An Overground Station For Camberwell?
In Transport for London’s Transport Plan for 2050, there is this paragraph.
Some examples of the type of scheme to help address these issues are an upgrade to the London Overground network to provide 6 car trains and new stations on existing lines, e.g. at Camberwell, that can plug connectivity gaps and act as development nodes.
By Camberwell, I suspect they mean at Loughborough Junction, where the London Overground passes over Thameslink. A couple of years ago, I visited the site and created a post with some pictures.
I said this about creating a Camberwell Beauty out of Loughborough Junction.
It is one of these problems that needs imagination. A good architect might be able to produce an elegant connection between the two lines and then link it to the ground on the other side of Coldharbour Lane to the current station entrance. Looking at the local bus map, shows that the area is well served by bus routes, so perhaps we could make Loughborough Junction a true interchange in the east of Brixton.
I shall go again to see if a development node can be used to bridge a significant connectivity gap in London’s train system.
On a personal note, it would really improve the ease of my getting onto Thameslink routes to the South.
Is This The Last Pill Box In London?
When I went to Wimbledon to trace the Goblin Extension, I noticed that perched on Fulham Railway Bridge was a Second World War pill box.
So I just had to go back and investigate, by taking a trip to Putney Bridge station.
I think this type of defensive structure is pretty rare in London these days.
Note though how Putney Bridge station is on the Fulham side of the river, by a bridge with that name.
Was this all done to confuse invaders, so they didn’t know whether they were coming or going, so they could be picked off easily from the pill box.
Probably not, as the naming was I suspect a cunning plan to confuse those South of the river, if they should venture into the North.
It’s Amazing What You Can Do With Meccano, Lego And Sheets Of Glass
I happened to go through New Cross Gate station and just had to take some pictures.
Let’s hope that Network Rail and Transport for London, are going to use the system to create a few more modern stations. There certainly seem to be decision makers in these organisations, who are not afraid to do the unconventional.
Let’s face it, London Underground in the 1930s created some of the finest stations of the era, anywhere in the world. When our descendants look at stations like this one at New Cross Gate in a hundred years time, they might just say that we got something right.
Just because it’s only a station, it doesn’t mean the architecture or construction must be second rate.
And Now Cardiff Will Get The Grand Entrance It Deserves
When you thunder down to Cardiff from London Paddington on the Great Western Mail Line, you arrive in the Welsh capital at a rather nondescript and unprepossessing Cardiff Central station.
But now it has been announced that Cardiff Central is going to be transformed into the entrance that Cardiff deserves. It’s all described here in Wales Online.
Station Names On Bridges
Network Rail seems to be getting the blue paint out and slapping it on bridges.
As the pictures show, they’re also indicating the station name. Obviously Caldeonian Road and Barnsbury will need a much longer bridge, but The Cally will do.
I’ll add more as I see them.
The End Of The Line For Crossrail 2?
Southgate is famed in transport and architectural circles for its wonderful Underground station. So you would think, that New Southgate station would be even better and certainly newer.
But you’d be mistaken as these pictures show.
This is the station though, which is now being proposed as one of the northern terminals of Crossrail 2.
I suspect the station will probably be rebuilt, even if Crossrail 2 doesn’t use it as a terminus, as it must be one of the worst examples of corrugated iron stations in the country.
I can’t say I can remember ever catching a train from New Southgate Station, until today, when I returned to Central London. I also don’t think I’ve ever taken a train to the station either, although I’ve been on trains through the station countless times.
It does appear that there is space for another platform either side of the current station, which must be the minimum if the station is to be a terminus for Crossrail 2.
Travelling back in to London after taking the pictures, I can understand, the proposed change of terminus to the station from Alexandra Palace. There’s just so much more space to put a depot if one is needed. New Southgate would also allow a future development of Crossrail 2, to use the Hertford Loop as another branch.
Looking at the map, as New Southgate station is close to the North Circular Road and is generally surrounded by industrial estates, although there is some housing, there would be scope to probably create a really good transport interchange with a large bus station and perhaps even a tram line along the North Circular Road from Brent Cross to Enfield or Southgate. If nothing else, all of the work should result in the notorious bottleneck on the road being eased.
Artwork At Bowes Park Station
Bowes Park station is one in my old haunts around Southgate and Wood Green.
I found a story that there had been some artwork put up at the station, so as I’ve never been to the station, I went to look.
I wasn’t that impressed with the artwork. But we do need some stations to be brightened up.
The station itself is of a rather unusual layout, but is clean and tidy, although the disabled entrance is possibly one of the worst in London. However, adding a lift, wouldn’t necessitate a major rebuild.
In fact, the station is one of those, where a clever architect could turn a bad station into an extremely good one, as it has spacious platforms and walk up access from both sides to the footbridge across the station and the tracks.
According to the latest news, the line which currently uses Class 313 trains, is going to be provided with new trains in the next few years.
A good disabled-friendly station coupled with the new trains and good cycle parking might almost make make the station improvements self financing, through more traffic.
Later when I returned to London from my visit to New Southgate, nearly all the passengers who got off the train at Highbury and Islington, crossed onto the Victoria line for trains to Central London. So would an upgraded Bowes Park station take customers away from Bounds Green tube station, which will probably never have lifts?
The Long-Awaited Walthamstow Link Is Nearly Here
It should have been a simple job, but it has grown into an eighteen year saga.
Walthamstow Central and Queen’s Road stations are not far apart and a pedestrian link has been needed for years to make interchange possible. Finally, it will be opening next month, as is reported here in ThisisLocalLondon. In the end despite an agreement the Council had to take the developers to the High Court.
How many other simple links should be created to make travelling by public transport easier?
Supper In St. Neots
I went to St. Neots for supper last night.
The ticket I got on First Capital Connect must have had the most bizarre restriction I’ve ever seen. It was an Off Peak return ticket bought with a Senior Railcard for £15.65. When I bought the ticket the machine said that I couldn’t use it out of Paddington.
How do you take a train out of Paddington and end up in St. Neots?
Coming back, I came into Finsbury Park station from where I came home by using the Piccadilly line to Manor House and then a 141 bus.
If there is one station in London that should be loved by a demolition ball it is Finsbury Park. There is a plan mentioned here on Wikipedia, but nothing seems to be happening.
A Well-Designed Transport Interchange
Golders Green is not an area I go to often. Years ago, C and myself used to go there to buy shoes for the children, at a shop I think was called Brians. I wonder if it is still there!
But yesterday, I needed to go there to get some extra keys for my new Banham lock. It is not a difficult journey, as I just got a train up the Northern line from the Angel to Golders Green station.
There are numerous buses to places all over North London from the station as this map shows.
It’s also a stop for a lot of National Express coaches.
We need more well-designed simple interchanges everywhere, so that train passengers can easily get to their ultimate destination.
From the station, it was just a short walk to Banham’s shop.
The Anonymous Widower 