by two trains she was rushed to hospital, where her limbs were amputated.

These are my thoughts.

The Brave Paramedic

My late wife was a family barrister and one of her clients had been one of the brave specially-trained paramedics, who go under London Underground trains to rescue those who’ve tried to commit suicide or have just fallen, as this lady had.

He said that many don’t succeed in committing suicide, but lose a number of limbs and/or end up in a wheelchair for the rest of their lives. So professionally, he told my wife, he would never recommend it as a method to commit suicide.

Suicide Pits

It should also be noted, that large numbers of Underground stations have suicide pits, where if you fall you may avoid injury or survive. Wikipedia says that a pit halves the number of deaths.

These galleries show the lines at various platforms on the Northern Line.

Angel – Southbound

These pictures show the Southbound track at Angel station.

It should be noted that Angel station does not have platform edge doors.

The suicide pit was installed or rebuilt, when the station was rebuilt in 1992.

Bank – Northbound

These pictures show the Northbound track at Bank station.

It should be noted that Bank station does not have platform edge doors.

The track was rebuilt in the last three years.

Bank -Southbound

These pictures show the Northbound track at Bank station.

It should be noted that Bank station does not have platform edge doors.

The track was built in the last three years.

High Barnet

These pictures show the tracks at High Barnet station.

It should be noted that High Barnet station does not have suicide pits or platform edge doors.

Woodside Park

These pictures show the tracks at Woodside Park station.

It should be noted that Woodside Park station does not have suicide pits or platform edge doors.

These are a few final thoughts.

I don’t like being on the platform, when a train goes past or comes in. Would platforms be safer, if there were shelters or recesses, where passengers could stand back and hold on away from the platform edge?

As an instrument engineer, I wouldn’t be surprised that a specialist camera system couldn’t be developed that could detect bodies on the track.

I have a feeling that some judges might say that London Underground were not doing enough to stop injuries to those falling onto the tracks.

February 8, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Improvements To Oakwood Station

This post on IanVisits is entitled Enfield Council Outlines Possible Rail Station Upgrades.

By reading Enfield Council documents, Ian has found possible station improvements that might happen.

Ian says this about  Oakwood station.

Building around 50 homes on the station car park should contribute to street improvements around the station.

This Google Map shows the station and its two car parks.

Note.

  1. The Piccadilly Line runs North-West-South-East diagonally across the map.
  2. Cockfosters station is to the North-West.
  3. Southgate station is to the South-East.
  4. Oakwood station is in the middle of the map and marked by a London Underground roundel.
  5. The car park to be developed is to the North-East of the station.

I took these pictures.

Note.

  1. The car-park was full.
  2. The station is step-free.
  3. Barnard Cook was there, when I lived in Oakwood in the early 1960s.

I can’t see any problems building a few houses on the car-park, but what will happen to the cars?

To me though Oakwood station is defined by this post; The Place Where The Bottom Fell Out Of A Drawer.

February 2, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | Leave a comment

British Land Unveils Plans To Transform London’s Euston Tower Into A Life Sciences And Innovation Hub

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from British Land.

The Wikipedia entry for the Euston Tower gives this paragraph of history.

The site was developed by Joe Levy who bought properties along the north side of Euston Road to enable him to build a complex of two tower blocks with office shops and apartments. The building, which was designed by Sidney Kaye Eric Firmin & Partners in the International style and built by George Wimpey, was completed in 1970. It is 36-storeys and 124 metres (407 ft) high. Early tenants included Inmarsat and Capital Radio.

When you get to over fifty years old, various parts of your body get tired and I suspect it is the same with buildings.

These are the two bullet points of the press release.

  • Euston Tower represents a major retrofit and redevelopment opportunity at the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter
  • Proposals aim to transform the building into a world-class net zero home for world-leading life science and innovation occupiers

These two paragraphs then add a bit more vision.

Leading property company British Land has unveiled plans to redevelop Euston Tower through an innovative combination of retention, re-use and an ultra-low carbon new structure. The plans would transform the building into a pioneering, modern, net zero workspace for cutting-edge businesses of all sizes, including new world-class, lab-enabled spaces at the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter.

Currently under discussion with Camden Council and other local stakeholders, the vision for Euston Tower will lead the way in low carbon retrofit and construction techniques, using inclusive design which creates high quality workspaces and continues to support the local community and economy. The current proposals will bring forward lab-enabled spaces for start-up and scale-up innovation businesses, as well as spaces for the local community to support education and training opportunities.

