Extending The Elizabeth Line – Improving The Northern City Line
Some parts of North and North-East London, have less-than-good connections with the Elizabeth Line.
- The Piccadilly Line has no direct connection with the Elizabeth Line.
- The Victoria Line has no direct connection with the Elizabeth Line.
- The Bank branch of the Northern Line has only a poor connection with the Elizabeth Line at Moorgate station.
- The Northern City Line has only a poor connection with the Elizabeth Line at Moorgate station.
- The Charing Cross branch of the Northern Line has a good connection with the Elizabeth Line at Tottenham Court Road station.
- The Lea Valley Lines of the London Overground have good connections with the Elizabeth Line at Liverpool Street station.
- Thameslink has a good connection with the Elizabeth Line at Farringdon station.
It would appear that if you live near one of the Lea Valley Lines or Thameslink stations, you can access the Elizabeth Line fairly easily at Liverpool Street or Farringdon stations, but if you rely on a Northern, Northern City, Piccadilly or Victoria Line local station, you are not so lucky!
Could The Northern City Line Be Improved To Give Better Connections Between North London And The Elizabeth Line?
This map from cartometro.com shows the lines between Finsbury Park and Highbury & Islington stations.
Note.
- The dark blue tracks are the Piccadilly Line, which calls at M (Manor House), Finsbury Park, Arsenal, Holloway Road and Caledonian Road, before going South-West to King’s Cross St. Pancras.
- The lighter blue tracks are the Victoria Line, which calls at Finsbury Park and Highbury & Islington, before going South-West to King’s Cross St. Pancras.
- The black tracks on the Western side of the map are those of the East Coast Main Line into King’s Cross.
- The black tracks going South-East from Finsbury Park are the Northern City Line, which calls at Finsbury Park, Drayton Park, Highbury & Islington, E (Essex Road) and Old Street before terminating at Moorgate.
This second map shows the lines through Finsbury Park station.
Note.
- The dark blue tracks are the Piccadilly Line.
- The lighter blue tracks are the Victoria Line.
- The black tracks going through Drayton Park station are the Northern City Line.
- The platforms of the Piccadilly and Victoria Lines are paired at Finsbury Park station, so that passengers can change lines with a simple walk-across.
This third map shows the lines through Highbury & Islington station.
Note.
- The dark blue tracks are the Piccadilly Line.
- The lighter blue tracks are the Victoria Line.
- The orange tracks are the London Overground.
- The black tracks going through Drayton Park and Highbury & Islington stations are the Northern City Line, which terminates at Moorgate station.
- The platforms of the Northern City and Victoria Lines are paired at Highbury & Islington station, so that passengers can change lines with a simple walk-across.
The big problem with Highbury & Islington station is that is not step-free.
A Step-Free Route Between Wood Green And Moorgate Stations
Currently, it is possible to go between Wood Green and Moorgate stations by using three trains.
- Piccadilly Line – Wood Green to Finsbury Park – 6 mins
- Victoria Line – Finsbury Park to Highbury & Islington – 6 mins
- Northern City Line – Highbury & Islington to Moorgate – 10 mins
Note.
- These are actual times measured on my phone.
- The total time is twenty-two minutes.
- I had to wait a couple of minutes at both changes.
- Both changes are walk-across.
- The changes are not as perfect as they could be, although they would be easily managed with a buggy or a heavy case.
These pictures show the change at Highbury & Islington station.
These pictures show the change at Finsbury Park station.
This route works for all stations Between Manor House and Cockfosters.
- Cockfosters – Add 15 minutes
- Oakwood – Add 12 minutes
- Southgate – Add 9 minutes
- Arnos Grove – Add 6 minutes
- Bounds Green – Add 3 minutes
- Turnpike Lane – Subtract 2 minutes
- Manor House – Subtract 5 minutes
But look at the frequencies of the three sections in trains per hour (tph)
- Piccadilly Line – 21 tph
- Victoria Line – 33 tph
- Northern City Line – 4 tph
The Northern City Line frequency is not high enough, as you could have a fifteen minute wait for a train.
Improvements Needed To The Northern City Line
The Northern City Line now has new Class 717 trains, a terminal platform at Stevenage and full digital signalling is being installed.
- The major improvement needed would be to improve frequency to at least 12 tph.
- Six tph on both branches should be possible.
I would also install step-free access at more stations.
Moorgate Station’s Northern City Line Platforms
These pictures show the platforms of the Northern City Line at Moorgate station.
