Finsbury Park

[swt_passenger]

Network Rail announce start of work to lengthen platforms, lengthen canopies, and reopen disused platforms - the latter as part of the '6 tracking' as per the CP4 enhancement plan.

Also (surprisingly I think) a new interchange footbridge and lifts - so that suggests they have been looking at access and interchange improvements.

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...GRAMME-KICKS-OFF-1705/SearchCategoryID-8.aspx

 

[Aictos]

My only question is the new proposed footbridge and lifts offering step free access to the booking office, I would like to see how they proposed doing this - see the enclosed photo to see where the existing booking office is:

Would be nice though if they considered a canopy for users of Hertford North, there's currently only a tiny shelter on Platform 1 so when it rains in the peak, it's a case of having to shelter on the stairs.

 

[swt_passenger]

Is that the east side entrance? It's years since I left the station and went outside - but didn't TfL have plans for some major work on the west side of the mainline - maybe there's room to have a lift over there? IIRC TfL had plans on the go to put everyhting behind a proper barrier line as well at one stage.

I'll see if I can find anything on the local planning website in due course...

 

[Aictos]

Wikipedia states it's the Eastern entrance on Station Place.

 

[transmanche]

My only question is the new proposed footbridge and lifts offering step free access to the booking office, I would like to see how they proposed doing this - see the enclosed photo to see where the existing booking office is:

TBH, I don't think it's be that hard to install a lift. The little stall and the cashpoint visible in the picture you posted are pretty much directly beneath the disused island platform next to platform 1. A lift there gives you step-free access to that platform, from where you'll be able to access the new footbridge.

 

[Class377/5]

Is that the east side entrance? It's years since I left the station and went outside - but didn't TfL have plans for some major work on the west side of the mainline - maybe there's room to have a lift over there? IIRC TfL had plans on the go to put everyhting behind a proper barrier line as well at one stage.

I'll see if I can find anything on the local planning website in due course...

The picture is of the east side of the station tho Im not sure theres much move for the lift in the current configuration as you enter then turn 90 degrees to get to a passage way to the platforms. It needs better layout and the barriers aren't the best idea ever.

 

[barrykas]

This brochure from December 2007 shows the work as originally proposed.

Briefly:

• Extension to the Wells Terrace entrance
• New ticket gates at all access points to the LU side of the station
• Reinstatement of the (currently disused) passageway beyond the stairs leading to the "mezzanine" passageway that provides access to the NR platforms
• Extension of said disused passageway to the passageway linking Wells Terrace and Seven Sisters Road
• New lifts to the tube platforms in the extended passageway
• Reinstatement of the second staircases in the existing "emergency" stairs between the tube platforms and "mezzanine" passage

Whether that's still the plan, I couldn't say for sure, as it's not on the "Projects and Schemes" page on the TfL site. I had to Google to find said leaflet.

Cheers,

Barry

 

[RichmondCommu]

Why was the island platform disused in the first place?

 

[Aictos]

Why was the island platform disused in the first place?

The "New Works Programme, 1935 - 1940" was the major investment programme delivered by the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB), commonly known as London Transport, which had been created in 1933 to coordinate underground train, tram, trolleybus and bus services in the capital and the surrounding areas. The programme was to develop many aspects of the public transport services run by the LPTB and the suburban rail services of the Great Western Railway (GWR) and London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). The investment was largely backed by government assistance as well as by the issuing of financial bonds and was estimated to cost £42,286,000 in 1936 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Works_Programme#cite_note-beyond2-0(approximately £2.13 billion today).http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Works_Programme#cite_note-inflation-UK-1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Works_Programme

 

[pendolino]

Why was the island platform disused in the first place?

The platforms originally served the trains to/from Edgware and Alexandra Palace (not the Alexandra Palace station on the ECML) along a line which was due to be electrified under the Northern Heights scheme, part of the New Works Programme, as ajax103 says.

The work was abandoned at the outbreak of WW2 and never completed; the line closed to passengers in 1954 and was used to shuttle empty tube stock to Drayton Park/Moorgate until 1970 (when this was still part of the tube) but it's now completely closed and you can walk along virtually the entire route to Highgate, then along the branch to Alexandra Palace.

It's a great walk if you like disused railway lines - I walked it a couple of weeks ago and have just finished writing about it.

 

[Class377/5]

The platforms originally served the trains to/from Edgware and Alexandra Palace (not the Alexandra Palace station on the ECML) along a line which was due to be electrified under the Northern Heights scheme, part of the New Works Programme, as ajax103 says.

The work was abandoned at the outbreak of WW2 and never completed; the line closed to passengers in 1954 and was used to shuttle empty tube stock to Drayton Park/Moorgate until 1970 (when this was still part of the tube) but it's now completely closed and you can walk along virtually the entire route to Highgate, then along the branch to Alexandra Palace.

It's a great walk if you like disused railway lines - I walked it a couple of weeks ago and have just finished writing about it.

Terrible waste of a line. My back garden backs on to this. Shame really as it would have produce a valuable link now.

 

[swt_passenger]

This brochure from December 2007 shows the work as originally proposed.

Briefly:

• Extension to the Wells Terrace entrance
• New ticket gates at all access points to the LU side of the station
• Reinstatement of the (currently disused) passageway beyond the stairs leading to the "mezzanine" passageway that provides access to the NR platforms
• Extension of said disused passageway to the passageway linking Wells Terrace and Seven Sisters Road
• New lifts to the tube platforms in the extended passageway
• Reinstatement of the second staircases in the existing "emergency" stairs between the tube platforms and "mezzanine" passage

Whether that's still the plan, I couldn't say for sure, as it's not on the "Projects and Schemes" page on the TfL site. I had to Google to find said leaflet.

Cheers Barry - turns out the only planning stuff I did find was about that project. I've a feeling responsibility for the site must be part TfL and part NR, and from the NR announcement all their proposals seem to be outside what TfL were proposing. All a bit odd...

 

[barrykas]

Cheers Barry - turns out the only planning stuff I did find was about that project. I've a feeling responsibility for the site must be part TfL and part NR, and from the NR announcement all their proposals seem to be outside what TfL were proposing. All a bit odd...

But not entirely unusual...Though I must admit I misread the original post and thought it was about lifts down to the tube platforms. D'oh!

Cheers,

Barry

 

[jopsuk]

Why is it that all the entrances can't just be simply barriered? I've heard it's something to do do with a right-of-way issue through the station (to Wells Terrace?) but that can be dealt with by legal means- after all, it would hardly be a bad diversion to go round the outside. It's always mystified me this. Full step-free access though, now that would be a challenge.

 

[transmanche]

Why is it that all the entrances can't just be simply barriered? I've heard it's something to do do with a right-of-way issue through the station (to Wells Terrace?) but that can be dealt with by legal means- after all, it would hardly be a bad diversion to go round the outside. It's always mystified me this. Full step-free access though, now that would be a challenge.

Space. Or rather the lack of.

With the current layout, you'd be hard pressed to fit even three ticket gates at each entrance - and that would lead to dangerous overcrowding.

Hence the expansion plans that barrykas linked to earlier - which would have included reconstructing the Wells Terrace exit to fit six ticket gates. Looking at the plans, it would seem that the proposed new passageway would have its entrance where the stall and cashpoint is located in the photo ajax103 posted earlier.

But this is also the logical place to site the lifts to the NR platforms...

 

[Fred26]

The station wants demolishing and re-built properly. It can get join the queue though...

 

[jon0844]

I've put up some recent photos of the gates as they're nearly ready to go live (maybe a couple of weeks for 5/6 and a bit longer for 1/2)

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=42198