Argh! Bright light! King's Cross is no longer in darkness!

[jon0844]

Came through Kings's Cross tonight and noticed something different.. natural light! hock:

A section of the newly refurbished roof has now been unveiled, on platforms 5-8 and it looks very nice. Perhaps not as nice as St Pancras, but pretty decent nonetheless.

I can't remember when it was actually lit properly by natural light (even before the work was done, the glass was filthy!).

 

[Aictos]

Looks good, don't it

 

[shinkansen1966]

What's timescale for the remaining work at KX ?

- finishing the roof
- opening the western booking hall facing St Pancras (last I looked it was well on course)
- removing the building cluttering at the front of the station

 

[swt_passenger]

What's timescale for the remaining work at KX ?

- finishing the roof
- opening the western booking hall facing St Pancras (last I looked it was well on course)
- removing the building cluttering at the front of the station

platform 1-8 work completes late 2011
main roof completion, and new ticket hall opens, spring 2012.
demolition of old ticket hall will happen post Olympics, final completion of public realm at front of station in 2013.

 

[Yew]

Looks good, I agree not as nice as STP, (however the blue colour helps STP) but nicer than the arched bit in victoria (which looks OK, but could also do with some painting, and the other half too)

 

[jon0844]

The roof is still good, but I think the work on the platforms has been rather poorly done (maybe it's not finished?) and the floor is very uneven - so as they've put new floor tiles down, it seems to be up and down and badly fitted.

I hope this will be fixed (even if it means a contractor being told to tear it up and try again) as I'd hate to see the station looking like a rush job, especially given how long they've been working on it. Almost the whole time I've been commuting into London!

 

[trentside]

If this is a sign of things to come, then I'm sure KGX will be a nicer, brighter place.

I just hope they sort out platform level in a decent way, and not a 'rush job'.

 

[Greenback]

It looks better than it did the last time I was there! A good start but plenty more to do I think!

 

[jopsuk]

will there be regular cleaning of the roof to deal with the exhausts of the HSTs and 180s?

 

[jon0844]

It looks like there are rails to allow for easier cleaning/maintenance - just like at St Pancras. Of course, money will dictate how frequent the cleaning will be!

 

[Will Marriot]

Will they let a steam train in there ever again?

 

[trentside]

Will they let a steam train in there ever again?

If they let HSTs and 180s sit under there belching out diesel fumes, then I'm sure a kettle will be allowed in - unless it sets fire to the place

 

[shinkansen1966]

main roof completion, and new ticket hall opens, spring 2012.

That's the one to look forward, too. At the moment during the evening peak, Kings Cross can be hard work. Especially if there are delays.

And St Pancras and Kings Cross entrances will be just about face to face.

 

[ObservationCar]

will there be regular cleaning of the roof to deal with the exhausts of the HSTs and 180s?

Bearing in mind a diesel probably coasts into the station, and that the only mass ejection of fumes is as it accelerates to leave the station, this alone would not cause too much of a mess, but would still acumulate over time.

But of course if an HST is stabled for any length of time in a platform then the engine is still turning over then this is what will cause the mess on the roof. Mad cap idea, but what about inventing a carbon capture device either on board or external to the locos. A flexible tube could be plumbed into a train while idleing, to capture the fumes which would go into a retention tank.

 

[jon0844]

That's the one to look forward, too. At the moment during the evening peak, Kings Cross can be hard work. Especially if there are delays.

And St Pancras and Kings Cross entrances will be just about face to face.

I thought the other day that, lovely as the new St Pancras hotel is, by the time everything is done - it will actually be a shorter walk from the reopened Great Northern hotel to get to the entrance of Eurostar. Just cross the road and use the side entrance, and if you're going Business Premier - it's even closer!

I am really looking forward to everything being finished in 2013 or so.

 

[shinkansen1966]

I am really looking forward to everything being finished in 2013 or so.

Agreed.

Interesting how both St Pancras and Kings Cross face the main Euston road, but soon both stations will have their key entrances on one side and facing each other. This will make it easier to disperse passengers along their platform lengths.

LU's Northern ticket hall will be travel epicenter for both, too.

Most of the time, I arrive and depart by bus. So I'll continue to use the front entrances. Come 2013, will it still be possible to enter Kings Cross from the front. Or will all passengers pass through the KX western ticket hall ? Do you know how this will work ?

 

[jon0844]

The front may be for ticket holders only?

 

[HST Power]

Looking good so far. Plenty still to do but so far so good.