Note.
Improved Connections At Moorgate Station
I talked about the connections between the Northern and Elizabeth Lines at Moorgate station in Elizabeth Line To Northern Line At Moorgate Station.
This was my conclusion.
Routes between the Northern and Elizabeth Lines at Moorgate need to be improved.
I feel that some of the improvements could be fairly minor, but adding step-free access to the Northern City Line could be more difficult.
An Improved Connection Between Bank And Moorgate Stations
Currently, there are three ways between Bank and Moorgate stations.
- Use the Northern Line
- Use a 21, 43 or 141 bus routes
- Walk
I believe that it would also be possible to dig a pedestrian tunnel between the two stations and fit it out with a moving walkway.
This visualisation shows the updated Bank station.
Note.
- Moorgate station is to the left.
- The only more-or-less completed bits are the two Northern Line tunnels and platforms and parallel pedestrian tunnel.
- The four cross tunnels can be picked out towards the far end of the station.
- Three of the cross tunnels can now be used by passengers.
- The moving walkway can be accessed from the two cross tunnels nearest to the Central Line.
- The escalators from the yet-to-open Cannon Street entrance appear to lead directly into a cross tunnel and a parallel tunnel to the moving walkway.
I believe that the moving walkway to Moorgate station could connect with the Bank station complex, at the Moorgate end of the new moving walkway in Bank station.
HS2 Completes First Tunnel Cross Passages
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from High Speed Two.
This is the first paragraph.
As the tunnelling machines under the Chilterns approach the four-mile mark, HS2 completes the first of thirty-eight underground connections between the northbound and southbound tunnels.
This video from High Speed Two, shows the construction of the cross tunnels.
There appears to have been a resurgence of traditional tunneling methods, albeit it with the assistance of modern mechanised tools.
In London recently, these tunnels have been dug without the use of expensive tunnel boring machines.
- The running and station tunnels for the Bank Station Upgrade.
- The tunnel for the Paddington Bakerloo Line Link.
I suspect there will a lot more dug traditionally in the future.
Bank And Moorgate
The map from cartometro.com shows the plethora of lines at Moorgate and Bank stations.
Note.
- Moorgate station is served by the Circle, Elizabeth, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Northern and Northern City Lines.
- Bank station is served by the Central, Circle, District, Northern and Waterloo & City Lines.
- Bank station is also one terminus of the DLR.
I believe it would be possible to dig a long pedestrian tunnel with a travelator, between Moorgate and Bank stations under Moorgate, which connects the two stations.
City Thameslink Station And St. Paul’s
I discussed this in A Pedestrian Connection Between City Thameslink Station And St. Paul’s Tube Station.
What Goes Up Must Come Down
This morning, I went for a walk in the City, with the aim of looking at progress on the new Southern entrance to Bank station.
I took these pictures, where they were dismantling the main crane on the Bank station site.
Does this dismantling mean that the main work is coming to an end?
One of the guys, I spoke to said that the station would be finished by the end of the year.
I also took this picture from the Northernmost cross tunnel between the two Northern Line platforms.
Note the Way Out sign behind the hoarding, which also shows Central Line straight on. This looks like it could be the start of the travelator to the Central Line.
The Connection Between The Northern And Lizzie Lines At Tottenham Court Road Station
In Elizabeth Line To Northern Line At Moorgate Station, I described how I was rather underwhelmed with the connection between the Bank branch of the Northern Line and the Lizzie Line.
It’s just too far to walk in the long tunnel, which is not as well fitted out as the connection to the Bakerloo Line at Paddington.
At least it can be improved, without a major amount of expense.
So what is the connection between the Lizzie Line and the Northern Line like at Tottenham Court Road?
There is access to stairs and a lift at the Southern end of the Northern Line platforms, that lead to the pedestrian tunnel between the two platforms of the Lizzie Line.
These pictures show the connection.
Note.
- It is certainly a lot easier than the connection at Moorgate.
- You have a choice of stairs or a lift between lines.
- Both Northern branches and both Southern branches of the Northern Line all have services through Tottenham Court Road station. Just make sure, that you get a Charing Cross branch train.
- If you’re using Tottenham Court Road station for changing to the Lizzie Line from the Northern Line, then make sure you get at the Southern end of the Northern train.
- If you’re using Tottenham Court Road station for changing to the Northern Line, then make sure you get at the Eastern end of the Lizzie Line train.
