Seven Sisters 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.
Seven Sisters station is on the list.
These pictures show the current station.
It is a nightmare.
- There are two London Overground platforms on a viaduct and three deep-level ictoria Line platforms.
- The Overground platforms are accessed by stairs although there is one up escalator and provision was made for another, although it was never installed.
- The Victoria Line station is double-ended with escalators and steps which must be negotiated by all passengers.
- Rabbits would probably feel at home in the warren of tunnels of the Underground station.
- The three subway entrances on Tottenham High Road all have just steep steps.
If ever there was a station designed by a committee of bean counters, with no children or disabilities and rail experience, it is Seven Sisters station.
Extra Pressures
Other factors will come into play in the next few years.
Tottenham Hotspur
As Seven Sisters station is the nearest Underground station to the ground, a lot of supporters walk to matches and other events along Tottenham High Road.
White Hart Lane station is being rebuilt, with increased capacity and full step-free access, so hopefully, passengers on match days at Seven Sisters station will decrease.
But the obvious route to the ground from Euston is probably to take the Victoria Line and walk from Seven Sisters station.
With the new station at White Hart Lane, there may even be an increase in interchange passengers at Seven Sisters station.
Crossrail
In any London railway scheme, Crossrail is the elephant in the room.
Will passengers between Tottenham and Enfield and the West End and Heathrow take the Overground to and from Liverpool Street and then use Crossrail?
For many passengers with limited movement, it could be a better route to avoid Seven Sisters station.
New Trains On The Overground
Hopefully, new Class 710 trains will start to arrive on the Overground this year.
As all new trains do, these will increase the number of passengers through Seven Sisters station, especially as the trains may have a much larger capacity, than the existing Class 315 trains.
Extra Services On The Overground
Transport for London are planning to add extra services through Seven Sisters, which will surely bring more passengers wanting to interchange with the Victoria Line.
Increased Frequency On The Victoria Line
The Victoria Line currently runs at thirty-six trains per hour (tph) all day, with trains running between Walthamstow Central and Brixton stations.
I am sure that the line’s engineers would love to squeeze the magic forty tph out of the line, but the capacity of some stations couldn’t handle the extra passengers.
But one way or another, more passengers will be squeezed into Dear Old Vicky and as she always does, she will deliver and more passengers will want to interchange at Seven Sisters station.
Services Between Seven Sisters And Stratford Stations
The track exists to run services between Lower Edmonton and Statford stations, via Seven Sisters, South Tottenham and Lea Bridge stations.
With all the new housing being built in the area, I feel this could be valuable addition to London’s railways.
As South Tottenham and Lea Bridge stations have step-free access, this might be an improvement that takes pressure from Seven Sisters station, by giving passengers a new route to Crossrail.
Improving Access At Seven Sisters Station
It is obvious, that passenger numbers wil be increasing at Seven Sisters station will be increasing and there will also be a substantial increase in passengers wanting to change between the Overground and the Victoria Line.
So what can be done to solve the various problems?
The Tottenham High Road Subway Entrances
These really only give access to the Victoria Line via an escalator.
Lifts tom the subway could be provided, but that would just get passengers to and from the gate-line. After the gate-line, it is just escalators to the platforms with some steps thrown in for good measure.
Victoria Line Platforms
If you were pushing a buggy or in a wheelchair, your best route to the Underground is probably to take a bus from outside the station in Tottenham High Road to Tottenham Hale station and use the step-free access there, which in a couple of months will also apply to the trains as well.
I doubt we’ll see much improvement to the Underground station, until Crossrail 2 is built, which will probably be in the 2050s.
Overground Platforms
There is a side entrance on Seven Sisters Road, that was probably the original entrance to the station.
Making this route to the Overground platforms step-free, is probably the best way to at least do something positive, as regards step-free access at the station.
It could also be relatively easy to put an escalator on the Londonj-bound platform, where there are two parallel staircases.
Conclusion
This is a very important station, that needs to be made step-free.
But it will be very difficult.
Where Will I Watch The Champions League Final?
