City Thameslink signs

[tsr]

Whenever I go through City Thameslink I always notice frequent signs on the platforms indicating the location of cash machines. They are almost as emphasised as the safety signage.

Why is this? Is it because people working round there are more likely to want to know their location? Or is it merely some sort of signage anomaly?

Please forgive me if this has been discussed before. I have not been able to find any threads with a quick search. It may be that I haven't looked hard enough!

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I never thought about it when I worked there so never bothered to ask, but it is quite odd. Maybe there weren't many stations in the area with cash points in when it was built????

 

[A60K]

Just like HHF I've been seeing them for ages, but not really thought about them! Maybe if you arrive from the north with a London Terminals ticket you get frog-marched to the nearest one...

 

[4SRKT]

Probably City bankers (rhyming slang?) are more obsessed with money than yer average Joe.

 

[asylumxl]

Probably City bankers (rhyming slang?) are more obsessed with money than yer average Joe.

I imagine they're there so they know where to steal more money from your average Joe, opportunists that they are...

 

[stut]

IIRC, all the FCC-sited cash machines charge a tidy sum per withdrawal, so I suspect it's to make sure people aren't distracted by those evil, free machines outside the station.

 

[Minstral25]

It is such a boring grey station with no soul whatever that cash machines are probably the highlight of life at the station.

I used to enjoy walking through London Bridge or Victoria on my way home but City I just can't wait for the train to arrive - hope the Thameslink programme plans something to lift the station as it seems such a shame when other stations on the line are being made interesting (Farringdon and Blackfriars) but the station that takes its name from the programme is such a lifeless place

 

[hairyhandedfool]

IIRC, all the FCC-sited cash machines charge a tidy sum per withdrawal, so I suspect it's to make sure people aren't distracted by those evil, free machines outside the station.

They were there long before FCC.

It is such a boring grey station with no soul whatever that cash machines are probably the highlight of life at the station.

I used to enjoy walking through London Bridge or Victoria on my way home but City I just can't wait for the train to arrive - hope the Thameslink programme plans something to lift the station as it seems such a shame when other stations on the line are being made interesting (Farringdon and Blackfriars) but the station that takes its name from the programme is such a lifeless place

Perhaps they paint it a bit like this.....

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ansforming_Farringdon_A_LONDON_ST_PANCRAS.JPG

 

[4SRKT]

Can anyone remember what Holborn Viaduct was like? I never went to it myself, although I can remember the remains of it looming above the southern entrance to the Snow Hill tunnel.

 

[Minstral25]

Perhaps they paint it a bit like this.....

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ansforming_Farringdon_A_LONDON_ST_PANCRAS.JPG

I'm up for that!

Definitely better than dull grey and concrete decay the station currently has - its very depressing at the moment

 

[tsr]

It really is incredibly tedious at the moment. No disrespect meant, but I think the interior designer must have been almost colour-blind. I've tried my hand at building design - in fact, I'm qualified in commercial design - and I don't think I could come up with something that dull.

Still, it doesn't solve the cash machine signs conundrum! I always get off at St Pancras when I use the line, but if I ever get off at City Thameslink, I'll ask a member of staff. They're probably just as mystified as I am, though.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I doubt there are many staff who have been there long enough anyway. Most of the original staff seemed to have moved on when I was there last. I will try to make enquiries from another source, but I doubt they know either.

 

[A60K]

Can anyone remember what Holborn Viaduct was like? I never went to it myself, although I can remember the remains of it looming above the southern entrance to the Snow Hill tunnel.

I remember it well, along with closure (on the last train, 22 years ago) - have a look at www.abandonedstations.org.uk/Holborn_Viaduct_station.html for some memories of how things used to be!

 

[jon0844]

IIRC, all the FCC-sited cash machines charge a tidy sum per withdrawal, so I suspect it's to make sure people aren't distracted by those evil, free machines outside the station.

Yes, that was the first thing FCC did when they took over in 2006 - made the cash machines start charging.

I wouldn't mind a convenience fee of say 50p, but it's something silly like £1.96 (not sure why it's such an odd number) so I'd only use if it was a life-or-death situation!

It's not as if you have to walk far to a free ATM in and around most London rail/tube stations.

It is such a boring grey station with no soul whatever that cash machines are probably the highlight of life at the station.

It's a bit brighter now though, as the greenish light diffusers have all gone. As stations go, it's bright, clean and spacious - probably what most people want.

 

[142094]

There is normally some sort of charge to the bank for using say a Halifax card at a Nat West branch, but many banks waive this and let you use them for free. Not entirely sure how much this charge is, but for the standalone machines that charge some of the £1.96 or whatever it is will pay for that, a small bit goes to the owner of the premises (say like a newsagent) and the rest will go to the ATM owner.

 

[jon0844]

I presume banks have reciprocal arrangements and don't actually charge each other - but the private ones do as there's an obvious cost to provide a machine, and refill it.

But, £2 is too much in my opinion and I'll vote with my feet! If it was 50p or less, I'd probably consider that a suitable fee for the convenience of not having to walk further to a free one.

 

[Bungle73]

It is such a boring grey station with no soul whatever that cash machines are probably the highlight of life at the station.