Practice will make perfect, how passengers handle this interchange.
Going Between Euston And Heathrow
There is no problem with the interchange to and from the Elizabeth Line, but getting to and from the Charing Cross branch of the Northern Line is not step-free.
Hopefully, High Speed Two and the rebuilding of Euston station will solve this problem.
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.
Does The Paddington Bakerloo Line Link Make The Bakerloo Line A NW-SE Cross-Branch Of The Elizabeth Line?
The Elizabeth Line has these major North-South cross-branches.
- Jubilee Line at Bond Street station.
- Charing Cross Branch of the Northern Line at Tottenham Court Road station.
- Thameslink at Farringdon station.
- Bank Branch of the Northern Line at Moorgate station.
- East London Line of the Overground at Whitechapel station.
With the opening of the Paddington Bakerloo Line Link, another North-South cross-branch of the Elizabeth Line has been added.
It could be argued that London has a new NW-SE high frequency link between Harrow & Wealdstone and Abbey Wood stations.
- Bakerloo Line – Harrow & Wealdstone and Paddington
- Paddington Bakerloo Line Link – 165 metre level step-free walk
- Elizabeth Line – Paddington and Abbey Wood via Whitechapel and Canary Wharf
The journey would appear to take 73 minutes from the National Rail journey planner, which allows fifteen minutes for the change at Paddington.
Elizabeth Line – Moorgate Station – 27th May 2022
I took these pictures as I walked between the Northern Line and the Moorgate entrance to the Liverpool Street station on the Elizabeth Line.
Note.
- There is a lift and stairs at the Northern Line end.
- I would estimate that the tunnel is about two hundred metres long.
- There are resting bars at intervals.
- There are two help points along the tunnel.
- There are two lifts to get to the Elizabeth Line ticket hall, at the other end.
I was able to walk it today, but when my damaged knee is playing up, I will not use this route.
However, the rat-up-the-drainpipe route to the surface, that I described in Up From The Depths At Moorgate Station is still available.
But this route is not wheel-chair and buggy friendly.
In this route, a single escalator is taken from the Northern Line platforms to the National Rail platforms, from where there is a double escalator to the ticket hall level.
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.
Bank Station – 16th May 2022
The new Northern Line platforms at Bank station are now open and I went this morning to have a quick look.
These are my thoughts.
The New Southbound Platform Is Wide
The new Southbound platform is wide and compares well with the wide platform at Angel station, that I wrote about in All Platforms Should Be Wide Like This.
This picture shows the Southbound platform at Angel., which dates from 1992.
And this the new Southbound platform at Bank.
Two similar designs, but thirty years apart.
Simple Decor
The two pictures also illustrate the simple decor used in the rebuilt station.
The New Southbound Platform Is A Sprayed Concrete Tunnel
These pictures show the far wall of the new Southbound platform.
It looks from my untrained eye to be lined with sprayed concrete. I learned more about the use of sprayed concrete in tunnels, when I visited TUCA in Ilford, during Open House in 2012, which I wrote about in Open House – TUCA.
The Existing Northbound Platform Is Narrow
The Northbound platform is effectively as before, but with large and small holes in the wall to access a wide parallel pedestrian tunnel behind the wall.
There is a lot of circulation space.
The Parallel Pedestrian Tunnel
The old Southbound platform has been turned into a parallel pedestrian tunnel separated from the Northbound platform, by a wall that has four small and eight larger pedestrian-sized holes through it.
These pictures show a selections of the holes in the wall.
In addition.
- The tunnel has escalators at the Southern end connecting to Monument station.
- The tunnel has stairs at the Northern end to the Central Line.
- Further connections will be added.
- It also has seats along its length. These will be mainly for Northbound passengers, waiting for trains, who can see the trains through the large holes.
It is an unusual layout and I’ve never seen anything like it before anywhere in London, the UK, Europe or the world.
Wot No More Marble?
The Northbound Northern Line used to have a platform with marble facings.
Some of marble is still there as these pictures show.
Note that the old rat-run to the DLR is still there between the platforms.
The Wide Cross Tunnels
The wide cross tunnels link the two sides of the station together and to the escalators and moving walkways in the middle of the station.
This visualisation shows the station.
Note.
- The only more-or-less completed bits are the two Northern Line tunnels and platforms and parallel pedestrian tunnel.
- The four cross tunnels can be picked out towards the far end of the station.