These are points from the press release.

  1. Leading the design are award-winning Danish architecture practice 3XN.
  2. They are supported by London-based architecture and landscape studio DSDHA who re-designed much of Broadgate’s public realm, including Exchange Square.
  3. In line with British Land’s longstanding commitment to net zero development, the design’s sustainability strategy is based on retaining, re-using and re-cycling existing material, specifying low carbon and recycled materials where new is required and only using certified carbon offsets as an action of last resort.
  4. This multi-layered approach to net zero development aims to create a blueprint for the sustainable redevelopment of challenging, inflexible old buildings that can be used in the future.

British Land has owned and operated Regent’s Place for nearly 40 years, which means they must have a lot of knowledge about how best to develop the building and its surroundings.

They certainly seem to be applying a modern net-zero approach to a building that was iconic and modern in the 1970s.

This afternoon I walked down the Euston Road between Euston and Great Portland Street stations and took these pictures.

Note.

  1. Euston Station is a shadow of its former self.
  2. Euston Tower is the boxy tower on the North side of Euston Road.
  3. University College London Hospital (UCLH) is the tower on the South side of Euston Road.
  4. I believe the glass-fronted building opposite the hospital and Euston Tower contains a lot of BT infrastructure.

I have some thoughts.

Traffic Along The Euston Road

I took the pictures around 1400 in a Friday and they show how busy the Euston Road is most of the time.

According to the Wikipedia entry for the Euston Road, there was a plan to remove the underpass.

In the early-21st century, the Greater London Authority commissioned a plan to improve the road from the architectural firm, Terry Farrell and Partners. The original study proposed removing the underpass (which was subsequently cancelled) and providing a pedestrian crossing and removing the gyratory system connecting the Tottenham Court Road and Gower Street. The scheme was approved by the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone as “the start of changing the Marylebone to Euston road from a highway into a series of linked public spaces.” The pedestrian crossing opened in March 2010. Livingstone’s successor, Boris Johnson, favours keeping the Euston Road underpass and declared it to be a good place to test his nerves when cycling around London.

Nothing is said about, where the traffic would have gone, if the underpass had been closed.

I walked along the South side of the Euston Road past the hospital and the air couldn’t be considered clean. As I write this, this website rates it Hazardous.

If we ignore the pollution for pedestrians and cyclists, is it really a road, that is fit for the purpose of moving traffic between King’s Cross and Baker Street, and vice-versa? I don’t think so!

The UK Needs More Lab Space

Cambridge innovators and developers were always saying they needed more lab space.

I also suspect, they are moaning in Oxford too!

So building high-quality space in London could reduce the pressure.

In Canary Wharf Boosts Its Science Ambitions, I talked about the ambitions of Canary Wharf to be a life sciences hub.

The Euston Tower Is Well-Connected

Consider.

  • The Euston Tower is within walking distance of Euston, King’s Cross and St. Pancras stations, with all their long distance connections.
  • The Euston Tower is within walking distance of Euston Square, Great Portland Street, King’s Cross St. Pancras and Warren Square stations, with all their Underground connections.
  • There are buses everywhere.

But that’s not to say, that these links cannot be improved.

Euston High Speed Two Station Could Be Euston Tower’s Sister?

This Google Map shows the location of Euston Town and the proposed Euston High Speed Two station.

Note.

  1. Euston Tower is marked by a red arrow in the South-West corner of the map.
  2. The existing Euston station is in the North-East corner of the map.
  3. The High Speed Two station will be built along the Western side of the existing station.

With good landscaping, an excellent walking route, and perhaps a people mover Euston Tower could have superb connections to the rest of the UK.

Cycling And Walking Could Be A Possibility!

This Google Map shows the wider area around Euston Tower.

Note.

  1. Euston Tower is marked by the red arrow towards the bottom of the map.
  2. To its West lies the cycling- and walking-friendly spaces of Regents Park and Primrose Hill.

In the 1970s, I regularly walked or cycled across the park from where we lived near Primrose Hill to a client in Great Portland Street.

I also suspect other cycling and walking routes could be developed to Euston Tower from Euston, King’s Cross, St. Pancras and other stations.