My father had first gone to White Hart Lane as a child, in his father’s pony-and-trap, before the First World War. He told me how they gave a local lad a shilling to hold the horse’s head during the match.
That would be about twelve pounds in 2019 money. I don’t drive, so would you pay twelve pounds to park your car for a match today?
Later he had been at the 1921 FA Cup Final at Stamford Bridge, where Spurs had won the cup for the second time.
He took me several times to see Spurs in the 1950s and we were there in 1961, when Spurs received the First Division trophy after losing to West Bromwich Albion.
I was now going regularly on my own and I cycled down from Southgate.
I seem to remember paying half-a-crown to leave my bike in a secure space. That would be about three pounds today.
In the early 1960s, my parents moved to Felixstowe and to overcome the boredom of summers and other holidays in the place, our neighbour started taking me to Ipswich Town, where I saw a few games of Alf Ramsey’s First Division-winning side of cast-offs and misfits!
As I’ve lived in Suffolk off-and-on for over fifty years, it was the start of a long-term relationship.
I should also say, that following Ipswich Town and the companionship I;ve enjoyed, has been a great help to me, since C’s death!
For four years in the 1960s, I was at Liverpool University or living in the City.
I saw Spurs play many times all over the North West, but it was not a good period for them and I only saw one win, which was at Everton.
I also used to go to both Liverpool clubs, where you just walked up on the day and paid to get in. Those were the days! I remember, I was there to see Emlyn Hughes make his debut for Liverpool. Wikipedia says that was March 4th, 1967 against Stoke City.
Most long-term football fans have a long-term relationship to one club and I’ve met some strange relationships.
Ipswich for instance have a clutch of Liverpudlian supporters, who seem to have started supporting Ipswich in the Bobby Robson-era. That could be just the Liverpudlian attitude to be different.
So where will I watch the Champions League Final on June the First?
I am leaning towards Manchester at the moment! Although, thinking about it, Barcelona could be an interesting alternative!
What Would Be The Best Result In The Manchester Derby?
Despite supporting Ipswich since our next door neighbour in Felixstowe took me at the end of the Ramsey era, I have affections for two other clubs.
As a child and teenager living in London, I did what my father had done in his youth and regularly went to see Spurs at White Hart Lane.
My father would tell stories about how he was at the Cup Final in 1921 and how before the Great War, his father would take them to the game in a pony and trap. My grandfather would give a kid a shilling to hold the horse’s head during the match.
Then in the 1960s at Liverpool University, I regular went to see both of the Liverpool clubs, although I identified more with Liverpool.
Perhaps because inh those years they played the better football and were more successful!
So who do I want to win the Manchester Derby?
Certainly not United, as in the 1950s, I lived next door to the most obnoxious United supporter, who rammed them down mine and my father’s throats at every opportunity.
I actually think, that both Spurs and Liverpool, would be happy with an extremely hard-fought goal-less draw at Old Trafford tonight!
The New White Hart Lane Stadium Is Open For Business
I took these pictures today of the new White Hart Lane Stadium.
Does it look so impressive inside?
A Walk Around White Hart Lane Station
I took these pictures as I walked around the area between White Hart Lane station and Tottenham Hotspur‘s White Hart Lane stadium.
Looking at the station, I come to a few conclusions.
- It certainly isn’t fit for serving a 61,000-seater football stadium.
- The access to the platforms with staircases and no lifts or escalators is terrible and not much better than it was when I used it regularly in the early 1960s.
- The platforms look like, they might be able to handle a twelve-car train.
- The platforms are on top of what looks to be a solid well-built viaduct.
- Walking away from White Hart Lane towards the South, there would appear to be few important buildings alongside the viaduct.
I think this all leads to a unique situation you don’t often find in the rebuilding of a station. It would appear that if you clear the land on both sides of the railway along Penshurst Road and Love Lane, you can create a station that encloses the railway and gives access underneath. A similar situation was exploited at Haggerston and Hoxton stations to create very passenger-friendly stations.
This visualisation from the Architects Journal shows the station from the East.
I’ll repeat my nearest picture.
I think that it looks good.
Note that the rightmost arch, which is partially hidden in the second picture, is the rightmost arch in the visualisation.
