King's Cross Northern Line lifts emergency exit

[Lee_Again]

Hi All,

Where does the escape route take you too, please? The one accessed from the mid point of the Northern Line public lift.

I'm aware there's a (non-public) lift from the platforms to street level, which I presume uses the original shafts, and I also presume there are (non-public stairs) in the same shaft. Is this where the escape route leads and are there any public photos of this. All the maps I can find on the station exclude this detail.

Thank you

 

[AlbertBeale]

Hi All,

Where does the escape route take you too, please? The one accessed from the mid point of the Northern Line public lift.

I'm aware there's a (non-public) lift from the platforms to street level, which I presume uses the original shafts, and I also presume there are (non-public stairs) in the same shaft. Is this where the escape route leads and are there any public photos of this. All the maps I can find on the station exclude this detail.

Thank you

I'm not sure where you mean exactly - but one thought occurs to me. Before all the new build of the northern ticket hall etc, and the new 10-minute diversionary walks if you follow the signage for interchange, the Pentonville Road (ex-Thameslink) entrance, besides the obvious nearby Vic lines access, also fed through a corridor to the Piccadilly line (that direct route is I think now no more, but subsumed into one of the diversions). Did that former Picc corridor also give a link to any emergency exit from the Northern?? It might be in vaguely the right area? If so, is it still there behind a door which you can't get into from the current public routes?

 

[Lee_Again]

I'm not sure where you mean exactly - but one thought occurs to me. Before all the new build of the northern ticket hall etc, and the new 10-minute diversionary walks if you follow the signage for interchange, the Pentonville Road (ex-Thameslink) entrance, besides the obvious nearby Vic lines access, also fed through a corridor to the Piccadilly line (that direct route is I think now no more, but subsumed into one of the diversions). Did that former Picc corridor also give a link to any emergency exit from the Northern?? It might be in vaguely the right area? If so, is it still there behind a door which you can't get into from the current public routes?

If you get the public lift from the original ticket hall to the northern line platform level, half way down you will see an exit route (from the lift windows) that is not for passenger use, except in emergency. I'm not referring to the old walking routes over and above the Piccadilly and Victoria lines. I'm aware of those old routes.

 

[swt_passenger]

If you get the public lift from the original ticket hall to the northern line platform level, half way down you will see an exit route (from the lift windows) that is not for passenger use, except in emergency. I'm not referring to the old walking routes over and above the Piccadilly and Victoria lines. I'm aware of those old routes.

Is it actually labelled up as an emergency route for passengers, ie is there a way you can you cause the lift to stop there, or would it need staff intervention?

(IIRC that was a new lift installed after the new northern ticket hall was finished and opened.)

 

[AlbertBeale]

If you get the public lift from the original ticket hall to the northern line platform level, half way down you will see an exit route (from the lift windows) that is not for passenger use, except in emergency. I'm not referring to the old walking routes over and above the Piccadilly and Victoria lines. I'm aware of those old routes.

Ah - thanks. I might use that lift sometime [when I have cause to use KK and I'm not in a hurry - not a common combination!] and wander around the station trying to "get my bearings" to see whether I can figure out where any egress might go to.

 

[bramling]

Is it actually labelled up as an emergency route for passengers, ie is there a way you can you cause the lift to stop there, or would it need staff intervention?

(IIRC that was a new lift installed after the new northern ticket hall was finished and opened.)

I have a feeling it's not an escape route, however it's quite possibly an "intervention" route, primarily for firefighters. There wouldn't be a requirement for an escape route, as the platform already has secondary escape in the form of two separate entry/exit routes.

 

[Lee_Again]

I have a feeling it's not an escape route, however it's quite possibly an "intervention" route, primarily for firefighters. There wouldn't be a requirement for an escape route, as the platform already has secondary escape in the form of two separate entry/exit routes.

I'm sure that's true. In any event, it's definitely a physical route that leads from the lift shaft (about 1/2 way) to somewhere...and that's the question. My gut feel tells me it leads to the original shafts where there's likely to be stairs and/or another lift...I can't find any reference anywhere and hence the post. All the diagrams I can find don't show this part of the station. There is the odd overhead view online of the shaft area showing what appears to be stairs, lifts, toilets and other maintenance type areas, but again, this is purely speculation on my part.

