Kings Cross - New station

[stut]

Buggered if I'm walking all the way round from York Way to Pancras Road to lock up my bike on platform 0!

 

[Clip]

Buggered if I'm walking all the way round from York Way to Pancras Road to lock up my bike on platform 0!

Platform 0 is on the York way side though.

 

[stut]

Platform 0 is on the York way side though.

Er yes, exactly.

At the moment, it's very convenient - my train tends to arrive at platform 2, and in the evening, it's usually platform 1 or platform 4. The racks have plenty space, and seem relatively secure. I head off down King's Cross Road, so I can be from train to street in a few minutes.

If, however, I'm forced to go around to Pancras Road to get in, back round to platform 0, and back to platform 4, cutting across rush hour crowds with a great big bike and panniers, it'll be a bit of a pain. And I'll likely miss the train I currently get.

 

[Clip]

Er yes, exactly.

At the moment, it's very convenient - my train tends to arrive at platform 2, and in the evening, it's usually platform 1 or platform 4. The racks have plenty space, and seem relatively secure. I head off down King's Cross Road, so I can be from train to street in a few minutes.

If, however, I'm forced to go around to Pancras Road to get in, back round to platform 0, and back to platform 4, cutting across rush hour crowds with a great big bike and panniers, it'll be a bit of a pain. And I'll likely miss the train I currently get.

Right sorry, I misunderstood your post.

 

[rdwarr]

The only downside for me is closing the exit from Platform 8 towards St Pancras. My morning train normally arrives in P8 and that cut-through saves a few minutes on teh connection for Blackfriars.
Then again I'll get the time back in the evening when I don't have to walk all the way down to the end of P8 to get to P7 for the train home

 

[swt_passenger]

The only downside for me is closing the exit from Platform 8 towards St Pancras. My morning train normally arrives in P8 and that cut-through saves a few minutes on teh connection for Blackfriars.

The map on the NR site suggests there's still a 'paid side' cut through from P8 to P9. (More obvious if you expand the drawing.)

How about exiting that way?

Alternatively, round the far country end of P8 and P9, outside the main shed, was open last time I looked?

 

[philjo]

NR site says York Way entrance will be exit only.
Bus users will generally need to come IN that way as that is where many of the buses terminate!
Also the existing front entrance will close so those bus stops will also be further from the new entrance with no covered way to get form bus stop to the station entrance.

It also says no exit from platform 8 towards St Pancras
I usually use this exit at the moment - so will need to be in the front unit of the train from now on.



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

Here's what you need to know:
Entrances

All entrances to the station will be under the glass canopy:

On Pancras Road
At the front of the station, just to the left of the old entrance (behind the Tube)
Two new escalators to and from the Tube


These entrances are closing:

At the front, under the green extension
York Way

Exits

From platforms 0-8

At the front of the station onto Euston Road or York Way
The exit from platform 8 towards St Pancras will close



From platforms 9-11

Exits will not change


Ticket barriers

There will be ticket barriers at all platform exits, so keep hold of your ticket.
Buying tickets

The old ticket office will close.

There will be a ticket office and machines in the new departures area.


Platform access

9-11 - access is not changing.

0-8 - two new access routes:

Through the ticket gates near the end of the platforms
Via the mezzanine bridge - lifts and stairs give access to platforms 0-8

What's happening to the old concourse?

It will still be accessible by those travelling via platforms 0-8.

The ticket office will close.

The shops will remain open.

After the Olympics, we're restoring the original facade and opening a public square - read about our plans.


Toilets

New accessible toilets with baby care facilities:

By the entrance to platforms 9-11
On the mezzanine

The men's toilets on platform 8 are closing.

The women's toilets with baby care facilities by the York Way exit will stay open.

Taxi set down point

This will move from York Way to the other side of the station, by the new entrance on Pancras Road.

 

[swt_passenger]

It also says no exit from platform 8 towards St Pancras
I usually use this exit at the moment - so will need to be in the front unit of the train from now on.

It may just mean no 'direct' exit from P8 though.

What I'm suggesting is that there'll be an 'indirect' exit, via P9.

 

[philjo]

OK, I assume they will take the gates away from the passage between 8 & 9 then.

 

[rdwarr]

OK, I assume they will take the gates away from the passage between 8 & 9 then.

That would be good. I'm normally in coach 10 out of 12 arriving at P8 so well behind where that cut-through may be

 

[stut]

There is a sign now on P9 directing passengers through the "Harry Potter" arch for P0-8, so it looks like the gate will go.

 

[swt_passenger]

There is a sign now on P9 directing passengers through the "Harry Potter" arch for P0-8, so it looks like the gate will go.

Is the "Harry Potter" arch the passageway I'm trying to describe in earlier posts? I know the trolley thing moved around a bit recently, during the rebuild...

 

[stut]

I think it's one and the same, yeah. About a quarter way along P9.

 

[Oswyntail]

Will passengers still be able to take the "short" rout to the Victoria/Picc lines via the old entrance? Or are they forced to do the marathon through the new Underground maze? Or is there a new wonderfully convenient route to the Vic?

 

[hwl]

Will passengers still be able to take the "short" rout to the Victoria/Picc lines via the old entrance? Or are they forced to do the marathon through the new Underground maze? Or is there a new wonderfully convenient route to the Vic?

Similar to at the moment, just walk through the ticket barriers (P0-8) and down the stairs near the [old] ticket office. Coming from the Vic / Pic will be more painful as those barriers will be exit only (for how long until passengers complain?) so the slightly less short route from Vic/Picc to the new concourse can be used but the long (and narrow at points) one can still be avoided.

 

[swt_passenger]

Coming from the Vic / Pic will be more painful as those barriers will be exit only (for how long until passengers complain?)...

