Kings Cross - New station

[stut]

I had a look today, and you can't even see the lights if you're standing at ground level.

Apologies, should have said it was from the balcony.

I also noticed, standing in the arrivals bit, there's still quite a few people trying to gain access to the platforms there, and then having to run round to the departures bit.....even though there's a huge sign saying "Arrivals Only" and a big arrow pointing people to the arrivals concourse.

I hope they continue to do so and the message gets through!

I notice the roped-off walkway now has metal and glass barriers for most of its length (although still tensabarriers at the ends). The escalator to platforms 2/3 seems to have been out of service all week - was that the one that was squealing especially badly?

 

[Bungle73]

I still don't think the lights are a problem.

 

[jon0844]

Are the LED lights pointing up always purple, or do they change periodically?

 

[rdwarr]

The PA system needs an upgrade or better coverage.

Last night the 18:53 to Royston was announced for P8 so everybody went over to the platform to wait for it to come in. After a while I noticed that all the people at the London end had disappeared leaving a bunch of us confused by the bike racks.
There had been an announcement of a platform change (to P9) but nobody north of the escalator had heard it, partly because there was a 43 on P7.
Admittedly it would have helped if the other commuters had told us - as soon as I realised the problem I made sure everybody else knew too.

 

[jon0844]

Can they also install a second summary of arrivals screen nearer to the platform 9-11 end? I was waiting for a friend to arrive from Cambridge last Thursday and needed to know what platform the train was arriving at. I'd come in on platform 10.

I looked up at the boards and saw nothing, so walked through to arrivals and looked there. I asked a member of staff who said there was one next door - so I went back and noticed there is, on the second (right hand side) row of screens in tiny text! Boy do you need to be close to read this screen!

 

[DaveNewcastle]

The PA system needs an upgrade or better coverage.

I'm very surpised by this remark.
I have found the new system to be one of the best wide-area announcement systems that I have encountered in an enclosed area in recent years with exceptionally good intelligibility (one of my businesses is dedicated to audio).

I'm wondering if the difficulty you encountered was perhaps a consequence of a switching error (the right message was sent to the wrong group of loudspeakers)? There's no doubt in my mind that the clarity of announcements is far greater than in most, if not all, other UK stations.

[This is an observation which I've already made in this thread which perhaps you hadn't noticed.]

Can they also install a second summary of arrivals screen nearer to the platform 9-11 end?

Irrespective of the reasons you have given, I suspect that there may be a very wide range of circumstances which would place passengers in the situation of being a) track-side of the barriers, and b) wishing to know which at platforms departures and arrivals are planned.
I raised this need as an important issue nearly 2 months ago.

 

[rdwarr]

Thanks for the post Dave (and sorry for not referencing your previous post). It could well have been the combination of one speaker being off and standing within five yards of a diesel.

 

[marks87]

I paid a visit to the new concourse when in London yesterday and while I was a bit sceptical looking at the photos, in the flesh it looks really impressive.

One thing I noticed, though, is that it has an interesting acoustic. When walking towards the main entrance, I noticed "spikes" in the volume of the announcements, where presumably the sound was bouncing off the round walls and coming back at me. I don't think it was to do with being near another speaker, because the volume increase was only for a second or so at a time.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Are the LED lights pointing up always purple, or do they change periodically?

2 months later, and they're not purple now!


The demand for departure information at the street entrance to the new concorse must have been unexpected. This new 'mobile departure screen' has been placed just inside the door, completely self powered, on wheels and with small antenna on the top.

 

[Clip]

Interesting thing that. Reminds me of Metal Mickey

 

[Bungle73]

Interesting thing that. Reminds me of Metal Mickey

What do you think would happen if you fed it an Atomic Thunder Buster?

 

[jon0844]

2 months later, and they're not purple now!

Maybe they are colour changing LEDs and someone has simply set them on a very slow cycle.

 

[ainsworth74]

The demand for departure information at the street entrance to the new concorse must have been unexpected. This new 'mobile departure screen' has been placed just inside the door, completely self powered, on wheels and with small antenna on the top.

I'm glad they've put that there as it should help deal with the situation where you're running late for your train and previously had to run halfway onto the main concourse away from where the trains were before then actually being able to run towards the trains!

 

[philjo]

2 months later, and they're not purple now!


The demand for departure information at the street entrance to the new concorse must have been unexpected. This new 'mobile departure screen' has been placed just inside the door, completely self powered, on wheels and with small antenna on the top.

View attachment 11957

I noticed that this evening. Perhaps they have put it there for use during the olympics ?
It would be helpful to have a permanent display in that area.

 

[Bald Rick]

Maybe they are colour changing LEDs and someone has simply set them on a very slow cycle.

They are indeed colour changing. But the former station manager liked pinky-purple so set them to that permanently. It took a while before anyone found out!

 

[jon0844]

That is going to be one of those great anecdotes in the future!

 

[swt_passenger]

Have they done anything about opening the paid side passageway between P8 and P9 yet - as discussed before and as shown in the planning drawings?

