Whitechapel’s Overground Platform Extensions Are Taking Shape
Whitechapel station has short Overground platforms and it was always said they’d be extended after Crossrail opens.
Judging by these pictures, it would appear that there isn’t much work to do.
The Frame Of The New Roof At Whitechapel Station Takes Shape
I’ve been through Whitechapel station several times in the last few days and I’ve taken these pictures of the structure of the new roof.
This image from the Whitechapel station page on the Crossrail web site, shows what I take to be a visualisation of the inside.
The ticket hall seems big enough for the performance of a large troupe of appropriate dancers
The Longer Overground Platfortms At Whitechapel Station Are Now Visible
This picture shows the Northern end of the Overground platforms at Whitechapel station.
Overground Platforms At Whitechapel Station
It would appear that they have grown enough extra platform length to accommodate all five cars, once some finishing work is completed.
It has been said that after Crossrail opens, these platforms will be at full size!
The East London Line Closure Of The Week Of 13th February 2016
Some have raised questions, as to why it is necessary to close the East London Line next week for Crossrail works?
I have found this vaugely-dated document on the Crossrail web site entitled Whitechapel Station closures between 13 and 21 February 2016. It says this.
The programme of activities scheduled to take place between 01:00 on Saturday 13 February and 05:30 on Monday 22 February 2016 includes the following:
- Ground reinforcement (piling) activity in the vicinity of the London Overground and London Underground platforms
- Removing the staircases, walls and canopies in the vicinity of the Whitechapel Station and the former ticket hall.
- Removing cables from the protection deck located over the London Overground, to the north of Durward Street • Removing part of the old pedestrian footbridge at the eastern end of Whitechapel Station
- Station steelwork in the vicinity of London Overground
- Concrete pours in the vicinity of the station.
- There will be concrete lorries in Durward Street and activity on Whitechapel Road to support these concrete pours.
I can certainly understand, that if they have to close the railway for Health and Safety reasons, then so be it.
I can also understand, if they’ve found something unexpected in the old part of the Victorian station. We’ve all found that when we’ve renovated old buildings.
And of course, the closure is when it is, as it is half-term in Swanlea School, which helps with access.
But this whole closure is a puzzle to me, as Crossrail’s project management and also their handling of community relations and the media has been generally good.
According to someone locally to me in Dalston, this is an unexpected closure. If it is, then where is the story in the local press or on the BBC?
These days, with cameras and crews everywhere, why hasn’t there been an honest report on BBC London television?
I think Crossrail have rather mucked up here, as people are annoyed and if they’d given us the truth, people would be more understanding.
But then we’re in the East End, and if there was an Olympic event of ducking and diving, all the medals would be won, by someone from this area.
Whitechapel Station – 23rd January 2016
These pictures show the changes that have happened at Whitechapel station in the last week.
It is now possible to change direction on the wide platform between the Eastbound and Westbound lines of the District and Metropolitan Lines.
The escalators to the Crossrail lines will also be located in this wide platform. So changing between Crossrail and the \district and Metropolitan Lines will be very straightforward.
What surprised me was the quality of the temporary station. It’s actually a lot better and far more spscious than the one that was used previously, with several more gates.
It’s All Change At Whitechapel Station
This article from The Wharf entitled Work begins to prepare Whitechapel station for Crossrail, is one of several reporting that this weekend is the big changeover at Whitechapel station, where a temporary ticket office is brought into use to allow work to start on the old station. This is said.
Work has begun to transform Whitechapel station ahead of the start of Crossrail services in 2018.
The station will be made step-free, the ticket hall will be expanded and the new Crossrail platforms will be integrated with the existing Tube and London Overground services.
Once the work is complete in late 2018, new lifts from street level to all train platforms will make the station fully accessible. The ticket hall will also be refurbished and expanded with wider pathways and more ticket gates.
These pictures were taken on January 13th.
I have long thought that Whitechapel station will be Crossrail’s Jewel In The East.
Why should signature stations be the just for the rich and the City?
Changing At New Cross
If you get an East London Line Class 378 train and want to continue your journey South from New Cross station, you often just walk across the platform to catch your next train.
The pictures show how I changed at New Cross for St. John’s station.
There is no problem going South but coming North, you have to climb over the bridge from platforms A or B to get to platform D. The walk is step free, but modern station layouts would be designed, so that you walk across between trains or wait on the platform for a few minutes, until your train arrives.
In an ideal world Northbound East London Line services would start from Platform A, with Platform B being reserved for services to Cannon Street.
New Cross Gate station uses a layout with the East London Line trains calling at the outermost platforms.
This would not be possible at present with the trains terminating at New Cross in Platform D, as they have no means to get to Platform A, without reversing out and crossing the busy lines through the station.
But if the East London Line trains terminated South of New Cross, this would not be a problem.
The service frequency from New Cross to Dalston Junction would still be the same as now, but there would be differences.
- Passengers joining the railway at New Cross wanting to use the East London Line to go North would have to cross the step-free footbridge, just as passengers for Cannon Street do now.
- Usually, because the Northbound East London Line train is waiting, you can sit and wait in a warm train, rather than on a draughty platform.
- Passengers from St. John’s, Lewisham and other stations in the South might avoid at least one change of train, by using East London Line trains.
Remember too, that from 2019, Crossrail will run through Whitechapel, giving better access to the West End, Paddington. Heathrow and East London. Charing Cross and Cannon Street aren’t exactly connected well to Crossrail. This will surely see a lot of passengers going between New Cross and Whitechapel.
Whitechapel Station – Steelwork Against The Sky
I took these pictures of the structures above the East London Line at Whitechapel station, as it is being rebuilt for Crossrail.
I do hope that when the station is completed, that a lot of the roof is clear to let in the natural light.
This image from the Crossrail page for Witechapel station gives hope.
I once wrote Is Whitechapel Station Going To Be The Jewel In The East?
We’ll see in a couple of years!
Whitechapel Station – 26th October 2015
The floors are going in at Whitechapel station.
It does seem that progress is being made.
Whitechapel Station – 3rd August 2015
There has been another busy weekend at Whitechapel station.
There has been no news of problems, that will delay the opening of the temporary entrance in the Autumn.
The Anonymous Widower 