Design Contract Awarded To Extend Railway Arches Low Line Concept
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Ian Visits.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Plans to revamp the railway arches running through Wandsworth and Lambeth to create an extension of Southwark’s “low line” have taken a step forward after a contract was awarded to a design agency.
The extension would create a continuous walking and cycling route from Battersea to London Bridge, to connect communities with the creation of new spaces alongside the viaduct.
It looks to be an interesting concept with lots of possibilities.
London’s Newest Property Hotspot Has Been Revealed — And It’s On The NLE Tube Line
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Metro.
This doesn’t surprise me one bit.
Any new train or tram line, whether it is under or over the ground always creates a property hot spot.
That’s why London needs to develop the West London Orbital Railway, Crossrail to Ebbsfleet and New Bermondsey station as soon as possible, as the areas they serve need a lift.
On a wider view, it is also why reopening rail lines is such a good policy. Some might object to property hot-spots, but most residents of the UK, like it when property prices rise!
Could Access Between Platform And Train Be Improved At Kennington Station?
Before I look at the solutions, I will look at passenger flows around Kennington station, now that the extension to Battersea has opened.
- Passengers will enter the station and take a train.
- Passengers will arrive at the station and leave.
- Passengers will change trains going between say Morden and Battersea Power Station stations.
- Passengers will change between the two Northbound services through the station, by walking between Platforms 1 and 3.
- Passengers will change between the two Southbound services through the station, by walking between Platforms 2 and 4.
Kennington station has two major access problems for those of restricted mobility.
- Getting between street and platform
- Getting between platform and train
There used to be a third problem, which was that there wasn’t enough cross-platform access between Platforms 2 and 4 and Platforms 1 and 3, which has now been improved.
The pictures show the passage between Platforms 2 and 4, which seems to have been built to a high quality.
How will these access problems affect passengers and especially those with reduces mobility?
- Passengers with reduced mobility may avoid Kennington station, if they are using Routes 1 and 2, as the stairs are difficult.
- Passengers using Route 3 may find it easier to change at Waterloo, London Bridge or another convenient station.
- There are lots of buses, which may offer a convenient alternative.
Operating experience will give the correct answer, but I feel that passengers using the station will contain a large proportion, who are using Routes 4 or 5 and just changing from one train to another going in the same direction.
Access Between Street And Platform
These pictures show the stairs that give access to the platforms from the passageway leading to the lifts.
Note.
- The stairs are steep and not very wheelchair or buggy friendly.
- They are not all the same length.
Unless it is possible to sneak a lift down into the new cross-passages, I suspect that providing step-free access to the platforms will be a long time coming at Kennington station.
It will also probably need passengers to use two lifts between street and platform, which could encourage them to find a better route.
Access Between Platform And Train
These pictures show trains in Kennington station.
Note that a Harrington Hump is fitted to the platform to ease boarding for those in wheelchairs.
The map from cartometro.com shows the platform layout at Kennington station.
Note that in the pictures and this map the platforms are almost straight.
I wonder, if as at Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms stations, the platforms could be arranged so that there is step-free access between train and platform.
These pictures show level access at the two stations on the new extension.
This would surely help those changing trains by walking between Platforms 2 and 4 or 1 and 3.
Conclusion
I am very doubtful, that large numbers of passengers with reduced mobility will use Kennington station, except to change from one train to another going in the same direction.
For that reason, I suspect Transport for London have not gone for full step-free access at Kennington station.
But I do think, that level access could be installed between the trains and all four platforms to make it easier for passengers with reduced mobility to change trains.
Passenger Flows If The Northern Line Is Split Into Two Lines
The Northern Line could be split into two.
- The Western Line (Charing Cross Line) would run between Edgware and Battersea Power Station via Camden Town, Euston, Charing Cross and Kennington.
- The Eastern Line (Bank Line) would run between High Barnet and Morden via Camden Town, Euston, Bank and Kennington.
Northbound routes through Kennington station would be as follows.
- Passengers between Battersea Power Station and a Bank Line station would change between Platforms 1 and 3 at Kennington.
- Passengers between Morden and a Charing Cross Line station would change between Platforms 3 and 1 at Kennington.
Southbound routes through Kennington station would be as follows.
- Passengers between a Bank Line station and Battersea Power Station would change between Platforms 4 and 2 at Kennington.
- Passengers between A Charing Cross Line station and Morden would change between Platforms 2 and 4 at Kennington.
All of these Northbound and Southbound changes are a level walk of perhaps ten metres.
Passengers between Morden and Battersea Power Station would change at Kennington, if they can manage the stairs.
Otherwise, they will need to do two cross-platform interchanges at Kennington and Waterloo.
The rule would appear to be if you’re on one line and are going to a station on the other, you change at Kennington station.