I used to enjoy walking through London Bridge or Victoria on my way home but City I just can't wait for the train to arrive - hope the Thameslink programme plans something to lift the station as it seems such a shame when other stations on the line are being made interesting (Farringdon and Blackfriars) but the station that takes its name from the programme is such a lifeless place

Not really. The station takes its name from the route, which was called Thameslink way back when the through route re-opened back in in the '80s

Can anyone remember what Holborn Viaduct was like? I never went to it myself, although I can remember the remains of it looming above the southern entrance to the Snow Hill tunnel.

I used to go there when I used to bunk off school in the '80s. It was just an office block then.

 

[Class377/5]

There is normally some sort of charge to the bank for using say a Halifax card at a Nat West branch, but many banks waive this and let you use them for free. Not entirely sure how much this charge is, but for the standalone machines that charge some of the £1.96 or whatever it is will pay for that, a small bit goes to the owner of the premises (say like a newsagent) and the rest will go to the ATM owner.

The same applies at City. People always ask for a cash machine then find out the price and walk off. It was £1.96 when I worked there. Very expensive and multiple cash machines around the area only 1-2mins away.

It is such a boring grey station with no soul whatever that cash machines are probably the highlight of life at the station.

I used to enjoy walking through London Bridge or Victoria on my way home but City I just can't wait for the train to arrive - hope the Thameslink programme plans something to lift the station as it seems such a shame when other stations on the line are being made interesting (Farringdon and Blackfriars) but the station that takes its name from the programme is such a lifeless place

The design is due to the fact City of London have a say and they want it to look like that.

The TLP upgrade has been completed at City, was finished prior to Blackfriars run through.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Not really. The station takes it's name from the route, which was called Thameslink way back when the through route re-opened back in in the '80s....

To be fair the whole scheme was known as Thameslink (the upgrades they are now doing was called "Thameslink 2000" at the time).

City Thameslink was named St Paul's Thameslink when it opened to illustrate that it was on the Thameslink line and close to St Paul's Cathedral, but that it was not St Paul's station (Central Line) which is on the other side of the cathedral. To avoid the apparent confusion with the London Underground station, it was renamed City Thameslink.

 

[Bungle73]

To be fair the whole scheme was known as Thameslink (the upgrades they are now doing was called "Thameslink 2000" at the time).

City Thameslink was named St Paul's Thameslink when it opened to illustrate that it was on the Thameslink line and close to St Paul's Cathedral, but that it was not St Paul's station (Central Line) which is on the other side of the cathedral. To avoid the apparent confusion with the London Underground station, it was renamed City Thameslink.

But the name "Thameslinks" pre-dates the current improvements by a couple of decades. Thameslink was the name given to the line when they re-opened the Snow Hill tunnel in 1988.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

But the name "Thameslinks" pre-dates the current improvements by a couple of decades. Thameslink was the name given to the line when they re-opened the Snow Hill tunnel in 1988.

The Thameslink name predates the service!

Thameslink was the name given to the service, but it was also the name of the project that created the service.

 

[Bungle73]

The Thameslink name predates the service!

Thameslink was the name given to the service, but it was also the name of the project that created the service.

But the point is City Thameslink doesn't take its name from the current improvements. It's just called Thameslink because it's on the Thameslink line, as was Kings Cross Thameslnk, and the other stations named Thamselink.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Which if you had read my post you will see I acknowledged.

 

[Minstral25]

Yea I meant to say matches with the name of the programme, I've known and used the route since the 80's when I lived North of the River.

Still the station's not had a name change in the last 20 years so perhaps it needs renaming again as the name has no relevance to the area - Anyone for Holborn Viaduct??

 

[A60K]

Holborn & Ludgate
Ludgate & Holborn
Fleet Valley
Old Bailey
Newgate
St Sepulchre & St Bride
Ludgate Circus
City Thameslink for Occupy London

 

[jon0844]

City Thameslink for Occupy London

I heard FCC is introducing a discounted season ticket from City Thameslink to any station within Kensington and Chelsea, so the protesters can easily go home to mummy and daddy every night and sleep in their warm beds.

 

[A60K]

And taking a leaf from Virgin Atlantic's book it will include a limousine to take you from the station to your home...

 

[tsr]

Why not just go back to basics and call it City Thameslink, but announce that passengers can "change here to walk to the Bank of England, City of London and other expensive cash dispensing facilities"? Under an obscure legal agreement, it should be forbidden for announcers to place too much emphasis on the word "change", since there isn't any.

 

[142094]

The same applies at City. People always ask for a cash machine then find out the price and walk off. It was £1.96 when I worked there. Very expensive and multiple cash machines around the area only 1-2mins away.

I'm sure that the signage should say that the machine charges for withdrawals, but often it is in very small print and you only get told when you have already entered your pin, chosen to withdraw and the amount from the menu screen and just then it will ask you to confirm that you are happy to proceed with being charged. Very annoying when you can't find a free machine.

 

[Minstral25]

The design is due to the fact City of London have a say and they want it to look like that.

The TLP upgrade has been completed at City, was finished prior to Blackfriars run through.

It seems the City has no taste then.

However having a few minutes spare waiting for my as usual late FCC train to ECR I looked at the walls and they are faded and grey showing a lot of age stains. So basically nothing has gone into City as part of the Thameslink refurbishment.