If you look at the other pictures in the Architects Journal, it would appear that the two staircases go up in two sections to the platforms, in a similar way to they do in several of the Overeground’s rebuilt stations.
At least in common with London’s two other big club grounds at Arsenal and West Ham, White Hart Lane is served by several Underground and rail stations.
This station certainly, looks like it will handle its share.
I think there could be controversy, as there have been reports that Tottenham Hotspur would like to sell naming rights to the stadium and possibly the station, as other clubs have.
Renaming the stadium would probably not be controversial, but renaming the station could well be. It will certainly be expensive, as Transport for London would have to change a large quantity of maps.
As someone, who supports Ipswich, I don’t care.
The Development Of White Hart Lane Stadium And Station
This report in Construction News is entitled Mace selected as construction partner on £400m Spurs stadium job.
The report talks about the next major milestone, being the decision of Haringey Council’s Planning Committee on December the 8th.
Let’s hope that this drawn-out saga is at last getting near to the next phase.
This picture taken from the report, shows an architect’s impression of the area after the stadium has been built.
New White Hart Lane Stadium
The image is from the South and you can see the railway line through White Hart Lane and Bruce Grove stations to the left of the stadium and Tottenham High Road.
It also shows a direct approach from the stadium to the railway line, where it will connect to a new southern entrance to White Hart Lane station.
This Google Map shows the area now.
White Hart Lane Stadium And The Rail Lines
Note.
- The site acquired by Tottenham Hotspur around the current stadium is substantial and there is plenty of space to create one of the best stadia in London.
- White Hart Lane station is to the West of the stadium site on the Lea Valley Lines on the West side of Tottenham High Road. It is a walk of about two hundred metres from the stadium.
- Northumberland Park station is to the East of the stadium on another of the Lea Valley Lines. It is a walk of about five to six hundred metres from the stadium.
- Note the Sainsbury Superstore on the North Side of the already cleared site for the new stadium.
The relationship of the new stadium to White Hart Lane station, is illustrated by this enlarged Google Map of the proposed route between the two.
White Hart Lane Station To Stadium
Note how the platforms of the current station extend to Whitehall Street, so the proposed new Southern entrance to the station, would be on a walking route to the front of the stadium. Plans on the web hint, that a wide high-capacity walking route will be provided between the station and stadium.
As to the design of the station itself, I found this image on the web.
Proposed Southern Entrance To White Hart Lane Station
Bruce Castle, which is a magnificent Grade 1 Listed sixteenth century manor house is on the other side of the line , in the extensive Bruce Castle Park.
Bruce Castle Park
So the design of open arches would link the whole area together.
As I’ve said many times on this blog, all stations should provide a proper entrance into their destination!
It should also be noted, that the current White Hart Lane station has platforms capable of taking the new Class 710 trains of eight or more carriages. So there should be enough capacity to get passengers to the new stadium by public transport, especially as the other side of the stadium can be walked from the slightly further away, Northumberland Park station, which if plans are carried through could be on Crossrail 2 by 2030.
If Tottenham Hotspur, with the help of Haringey Council and Transport for London, don’t bring all this together to create one of the best stadiums in Europe, then they don’t deserve to be successful.
Is There A Klug Effect?
Bryan Klug was the manager of Ipswich’s youth academy for some years and in 2002 and 2009 he was appointed caretaker manager.
The academy didn’t produce that many good players under his tenure, but he probably helped the likes of Darren Bent, Darren Ambrose, Luke Hyam and Jordan Rhodes amongst others. Since he left the club, when Roy Keane arrived, with the exception of Connor Wickham few home-grown players have been produced.
Klug went to Tottenham, who for the last few years, have had a dismal record of creating their own stars to be Assistant Academy Manager and Head of Player Development. And then a whole host of youngsters have come through including Andros Townsend, Ryan Mason and Harry Kane. At one time against Italy last week, England had four young Tottenham players on the pitch.
In June 2012, Klug came back to Ipswich and already Teddy Bishop and Matt Clarke are full members of the First Team Squad.