- Three of the cross tunnels can now be used by passengers.
- The moving walkway can be accessed from the two cross tunnels nearest to the Central Line.
- The escalators from the yet-to-open Cannon Street entrance appear to lead directly into a cross tunnel and a parallel tunnel to the moving walkway.
This station has definitely been designed for rabbits.
Level Access To The Trains
This picture shows the level access on the new Southbound platform.
And this shows the step-up into the train on the old Northbound platform.
I wonder, if the platform can be raised to make the Northbound as good as the Southbound.
There Is Still A Lot To Do
At present the only sections of the project that are completed and visible to passengers are the following.
- The new wide Southbound platform.
- The refurbished Northbound platform, which is a similar width to before.
- The wide passenger tunnel behind the Northbound platform, that was converted from the old Southbound tunnel.
- The four new cross tunnels between the two platforms. Some still need finishing and there are spaces, where escalators will slot in.
It would appear that at least the following need to be done.
- Open up the new Cannon Street entrance
- Add the escalators and lifts.
- Put in the moving walkways between the Northern and Central Lines.
But it looks that everything left to do is small compared to the tunnel work that needed the closure from January.
This page on the TfL web site gives these dates.
- 16 May 2022: New southbound platform and concourse open
- Autumn 2022: DLR escalator and Central line link open
- Late 2022: Bank station capacity upgrade works due to be completed. New station with step-free access opens on Cannon Street.
It looks to me, that the project management has been done well and after hitting the first milestone, they appear to be on track.
London Underground’s Northern Line Bank Branch To Reopen Next Monday
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Ian Visits.
These are the first two paragraphs.
The closed bank branch of the Northern line will reopen to passengers from Monday 16th May, TfL has confirmed.
The line has been closed since earlier this year to allow a new tunnel and platform at Bank tube station to be connected to the existing Northern line tunnels, work that could only be done by closing the tunnel to trains. When the line reopens, the new and much wider southbound Northern line platform and spacious new customer concourse at Bank station will open at the same time.
When, I found out, I was on a 21 bus to my home and I showed the other passengers Ian’s article.
All seemed pleased and I did get the impression, that one or two passengers were fed up with the closure.
I also think, that as Transport for London promised mid-May for the reopening, then they can’t get any closer than the 16th.
Note.
- The picture was taken just before closure on the 9th of January, which was a Sunday.
- TfL predict mid-May and then promise the 16th of May.
- I suspect that the public would even accept a few days late, as most reasonable people accept that odd things go wrong in complex projects.
- It’s also eight days before Crossrail opens, so hopefully, the Bank station Upgrade will be out of the way before Crossrail is opened.
Now that’s what I call good project management.
The New Track Layout At Bank And Moorgate Stations
This map from cartometro.com shows the new track layout through Bank And Moorgate.
Note.
- Crossrail is shown in purple.
- The Central Line is shown in red.
- The Circle, Hammersmith and City and the Metropolitan lines are shown in yellow and mauve.
- The Circle, District lines are shown in yellow and green stripes.
- The Northern Line is shown in black.
- The Northern City Line, that terminates at Moorgate is also shown in black.
The routes of the Northern Line are now clear from the map.
The Northbound Route Of The Northern Line
The Northbound trains pass through the following platforms.
- The Easternmost platform, which is numbered 4 at Bank station.
- The Western Northern Line platform, which is numbered 7 at Moorgate station.
This route of the Northbound tunnel will be identical before and after the works.
The Original Southbound Route Of The Northern Line
Until January this year, the Southbound trains passed through the following platforms.
- The Eastern Northern Line platform, which is numbered 8 at Moorgate station.
- The original Western Northern Line platform, which was numbered 3 at Bank station.
Note how the Northbound and Southbound tracks cross between the two stations.
The New Southbound Route Of The Northern Line
The new Southbound route is shown dotted on the map.
- The new Southbound platform is also shown dotted.
- The Northbound and Southbound tracks still cross between the two stations.
The tracks don’t return to standard left-hand running until South of Borough station.
After the line fully-reopens, some time in May this year, the Southbound trains will pass through the following platforms.
- The Eastern Northern Line platform, which is numbered 8 at Moorgate station.
- The new Western Northern Line platform at Bank station.
Effectively, the Southbound tunnel has been moved to the West to create more space in Bank station.
Conclusion
The design of the new tunnel appears simple, but I don’t think it was that easy to construct.
The Anonymous Widower 