Staff would need to be on the platform to help those, who were changing direction.
But I do think changing can be made to work well with step-free access between train and platform on all four platforms at Kennington station.
From Nine Elms Station To The United States Embassy
From Nine Elms station, I walked to the United States Embassy through Arch 42 under the railway, taking these pictures on the way.
The route is as follows.
- Walk down the West side of the station.
- Continue through the coloured hoardings to wards the railway.
- Arch 42 is opposite the end of the walkway.
- Continue through Arch 42.
- The United States Embassy is a short walk from the other side of Arch 42.
It only took me a few minutes.
Nine Elms Station Opens
I took these pictures at Nine Elms station today, after it opened.
Note.
- The space is generous on the wide island platform.
- Access between platform and train is level.
- There is a set of three escalators and a lift connecting the platform to the surface.
The underground parts of the station feel very much like Canary Wharf station without the platform edge doors and fewer escalators.
Why Aren’t There Platform Edge Doors?
I was chatting to someone and they wondered how the station and Battersea Power Station station had been built without platform edge doors.
- The thought had occurred to me too and we both thought that EU regulations meant that new underground platforms had to have these doors.
- As the 1995 Stock on the Northern Line are very similar to the 1996 Stock on the Jubilee Line, it is unlikely to be a technical or design issue.
- I also think it would be unlikely to be a cost issue given the size of the budget for the two stations.
Look at this picture of a train in Nine Elms station.
Note.
- The platform is long and straight.
- The platform is generally wider than some of London’s older Underground platforms.
- The track is arranged, so that the door openings and carriage floors line up with the platform edge, so that wheelchair users, bugger pushers and case draggers can go safely across.
- There is only a small gap between the train side and the platform edge, between the doors on the train, which is probably too small for anybody capable of walking can fall through.
- There is no Mind The Gap written on the platform. There is just a yellow line.
- There are no obstructions on the platform.
This second picture shows the structure of the track.
Note.
- The four rail electrification system is clearly visible.
- The far rail is energised at +420 VDC.
- The centre rail is energised at -210 VDC.
- The two running rails don’t carry any current.
- There is a suicide pit between the running rails and under the centre rail to protect anybody or anything falling onto the tracks.
I do wonder if Transport for London have done an analysis and found that the number of serious accidents on stations with these characteristics is small enough, to build these two new stations without the doors.
Other factors could include.
- Stadler are the masters of step-free access and have built several innovative fleets of trains for safe step-free access without platform edge doors. Although they have nothing to do with this project, their statistics would be relevant.
- The UK has left the EU, so we’re ignoring the regulation.
- The Northern Line might get new trains.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see this philosophy of straight uncluttered platforms being applied across the Underground.
This picture shows the Southbound platform at Angel station.
Note.
- This platform was built in the early 1990s.
- It is wide and uncluttered.
Note that the trains were introduced after the station was opened, so that is perhaps, why the train floors are higher.
Northern line Extension’s Opening Date Announced
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Ian Visits.
Services will start on Monday, September 20th.
This sentence from Ian describes the service levels.
There will be an initial peak time service of six trains per hour on the extension, increasing to 12 trains per hour by mid-2022. There will be five trains per hour during off-peak times, doubling to 10 trains per hour next year.
I shall certainly try it when it opens, but I doubt I’ll be a regular user, as the Charing Cross Branch of the Northern Line can be difficult to access from Dalston. My best way is probably to use a 73 bus to Goodge Street station.
How Do I Use The Northern Line to Go Between The new Battersea Power Station Station and Bank or Moorgate Stations?
This map from cartometro.com shows, the track layout of the extension.
Note.
- The extension to Battersea links to the loop that turns trains that have come South through London on the Charing Cross Branch of the Northern Line, which runs North-Westerly from Kennington station.
- The Bank Branch of the Northern Line is the pair of tracks that runs North-Easterly from Kennington station.
- The Victorian builders of the Northern Line didn’t dig the tunnels and add the track, so that the loop could turn trains coming South through London on the Bank Branch of the Northern Line.
So passengers will have to change, with these possible routes.
- For London Bridge, Bank, Moorgate and Old Street change at Kennington for the Bank Branch of the Northern Line.
- For Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Circus and Paddington change at Waterloo for the Bakerloo Line.
- For Canary Wharf, London Bridge, Westminster, Green Park, Bond Street, Baker Street and Paddington change at Waterloo for the Jubilee Line.
- For Tower Hill, Monument, Westminster, Victoria and South Kensington change at Embankment for the Circle or District Lines.
- For Holborn and Kings Cross St. Pancras and Harrods change at Leicester Square for the Piccadilly Line.
- For Liverpool Street, Bank, St. Paul’s, Holborn, Bond Street and Marble Arch change at Tottenham Court Road for the Central Line.