 

[swt_passenger]

Come 2013, will it still be possible to enter Kings Cross from the front. Or will all passengers pass through the KX western ticket hall ? Do you know how this will work ?

The 'front gateline' (ie across the platform 1-8 buffers) will be almost all set to exit (according to the planning drawings); however a couple of entry gates are shown at the very eastern end of the gateline.

However the only enclosed waiting area for departing passengers will be in the western concourse, with the main entry gateline through the western office range - about where M&S used to be. There will be a small entry only gateline (5 or 6 gates) from the mezzanine catering floor onto the footbridge, thence down to the platforms. Lastly there are a small number of gates giving exit and entry on the ground floor half way along platform 8, near the suburban entrance, and at the north end of the new concourse.

As you must know the suburban side is already barriered.

 

[shinkansen1966]

The 'front gateline' (ie across the platform 1-8 buffers) will be almost all set to exit (according to the planning drawings); however a couple of entry gates are shown at the very eastern end of the gateline.

Interesting. Are the planning drawings available to the public ? Any links ?

And what about the eastern side exit from KX taking onto York Way on the bus stops ?

As you must know the suburban side is already barriered.

Sure do !

 

[swt_passenger]

Interesting. Are the planning drawings available to the public ?

There is stacks of info available online, but I found that the way Camden's planning site works you can't link to individual documents - you'll have to 'drill down' from the application number, which is 2006/3387/P. Once you get to the page for the application you need to go down to the bottom and click on the 'view related documents' link...

http://planningrecords.camden.gov.uk/Northgate/PlanningExplorer17/GeneralSearch.aspx

 

[shinkansen1966]

There is stacks of info available online, but I found that the way Camden's planning site works you can't link to individual documents - you'll have to 'drill down' from the application number, which is 2006/3387/P. Once you get to the page for the application you need to go down to the bottom and click on the 'view related documents' link...

http://planningrecords.camden.gov.uk/Northgate/PlanningExplorer17/GeneralSearch.aspx

Thanks !

 

[jopsuk]

Bringing this up again, I didn't remeber to take a photo, but the new part is now partially (very partially) open- access to Suburban shed and between the main shed and St Pancras is now via a small part of the new concourse.

 

[Electrostar]

The square outside the front entrance has received the go-ahead too.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16549518

 

[All Line Rover]

The square outside the front entrance has received the go-ahead too.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16549518

It looks lovely. Us Euston users will probably have to wait until HS2 starts to be built before we see any improvements.

 

[Bedpan]

Bringing this up again, I didn't remeber to take a photo, but the new part is now partially (very partially) open- access to Suburban shed and between the main shed and St Pancras is now via a small part of the new concourse.

I went there on Christmas Eve (having arrived at the new Platform 0) and the route from the main train shed and past the suburban platforms towards St Pancras took me down a walkway on the north side of the new concourse, the concourse itself being barricaded off with wooden hoardings. What I couldn't understand was that the main concourse looked as if it was still a building site and yet looking over the barriers I could see that the destination boards were working and that there was a stonking great Christmas tree on the concourse - which led me to beileve that perhaps there was public access after all. I couldn't see ground level and so couldn't see if any people were in there.

 

[swt_passenger]

I went there on Christmas Eve (having arrived at the new Platform 0) and the route from the main train shed and past the suburban platforms towards St Pancras took me down a walkway on the north side of the new concourse, the concourse itself being barricaded off with wooden hoardings. What I couldn't understand was that the main concourse looked as if it was still a building site and yet looking over the barriers I could see that the destination boards were working and that there was a stonking great Christmas tree on the concourse - which led me to beileve that perhaps there was public access after all. I couldn't see ground level and so couldn't see if any people were in there.

That would be the situation shown here, perhaps? NR reported 'completion of main construction' in mid December, and the pic with the press release shows a Christmas tree:

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...r-Construction-On-Western-Concourse-14a9.aspx

 

[Bedpan]

Ah yes the tree's there in the photo. But why leave it in a position where nobody can see it, unless it was for the benefit of the people doing the fitting out work?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

We were at King's Cross today on account of the kids wanting to see the Harry Potter trolley in the wall ( it's been moved again; back to between 8 and 9 but in the next passageway along from where it originally was ) and enough of the hoarding around the new ticket hall was down that we could see in to the whole thing. They've also got the screens working in there.

 

[jon0844]

I was told before Christmas that they had a press event on around the 18 or 19th December, but it doesn't open until around March for the public.

Maybe she meant for the press release and to show potential customers (retail outlets?) but either way it isn't open yet!