Crossrail 2

Crossrail 2 would certainly help travelling to the Euston Tower, by linking Euston, King’s Cross and St.Pancras to North-East and South-West suburbs of London, with trains at frequencies of up to 30 thirty trains per hour (tph) in the central tunnel.

But.

  • The new line will cost at least £31.2 billion. Who can afford it?
  • The Elizabeth Line took sixteen years from approval to full opening.
  • Crossrail 2 would still be a walk from Euston Tower.

So Crossrail 2 is unlikely to be any help to the redevelopment of Euston Tower.

Improving The Sub-Surface Lines

The Euston Tower is close to two stations on the sub-surface lines; Euston Square and Great Portland Street.

Services through these stations are currently as follows.

  • Circle Line – 6 tph – In both directions all day.
  • Hammersmith & City Line – 6 tph – In both directions all day.
  • Aldgate and Amersham- 2 tph – In both directions all day.
  • Aldgate and Chesham – 2 tph – In both directions all day.
  • Aldgate and Uxbridge – 6 tph Peak – 8 tph – Off-Peak
  • Aldgate and Watford – 4 tph – Peak

Note.

  1. In the Peak there are 26 tph through Great Portland Street and Euston Square stations.
  2. In the Off Peak there are 24 tph through Great Portland Street and Euston Square stations.
  3. In this article on Modern Railways,it is said that after digital signalling is installed on the sub-surface lines, the capacity on the lines, will be 32 tph in the Peak and 27 tph in the Off-Peak.

These figures give a 33 % capacity increase in the Peak and a 28 % increase in the Off Peak.

Both Great Portland Street and Euston Square stations are cramped and not fully step-free stations and could struggle with a 28 % and upwards increase in passenger numbers.

In The New Step-Free Entrance At Euston Square Station, I detailed TfL’s plans to put a new full step-free entrance South of Euston Road at Euston Square station.

This would not directly help travellers going between Euston Tower and Euston station, but hopefully, it would help to make Euston station less crowded and more passenger-friendly.

It would certainly ease walking between University College and the hospital, and the station.

This map from cartometro shows the Underground lines at Great Portland Street station.

Note.

  1. The yellow and mauve tracks are the sub-surface lines.
  2. The black tracks are the Northern Line.
  3. The blue tracks are the Victoria Line.

This Google Map shows the Euston Tower, Great Portland Street and Warren Street stations.

Note.

  1. The Euston Tower is indicated by a red arrow in the top-right corner of the map.
  2. Great Portland Street station is in the bottom-left corner of the map.
  3. Warren Street station is at the left of the map.

I wonder if the platforms were to be extended Eastwards at Great Portland Street station, that a new entrance to the station could be created perhaps fifty metres from Euston Tower.

I am convinced that the extra passenger traffic created by the life sciences and innovation hub can be handled by an augmented transport infrastructure, which would rely mainly on planned improvements to the sub-surface lines, which are approaching their final stages.

Conclusion

Converting Euston Tower into a life sciences and innovation hub is a plan that I believe can work well!

I would recommend the following improvements to public transport.

  • The planned extra step-free entrance to Euston Square station on Gordon Street is constructed.
  • An  extra fully step-free entrance is built at the Eastern ends of the platforms at Great Portland Street station, which would be about halfway between Euston Tower and the station.

As improvements to the signalling of the sub-surface lines will deliver an upwards of 27 % capacity on the sub-surface lines, the life sciences and innovation hub might as well take advantage.

 

December 1, 2023 Posted by | News, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Chalfont & Latimer Station – 26th August 2023

This Google Map shows Chalfont & Latimer station.

Note.

  1. There are two through platforms, which are electrified with the London Underground four-rail system.
  2. There is also a West-facing bay platform, which is electrified the same way.
  3. The bay platform used to host a shuttle to Chesham station.

These pictures show the station.

Note.

  1. Both through platforms are electrified.
  2. The bay platform could be operational, although the rails seem a bit rusty.
  3. The old K8 phone box, which I mentioned in London Underground: Platform Phone Boxes Given Listed Status.
  4. The quality fittings in the station.

Chesham services cross over to the Chesham branch to the West of the station.

August 26, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , | Leave a comment

Chesham Station – 26th August 2023

This Google Map shows Chesham station.

Note.

  1. The station only has one platform.
  2. An eight-car train is in the platform.
  3. There used to be a four-car bay platform, to the West of the island platform.