- For Canary Wharf, Liverpool Street, Moorgate, , Bond Street, Paddington and Heathrow change at Tottenham Court Road for Crossrail.
Note.
- These are a selection of the possible routes available.
- I have included some of the possible routes to London’s important transport, tourism and business hubs.
- I suspect many will change at Tottenham Court Road station for the City, as the station has been completely rebuilt for Crossrail with full step-free access.
Residents and visitors to the large amounts of new residential properties around Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms stations, will probably find their best routes fairly quickly, but there are a large number of routes to try to most important hubs.
Will Battersea Become An Area, Where Visitors To London Stay?
Consider.
- The Northern Line Extension has connections to to Central London’s important transport, tourism and business hubs.
- The Thames Clippers give access to the Thames.
- There appears to be several good hotels open in the area.
- For Gatwick Airport, it’s Gatwick Express and a taxi from Victoria station, at around a tenner.
- For Heathrow Airport, it’s an easy journey from Heathrow on Crossrail with a change at Tottenham Court Road.
- For City Airport, it’s a direct journey on a Thames Clipper from Royal Wharf to Battersea Power Station pier.
- For Eurostar, it’s probably a £25 taxi from St. Pancras, but if you know the Underground there are several one-change routes via Euston, Kennington, Leicester Square and Warren Street.
I feel that if they get the hotels and the hospitality right, that the area could become an important one for visitors to London.
London Underground Upgrades To Northern Line and Bank Station Gather Pace
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on New Civil Engineer.
It all sounds like good progress and these are some points from the article.
- The Northern Line Extension to Battersea is scheduled for completion this autumn.
- At Battersea Power Station station, equipment, gateline, tiling and finishes are being installed.
- Nine Elms station is getting there, as I said in Nine Elms Underground Station – 14th February 2021.
- Work continues at the two ventilation shafts at Kennington Park and Kennington Green.
- All the major contracts at Bank station have been awarded.
- It appears that the new track in the new Southbound tunnel at Bank is getting ready to be installed.
Note that no date is given for the Bank station blockade to connect the new tunnels or completion of the works.
Under Future Station Upgrade And Expansion, in the Wikipedia entry for the station, this is said.
Before the project can be completed, the Northern line Bank branch will have to close for several months to allow the existing line to be connected to the new running tunnels. As of October 2020, this closure is planned to occur in late 2021/early 2022.
As I suspect other works like those in the new passenger tunnels can go on unhindered by the track works, I would suspect that a few months after the new tracks are connected, the station upgrade will be substantially finished.
I certainly, think that the full upgrade could open complete with the new entrance on Cannon Street sometime in 2022 or if not early in 2023.
It has been reported that the oversite development on the new Cannon Street entrance will be done after the station is complete.
Nine Elms Underground Station – 14th February 2021
Nine Elms Underground station, is now recognisable as a station.
Note.
- It certainly looks like an Autumn opening is not impossible.
- I couldn’t past the station to have a look at Arch 42, which I wrote about in Nine Elms Gateways By Projects Office.
I walked to the station from Vauxhall station this morning, through a forest of new skyscrapers.
Nine Elms Gateways By Projects Office
I first heard of this project in September last year, in this article on Ian Visits, which is entitled Nine Elms Railway Arch To Be Opened As Pedestrian Tunnel.
Ian introduces the problem like this.
A blocked off railway arch under the tracks in Nine Elms could be opened up as a new pedestrian tunnel. What is officially plain Arch 42 would create a walking link that starts just outside the back of the future Nine Elms station on the Northern line and the cluster of new blocks of flats and the US Embassy on the north side of the mainline railway.
I would appear to be a shorter walking route.
This Google Map shows the area.
Note.
- The substantial box-like structure with all the buttresses in the South-East corner of the map is the future Nine Elms station.
- Arch 42 is one of the arches, that pass under the railway crossing the North West corner of the map.
It would appear that the proposal to turn the arch into a tunnel could be a good idea.
This article on SWLondoner is entitled Nine Elms Viaduct To Get “Tunnel Vision” Makeover and gives a few details of the project.
This page on the Projects Office web site shows a visualisation of the tunnel.
Have a look and see what you think!
Note.
- In the visualisation, there is a signal gantry across the track, which is also shown in the map above.
- What will be the building material? Brick, steel or even recycled plastic?
I used to know a free-style bricklayer, who would have created an interesting portal.
I like the design and can’t wait to see it in reality!
You certainly won’t miss it, if you’re looking for it to get to the US Embassy or another building on the other side of the tracks.
Conclusion
Could Projects Office have come up with a distinctive way of making tunnels under railways and roads more welcoming?
Northern Line Extension ‘On Track’ For 2021 Opening
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Transport Network.
I’m looking forward to using the line in the Autumn.
This map from cartometro.com, shows the track layout of the extension.