Lack of that through route must be a major main reason late FCC platform changes cause problems...

 

[jon0844]

It would certainly seem logical to re-open that now both sides are protected. Of course, that's not always the case as 9-11 can be gated when 0-8 isn't (and vice versa) but you still have the ability to walk all the way down the end of platform 8/9 if you're that determined.

Mind you, it's probably quicker to run out the gates at 9-11, up the escalator and over the bridge to get to whatever platform you need than simply go over to platform 8 and an escalator coming towards you - and a lift that will take ages.

 

[philjo]

Though not so easy going the other way e.g. from 7 to 9 as the escalators in the main station only go down & you cannot call the lifts from the bottom.

I had a short notice alteration from 8 to 3 the other day, some time after platform 8 had been announced (though no train in yet so platform 8 was packed)

 

[Skimble19]

They are indeed colour changing. But the former station manager liked pinky-purple so set them to that permanently. It took a while before anyone found out!

Would be nice to see them changing regularly - white is a little boring for a structure like that.

 

[mailman]

I noticed that this evening. Perhaps they have put it there for use during the olympics ?
It would be helpful to have a permanent display in that area.

There is a ruddy great wall outside the entrance as you walk in to the main hallway that looks perfect for a large outdoor display.

Im somewhat disappoint, yet not entirely surprised, that the powers that be never thought of having an outdoor display.

Mailman

 

[rdwarr]

Have they done anything about opening the paid side passageway between P8 and P9 yet - as discussed before and as shown in the planning drawings?

Lack of that through route must be a major main reason late FCC platform changes cause problems...

Up until last week they seemed to be open every day. But this week they've been mostly closed. When my crowded 12-car 365 arrives on P8 having these gates open reduces congestion and makes things much easier for passengers going to St Pancras. I can't think of a downside.

 

[jon0844]

Perhaps having people taking a short cut to exit via platform 9 was causing a safety risk with potential overcrowding - and the decision was made to keep the gates closed (so not having anyone forgetting to open/close them as needed)?

It's always been a great shortcut, but I can see how it might put people at risk.. the problem being that you might take care, but many commuters become blind when they're in a rush and do all sorts of idiotic things - especially when mixed with tourists, those with buggies, bikes etc.

 

[rdwarr]

But having it open reduces overcrowding both on P8 and at the barriers.

 

[jon0844]

I might have misunderstood what you meant.

I'm imagining an issue where a train comes in on platform 8 - whether a 12-car FCC train or an East Coast train that was full to bursting.. and people get off and instead of walking along platform 8, cut through the side to get onto platform 9 and out through those gates, to take a short cut.

That would mean that if a train was coming in on platform 9, which isn't that wide, it would be rather chaotic - or if a train was leaving there might even be a chance of someone falling down on to the track. Okay, so I'd expect that to be it (someone falls, and is helped up) with no high speed trains coming to hit them and so no chance of anything more serious happening - but that's still a safety issue.

As it is, trains can arrive on platform 9 (well 10 and 11 too) and as people pile off, people are also fighting to get down and board that train for a quick turnaround (say it arrived a few minutes late). Throw in those walking over from 8 and even if nobody else has thought of that as a safety issue, I do!

Perhaps something like that has already happened? If so, that might have prompted the closure of the gate.

I used to cut through there all the time, so I realise it might be frustrating but FCC might be taking safety a bit more seriously after the incident of the lady being dragged along while trapped in the 365 doors for a bit, and the driver deciding to continue to Finsbury Park!

 

[philjo]

All the barriers at KX were open at 8pm yesterday -a lot of people were coming in from the old concourse and a lot going out through the entry barriers!

 

[causton]

All the barriers at KX were open at 8pm yesterday -a lot of people were coming in from the old concourse and a lot going out through the entry barriers!

Frequently happens at night, for example if I have to catch the 2306 service I know nobody will be at the barriers so take the entrance to the old concourse from the tube as it's quicker (1st exit instead of 2nd) then go from there

 

[Stephen55a1960]

Frequently happens at night, for example if I have to catch the 2306 service I know nobody will be at the barriers so take the entrance to the old concourse from the tube as it's quicker (1st exit instead of 2nd) then go from there

I know, when I did my East Coast trip on 16th June, that the barriers were open when I went for the 20.30 KX-LDS.

 

[Bungle73]

They're currently preparing the old concourse for demolition, so the exits are restricted ATM.

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/6288.aspx

 

[jon0844]

You can still enter/exit via the side (on York Way) and move to the right to get to the Underground without going outside or into the new concourse. It's just straight ahead that is closed, including all the shops and toilets (which went some time ago). At least that was what it was like last Thursday (with staff handing out a map showing the new layout).

I am not sure how much room there will be when a few trains arrive close together, but I am sure they'll be encouraging people to exit to the right (from the platforms) to go into the new station area. Most commuters will quickly learn, I'm sure (after moaning like crazy for the first few days!).