The Chesham branch is only single track.

These pictures show the station.

The station is a Grade II Listed Building.

August 26, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , | Leave a comment

Ruislip Station – 16th July 2023

In TfL Announces The Next Tube Stations To Be Prioritised For Step-Free Access To Meet The Mayor’s Bold Accessibility Targets, it stated that Ruislip station will be made step-free.

So I went to have a look and took these pictures.

Note.

  1. The station is used by Piccadilly and Metropolitan Line trains, which are different sizes.
  2. There appears to be a well-preserved signal-box at the Eastern end of the station.
  3. The Eastbound platform has step-free access from the street.
  4. Crossing the tracks is by a Victorian steel footbridge.
  5. The station is Grade II Listed.
  6. The listing includes the the signal box and the footbridge.

This 3D Google Map shows the station.

Note.

  1. The footbridge in the South-West corner of the map.
  2. There is not much space to put a second bridge across the tracks.
  3. It might be possible to build a step-free footbridge with lifts by the road bridge.

If English Heritage and the Heritage Taliban dig in their heels, this could be a difficult station to make step-free.

But the London Underground has several bridges of this type, so perhaps this one is being scheduled early to test the reaction.

This second Google Map shows the road bridge and the Western ends of the platforms to an enlarged scale.

This picture shows the station side of the road bridge.

There could be space to put a steel bridge with two lifts by the road bridge.

Coupled with a comprehensive restoration of the current footbridge and a repainting of the road bridge, this could satisfy all parties.

 

 

July 16, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , | Leave a comment

Kentish Town Station – 30th April 2023

This article on the BBC is entitled Kentish Town Tube Station Set To Close For Year.

This is the sub-heading.

Kentish Town Tube station is set to close for up to a year while its 26-year-old escalators are replaced.

Other works will also be performed during the closure.

  • The ticket office will be removed.
  • The ticket barriers will be realigned.
  • New paintworks, flooring, wall tiling, and new signage will also be fitted.

These pictures show the current state of Kentish Town station.

Note.

  1. The Victorian frontage of the station could do with a refurbishment.
  2. The platforms need to be restored to be the same standard as the clock.
  3. The escalators don’t look as bad as the article says, but new ones will give them forty years.
  4. Information around the gate-line for both the Underground and Thameslink, is not to the standards this passenger expects.
  5. The stairs connecting the London Underground station to the Thameslink bridge could be improved.
  6. The Thameslink information is good.
  7. The bridge needs lifts.

There is even a side-gate to access the Thameslink platforms, if the main entrance is closed.

Are More Trains Needed?

For a Sunday morning, both stations were surprisingly busy.

But there were only two Thameslink trains per hour (tph) between Luton and Rainham.

On all days except Sunday, the four tph Sutton Loop Line is usually running, but on Sunday it appears it’s only the Luton and Rainham service.

I suspect the Sunday service will be boosted for the duration of the closure.

Could The Side Gate Be Used Permanently?

The side-gate to the Thameslink platforms will have to be used during the station closure.

But could some arrangement be designed, so that it could be used all of the time?

Conclusion

With an unlimited budget, there’s a lot that could be done at this station.

 

April 30, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , | Leave a comment

Could High Speed Two Have An Underground Station In London?

The Achievement Of The Bank Station Upgrade

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the lines through Bank and Monument stations.

Note.

  1. All the pink lines are the lines of the London Underground.
  2. The line running alongside London Bridge is the Northern Line, which is deep under the Thames.
  3. The mauve lines are those with the slightly higher voltage of the UK National Rail network going into Cannon Street station.

In part of the Bank Station Upgrade, a new Southbound tunnel for the Northern Line was dug, so that the Northern Line platforms at Bank station could be farther apart.

This visualisation shows the station.

The project was an amazing demonstration of what is possible to be achieved in underground construction.

  • There is a moving walkway to move passengers between the Central and Northern Lines.
  • There are escalators and lifts everywhere.

It was also dug out from London’s helpful soils under scores of important buildings, many of which are listed.

These pictures give a flavour of the underground section of the completed upgrade.

These pictures show the buildings on top of the complex.

Note.

  1. There is no building of any great height above the station complex.
  2. There are a lot of quality buildings.
  3. During all the work underground, I didn’t see any reports of any problems with the buildings on top.
  4. In How Many Entrances And Exits Does A Station Need?, I counted that the complex now has twenty entries.