Note.
- The extension starts from the existing Kennington Loop at Kenning station.
- There is an intermediate station at Nine Elms.
- As with many two-platform stations, there is a cross-over in the approach. It is shown in a picture in the article.
Hopefully, the extension will eventually be extended to Clapham Junction.
Step-Free Interchange At Kennington Station
I have been worried about this and from the comment of others like Melvyn, I am not alone.
This map from cartometro.com, shows the track layout at Kennington station.
Note.
- Elephant and Castle station is at the North-East corner of the map and is on the Bank branch of the Northern Line.
- The pair of tracks going North-West are the Charing Cross branch of the Northern Line.
- The pair of tracks going South-West are the Morden branch of the Northern Line.
- Trains going South to Morden can use either Platform 2 or 4, depending, whether they have come Charing Cross or Bank.
- Trains going North from Morden can use either Platform 1 or 3, depending, whether they are going to Charing Cross or Bank.
- The Kennington Loop allows trains from Charing Cross that arrive in Platform 2 to go direct to Platform 1 to return to the North.
- There appears to be a revering siding, which can also reverse trains from either Platform 2 or 4 and send them North from Platform 1 or 3.
- Chords South of the platforms allow trains to and from Charing Cross to access the tracks to Morder and the reversing siding.
- The Battersea Power Station branch, is shown in dotted lines and connects to the Kennington Loop.
I took these pictures at Kennington station today.
Note.
The platforms are in two pairs, which are connected by walk-through passages, with Platforms 2 and 4 for Southbound trains and Platforms 1 and 3 for Northbound trains.
- Each platform has a proper clock.
- The only access to the pair of platforms is by steep long stairs.
- The stairs need to be rebuilt with proper handrails on both sides.
- The last picture shows the handrails at Moorgate station.
Currently, the system allows journeys between the North and Morden, either directly or with a walk-across change at Kennington station.
- Going South to Morden, if you get a train, that reverses at Kennington, you would wait for a train to turn up on either Platform 2 or 4, that is going the whole way.
- Going North from Morden, if you get a train going to the wrong Northern destination, you would get off at Kennington and wait for a train to turn up on either Platform 1 or 3, that is going to the destination you desire.
What is needed on all platforms, is more comprehensive information displays.
- Displays on Platforms 2 and 4, would show details of all Southbound trains. whether they terminated at Kennington or went to Morden, or in future went to Battersea Power Station station.
- Displays on Platforms 1 and 3, would show details of all Northbound trains.
Displays would indicate destination and time as now, but with the addition of platform, where you catch the train.
If there is one problem it is taking a train between Battersea Power Station and Morden stations.
This public domain drawing from the Internet shows the station, after the Kennington Loop had been built in the 1920s and 1930s.
Note.
- We are looking from the North.
- The Kennington Loop at the far end of the station.
- The four platforms of the station numbered 2, 4, 3 and 1 from left to right.
- The stairs between the two pairs of platforms, leading to overbridges.
- The lift tower and a spiral staircase leading to and from the surface.
I can now sum up the step-free status of the station.
- Passengers entering or leaving the station, must walk up or down a staircase like that shown in the first picture.
- Passengers needing to change to another train going in the same direction, just walk across to the other platform in the pair.
- Passengers needing to change to another train going in the opposite direction, as they would going between Battersea Power Station and Morden stations, will need to climb one set of stairs and descend another.
It does appear that in an ideal world lifts will need to be added.
Thoughts On Future Step-Free Access At Kennington Station
In the future, it is planned that the Northern Line will be split into two lines.
- Battersea Power Station and Edgware
- Morden and High Barnet
Will this increase the number of passengers, who need to do the opposite direction change, as there will just be more trains running on all branches?
Alternative Step-Free Access
But, there may be another way to go between Battersea Power Station and Morden stations.
- Take a train from Battersea Power Station to Waterloo.
- Walk across the platform at Waterloo to the Southbound platform.
- Take a train from Waterloo back to Kennington.
- Walk across from Platform 2 at Kennington to Platform 4.
- Take the first train from Platform 4 to Morden.
The reverse journey between Morden and Battersea Power Station stations would be.
- Take a train from Morden to Kennington.
- Walk across from Platform 3 at Kennington to Platform 1
- Take a train from Platform 1 to Waterloo.
- Walk across the platform at Waterloo to the Southbound platform.
- Take the first train from Waterloo to Battersea Power Station.
Note,
- Both routes have two changes; one at Kennington and one at Waterloo,
- All changes are step-free.
- All changes are very simple
It should also be noted that Battersea Power Station, Nine Elms and Waterloo are all or will be fully step-free stations.
The two routes I have outlined have one big advantage. They already exist and the only costs would be training of staff and indicating the routes to passengers.
The Anonymous Widower 