 

[bramling]

I'm sure that's true. In any event, it's definitely a physical route that leads from the lift shaft (about 1/2 way) to somewhere...and that's the question. My gut feel tells me it leads to the original shafts where there's likely to be stairs and/or another lift...I can't find any reference anywhere and hence the post. All the diagrams I can find don't show this part of the station. There is the odd overhead view online of the shaft area showing what appears to be stairs, lifts, toilets and other maintenance type areas, but again, this is purely speculation on my part.

The passage which can be seen from the intermediate level in the Northern Line lift leads to a point mid-way up the original Northern Line spiral staircase shaft, which still exists for staff use from the Northern Line platforms up to the area at sub-street level where the original Northern Line ticket hall used to be, now a large complex of staff rooms to the west of the current Tube Ticket Hall - North Ticket Hall passenger link subway. A newer flight of stairs leading on from the top of the spiral staircase reaches surface via the "eggshell" building, which is a combined vent/fan/intervention structure at street level, atop the former Northern Line lift/stair shafts. One of the former Northern Line lift shafts also contains a firefighters lift, which again runs from Northern Line platform level to the "eggshell".

The former Northern Line lift shafts are quite complex themselves - one is a straightforward draught-relief shaft for the Northern Line platforms, whilst the other acts as a tunnel ventilation fan shaft for the Victoria Line. Two other shafts exist in other parts of the station for similar purposes - one of the former Piccadilly Line lift shafts acts as a tunnel ventilation fan shaft serving both the Piccadilly and Northern Lines, whilst a purpose-built draught relief shaft serves the Piccadilly and Victoria platform areas. This gives four ventilation systems with three ventilation structures at surface level in total, two of the systems sharing the "eggshell" building.

There's also an interesting feature in the SB Victoria Line tunnel just south of the SB platform, where I believe the running tunnel cuts through a former Piccadilly Line lift shaft. Just south of that is the ventilation opening leading to the Northern Line lift shafts, which interestingly seems to drop *downwards*, not really what one would expect.

With the complex of railways and associated tunnels running through the place, one wonders how much ground is actually left in places!

 

[Lee_Again]

The passage which can be seen from the intermediate level in the Northern Line lift leads to a point mid-way up the original Northern Line spiral staircase shaft, which still exists for staff use from the Northern Line platforms up to the area at sub-street level where the original Northern Line ticket hall used to be, now a large complex of staff rooms to the west of the current Tube Ticket Hall - North Ticket Hall passenger link subway. A newer flight of stairs leading on from the top of the spiral staircase reaches surface via the "eggshell" building, which is a combined vent/fan/intervention structure at street level, atop the former Northern Line lift/stair shafts. One of the former Northern Line lift shafts also contains a firefighters lift, which again runs from Northern Line platform level to the "eggshell".

The former Northern Line lift shafts are quite complex themselves - one is a straightforward draught-relief shaft for the Northern Line platforms, whilst the other acts as a tunnel ventilation fan shaft for the Victoria Line. Two other shafts exist in other parts of the station for similar purposes - one of the former Piccadilly Line lift shafts acts as a tunnel ventilation fan shaft serving both the Piccadilly and Northern Lines, whilst a purpose-built draught relief shaft serves the Piccadilly and Victoria platform areas. This gives four ventilation systems with three ventilation structures at surface level in total, two of the systems sharing the "eggshell" building.

There's also an interesting feature in the SB Victoria Line tunnel just south of the SB platform, where I believe the running tunnel cuts through a former Piccadilly Line lift shaft. Just south of that is the ventilation opening leading to the Northern Line lift shafts, which interestingly seems to drop *downwards*, not really what one would expect.

With the complex of railways and associated tunnels running through the place, one wonders how much ground is actually left in places!

Wow, what an informative post. Thank you. This is just the sort of detail I was hoping for. Are there any public documents which show this detail? The web is full of quite detailed plans of the public areas, and I've seen a document describing the ventilation system, but nothing that shows what you've expertly described. I'm thinking along the lines of planning documents, safety certification, that sort of thing. Any help is much appreciated.
The Ian Visits web site has a large number of station plans (link to Kings Cross below), but these are not 100% extensive.
Ian Visits - Kings Cross station layout