Once the front concourse is pulled down, what will be the benefit of wanting to get into the station through the front (exit) barrier line?

The waiting area, catering facilities, ticket office, PIS displays and PA announcements will all be round the side in the new concourse.

 

[stut]

Once the front concourse is pulled down, what will be the benefit of wanting to get into the station through the front (exit) barrier line?

The waiting area, catering facilities, ticket office, PIS displays and PA announcements will all be round the side in the new concourse.

It's much shorter.

It's all very well having waiting areas, shops, cafés, loads of displays, etc, etc, but if you're commuting, you just want to get on your train and go as easily and quickly as possible.

Plus, not everybody arrives by Tube. Plenty arrive by foot, bike and bus at the York Way end. It's also a very popular taxi drop-off, that saves having to go round the houses.

 

[LE Greys]

It's much shorter.

It's all very well having waiting areas, shops, cafés, loads of displays, etc, etc, but if you're commuting, you just want to get on your train and go as easily and quickly as possible.

Plus, not everybody arrives by Tube. Plenty arrive by foot, bike and bus at the York Way end. It's also a very popular taxi drop-off, that saves having to go round the houses.

I imagine all the bus stops and taxi ranks will shift (space permitting) to the roundhouse side or front. Walking and cycling are rather different, and an eastern entrance would be useful there, even if it's just a couple of barriers and a TVM.

 

[stut]

Not sure the bus stops can shift - it's quite a large terminus, with a fair amount of space given over to parking the buses once they stop. There's simply no room on Pancras Rd.

There's no taxi rank as such, but taxi drivers like to drop off passengers on York Way (as do the passengers). If you're arriving from anywhere towards the City (and frankly, a lot of taxi passengers are), then it saves a load of time vs crawling up Euston Rd to reach Pancras Rd, or going all the way around and over the bridge.

 

[philjo]

I originally thought that they would put a dedicated bus interchange area in front of the station - having at least an extra bus lane to keep the buses clear of the Euston Road to allow traffic to keep moving. However the artists pictures showing the new square imply that the Euston Road bus stops will be in the current bus lane with no cover between them & the station (which will be further away as at the moment it isn't far to dash into the current concourse.

Yes, loads of taxis drop off passengers on the corner of York Way as due to the one way system that is the only point they can get to if coming up from Farringdon.

 

[swt_passenger]

It's much shorter.

It's all very well having waiting areas, shops, cafés, loads of displays, etc, etc, but if you're commuting, you just want to get on your train and go as easily and quickly as possible.

Plus, not everybody arrives by Tube. Plenty arrive by foot, bike and bus at the York Way end. It's also a very popular taxi drop-off, that saves having to go round the houses.

As I've posted in earlier threads about this, the original drawings did show an entrance section at the end of the gateline adjacent to York Way.

I wonder if it's possible that the situation while the front (arrival) concourse remains is temporary, and once the south end is an open space they might actually allow direct entry again?

However, taxi drop off is being moved isn't it, so that is no longer relevant.

 

[philjo]

Though many of the taxis are not dropping off in the official area - I think it says no stopping - many drop off immediately outside the arch to the York Way entrance.

 

[swt_passenger]

Though many of the taxis are not dropping off in the official area - I think it says no stopping - many drop off immediately outside the arch to the York Way entrance.

I suspect that's typical of many busy areas, at stations and elsewhere, wherever there are designated ranks and drop off places. Do the TfL taxi people ever enforce whatever it is the council planners have insisted upon?

 

[stut]

I suspect that's typical of many busy areas, at stations and elsewhere, wherever there are designated ranks and drop off places. Do the TfL taxi people ever enforce whatever it is the council planners have insisted upon?

Well, there are very few places black cabs aren't allowed to pick up or set down. I know if I were getting a cab to KX, I'd be keen to avoid being sent on a big, permanently contested detour.

Anyway, it'll be interesting to see how things work come next Monday (I'll be one of the first users, as I need to get the 05:42 to London - ouch). I really do hope they come to a sensible compromise, or else this change is likely to cost me half an hour a day!

 

[DaveNewcastle]

. . . . . I really do hope they come to a sensible compromise, or else this change is likely to cost me half an hour a day!

I share some of your concerns (but also remain to be persuaded - frequently being with bicycle, my needs are just a little more demanding than that of many others) but I think half an hour a day is an immense exaggeration (I'd be in Oxford Street and back in 30 mins).

 

[stut]

I share some of your concerns (but also remain to be persuaded - frequently being with bicycle, my needs are just a little more demanding than that of many others) but I think half an hour a day is an immense exaggeration (I'd be in Oxford Street and back in 30 mins).

Indeed, so would I.

However, I don't really choose when I finish work, and the time it takes me to cycle to King's Cross means that I have about 5 minutes to lock up my bike and make it to the train. It works, just, and delays are thankfully few.

Now, as my trains run every half an hour... You can see where this is going.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

... You can see where this is going.

I'm probs as eager as you are to see how effective the station is for cyclists. At present, I use some quite ideosyncratic ways in and out of Kings Cross, (dependent on my direction of travel) and the York Road entrance has been quite a great asset for travel in most directions, particularly with its proximity to racks between plats 0 and 1. Only using the station a few times will tell us what routes (devious or planned) remain.

 

[Bungle73]

Just got an email promoting the new facilities, which includes a photo of the new FC lounge. The colour scheme is....how shall I say....different. :?

 

[mirodo]

Just got an email promoting the new facilities, which includes a photo of the new FC lounge. The colour scheme is....how shall I say....different. :?

Indeed...

 

[philjo]

Obviously designed so that you don't want to stay in there for too long!