It is probably a project that could be repeated elsewhere.

Camden Town, Holborn and Bond Street/Oxford Circus are probably suitable cases for treatment.

Weston Williamson’s Plan For Manchester Piccadilly Station

In The Rival Plans For Piccadilly Station, That Architects Say Will ‘Save Millions’, I wrote about Weston Williamson’s plan for Manchester Piccadilly station.

This was their visualisation.

Note.

  1. In the visualisation, you are observing the station from the East.
  2. The existing railway lines into Piccadilly station are shown in red.
  3. Stockport and Manchester Airport are to the left, which is to the South.
  4. Note the dreaded Castlefield Corridor in red going off into the distance to Oxford Road and Deansgate stations.
  5. The new high speed lines are shown in blue.
  6. To the left they go to Manchester Airport and then on to London, Birmingham and the South, Warrington and Liverpool and Wigan, Preston, Blackpool, Barrow-in-Furness, the North and Scotland.
  7. To the right, they go to Huddersfield, Bradford, Leeds, Hull and the North East, and Sheffield, Doncaster and the East.
  8. Between it looks like  a low-level High Speed station with at least four tracks and six platforms.
  9. The Manchester Metrolink is shown in yellow.

The potential for over-site development is immense. If the Station Square Tower was residential, the penthouses would be some of the most desirable places to live in the North.

Londoners Are The Tunnel Kings

Bring On The Robots

Could High Speed Two Have An Underground Station In London?

Look at this map from OpenRailwayMap.

Note.

  1. Euston station is in the North-West corner of the map.
  2. St. Pancras and King’s Cross stations can just be seen at the top of the map.
  3. All lines shown in red have 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
  4. All lines shown in pink are the London Overground.
  5. The double track electrified railway meandering across the map from West to East is the Elizabeth Line.
  6. The pink line going down the middle of the map is the Piccadilly Line.
  7. The pink line going down the left of the map is the Charing Cross branch of the Northern Line.

There is a large square area to the South of Euston that doesn’t have any railways crossing it.

It is shown in this map from OpenRailwayMap.

Note.

  1. As before, red lines have 25 KVAC overhead electrification and pink lines are the Underground.
  2. The Western boundary of the area is the Charing Cross branch of the Northern Line, which runs between Euston in the North and Tottenham Court Road in the South.
  3. The Eastern boundary of the area is the Piccadilly Line, which runs between King’s Cross in the North and Holborn in the South.
  4. The Northern boundary of the area is the sub-surface Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines, which runs between Warren Street in the West and King’s Cross in the East.
  5. The Northern and Victoria Lines also run East-West to the North of the sub-surface lines.
  6. The Southern boundary of the area is the Central and Elizabeth Lines, which run between Tottenham Court Road in the West and Holborn in the East.

It is a substantial area.

So could it be hollowed out to create a below-ground London terminal for High Speed Two?

I got a bus from Tottenham Court Road to Euston station and then walked to Holborn, taking these pictures.

Note.

  1. There are only two buildings in the area with more than about six floors; University College Hospital and Senate House.
  2. There a lot of green spaces.
  3. Bloomsbury Square does have a car park beneath it.

I wonder if a terminal station could be build under the area?

  • I suspect if you went fifty metres down there could be plenty of space, that could be excavated.
  • Tunnels with moving walkway and escalators could link the station to the Central, Circle, Elizabeth, Hammersmith and City, Metropolitan, Northern and Piccadilly Lines.
  • There would be space to have 400 metre long platforms.
  • As all trains would be electric, there would be no fume problems.
  • There could be lifts and escalators to the green spaces on the top.

I have a feeling that most of people living or working inside the North and South Circular Roads could get to the station by public transport with at most a single change.

April 21, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Moorgate To Charlton Via Cannon Street

I needed to go to Charlton station this morning to take a couple of photographs for a possible blog post.

  • I had had my usual breakfast in LEON on Moorgate, so I started from Moorgate station.
  • I took the Northern Line one stop to Bank station.
  • It was then straight up the double escalators.
  • I followed this by a brisk walk along Cannon Street.

The total time between entering Moorgate station and sitting on my train at Cannon Street station was about ten minutes.

One of London’s more difficult stations to access now has a North-South Underground line, to go with its East-West line.

March 1, 2023 Posted by | Food, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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