Before Overground – White Hart Lane
A Station Totally Inadequate For The Area’s Need – Rating 2/10
It’s debatable whether White Hart Lane station is worse than its neighbour Bruce Grove.
Those stairs are a disaster waiting to happen on a match day, especially, when Spurs have built their new stadium.
But if you look at the Tottenham High Road West development plans, all options envisage the station being moved towards the south and connecting it to the new stadium with a wide pedestrian route. Arsenal and Chelsea eat your hearts out!
So I suspect that improvements to the station are on hold, until the stadium is built and all the other plans are sorted.
Incidentally, if the station was to be moved south by a couple of hundred metres, it would appear that the new station might be able to use the same platforms, but accessing them at the other end. So it wouldn’t have the added problem of demolishing houses and businesses to create the station.
One subsidiary advantage of a station here, that can serve Spurs new stadium, is that it would probably be built with full step-free access. So will this take the pressure off the need to make Bruce Grove and Silver Street stations step free, if the bus routes on Tottenham High Road were improved.
I’ve always believed that the poor quality of public transport in this area of Tottenham is a factor in the crime, vandalism and general unrest. Long term residents of Hackney, including a Police Inspector, have told me they believe that the coming of the Overground and the improved buses has quietened things down in that borough and enabled more young people to get to jobs elsewhere.
Real Fans Don’t Like Certain Teams
I’m a real football fan, who has followed the game probably since about the age of six or so, when my father first took me to White Hart Lane. One of the early games I saw was when Newcastle and the legend, Jackie Milburn, were visitors. I think Spurs won and I do know that Ted Ditchburn, their goalkeeper was outstanding and that Jackie Milburn missed a penalty. Other teams, I saw in the fifties and early sixties with my father, included Leeds with John Charles and Stoke City with Stanley Matthews. I watched most Cup finals of that era on the television, but the earliest I remember is probably the Manchester City v Birmingham City final of 1956, when Bert Trautmann broke his neck and Don Revie played as a deep-lying centre-forward.
my father had had a long history of both playing football and supporting Spurs. He always said, that he first went to Spurs in a pony and trap, and hisfather paid a boy to hold the horse’s head during the match. i think too, he’d been at the 1921 Cup Final.
I started going to Ipswich when my parents moved to Felixstowe. Usually, I was taken by the next door neighbour as getting between Ipswich and Felixstowe in those days wasn’t easy by public transport. As I was living in London most of the time, I still cycled to some of Spurs home matches and later at Liverpool University, I visited both Everton and Liverpool and quite a lot of teams in the area, including Manchester United, Preston, Leeds, Blackpool, Blackburn and Burnley. I didn’t carry a camera as I do now, so there is no record of the visits to the old grounds. Some were very rudimentary and far inferior to how they are today. I remember that getting to Old Trafford involved getting a steam powered shuttle train from the centre of Manchester. I think this was probably, when I took the train from Huyton.
Over the years, I’ve developed a dislike of certain teams. I won’t mention them all, but the usual suspects are there.
This last few weeks, I’ve been watching the story unfold at Cardiff City. I don’t like bullies and I very much feel that the club, the fans and the manager have been very badly treated.
So I felt quite a bit of delight, when Sunderland scored their second goal tonight at Cardiff.
To not win couldn’t have happened to a more deserving owner!
You Don’t Have To Be Big
I went to Reading today to see Ipswich play. We did lose 2-1, but Jay Tabb scored our goal.
He is not one of the tallest players being only 1.70 m., but judging by the reception he got from the fans at his old club; Reading, he was popular with the fans.
In some ways he reminded me very much of Terry Dyson, who I saw play for Spurs many times in their famous double-winning side of 1960-61. Dyson was very much an irritant and got a lot of his success by being persistent and in the right place at the right time. Tabb seems to play in a similar vein. According to Wikipedia, the much more successful, Kevin Phillips is the same height, and he’s just signed to play in the Premier League at 40. Having met Kevin Keegan, I can attest that he’s not much taller than my 1.71 m.
Given the fact that the next batsman in line to play cricket for England; James Taylor, is only 1.68 m., do we sometimes put overdue emphasis on size?
The Anonymous Widower 