Kings Cross - The Madness

[Lee_Again]

'The Madness'; well, I think it is anyway...

Have seen the completed platforms 2/3 today at Kings Cross. All seems fine, except for one thing. Has anybody else noticed the new access stairs about 1/3 up. Now I'm no engineer, expert on crowd movement dynamics or indeed anything that qualifies me as an expert on these things but aren't they small.

"The 17.30 to Cambridge will tonight depart from platform 2 (advertised at about 17.26)"...just as the 13.30 from Edinburgh (ok, ok, sub 4 hrs from Edinburgh is maybe pushing things too far) pulls in on platform 3. The inevitable scrum will mean many miss the Cambridge train (or it departs late!).

And this assumes the bridge won't already be full of people with kids and luggage from previous services.

Am I the only one who thinks (I'll go out on a limb here and say, "knows") it will not work. Those stairs are just too narrow. I presume the southern end access will be available, no doubt advertised for 1st class passengers (can't wait until one pulls in the wrong way around).

I know the new concourse will be a significant improvement but I just see it failing. Which would be a real shame. I love Kings Cross and the improvement works are largely fantastic.

Does anybody know if access to the platforms is available from under the platforms, rather like Waterloo? What chance is there of adding an extra access bridge towards the North of the station?

 

[jon0844]

No, and if there were they'd probably be flooded thanks to the amount of water that they waste filling up the water tanks on the EC trains (and then going off to leave the water running for ages, so it overflows and starts to flood the track).

I presume they don't have water meters there!

 

[Aictos]

Edinburgh is a lot worse especially a full train load of passengers get off a East Coast service and need to use the stairs to exit the station, get to other platforms for connections etc...

 

[merlodlliw]

No, and if there were they'd probably be flooded thanks to the amount of water that they waste filling up the water tanks on the EC trains (and then going off to leave the water running for ages, so it overflows and starts to flood the track).

I presume they don't have water meters there!

It happens at other stations also, would you do this at home if you had to pay for it.

 

[A60K]

'The Madness'; well, I think it is anyway...

Have seen the completed platforms 2/3 today at Kings Cross. All seems fine, except for one thing. Has anybody else noticed the new access stairs about 1/3 up. Now I'm no engineer, expert on crowd movement dynamics or indeed anything that qualifies me as an expert on these things but aren't they small.

"The 17.30 to Cambridge will tonight depart from platform 2 (advertised at about 17.26)"...just as the 13.30 from Edinburgh (ok, ok, sub 4 hrs from Edinburgh is maybe pushing things too far) pulls in on platform 3. The inevitable scrum will mean many miss the Cambridge train (or it departs late!).

And this assumes the bridge won't already be full of people with kids and luggage from previous services.

Am I the only one who thinks (I'll go out on a limb here and say, "knows") it will not work. Those stairs are just too narrow. I presume the southern end access will be available, no doubt advertised for 1st class passengers (can't wait until one pulls in the wrong way around).

I know the new concourse will be a significant improvement but I just see it failing. Which would be a real shame. I love Kings Cross and the improvement works are largely fantastic.

Does anybody know if access to the platforms is available from under the platforms, rather like Waterloo? What chance is there of adding an extra access bridge towards the North of the station?

The new footbridge is for access to the platforms only - exit will be at the southern end of the platforms as currently.

 

[yorkie]

And this assumes the bridge won't already be full of people with kids and luggage from previous services.?

Only if they missed their train and hung around on the stairs instead of going back to the concourse to find their next train!

 

[jon0844]

Only if they missed their train and hung around on the stairs instead of going back to the concourse to find their next train!

They are quite good at keeping platforms free and empty between trains, sometimes telling people to move back to the concourse. But what happens when that goes and it is further away?

 

[swt_passenger]

The new footbridge is for access to the platforms only - exit will be at the southern end of the platforms as currently.

I'd add to the above that it is also only for access to the platforms from the mezzanine level of the new ticket hall, (where all the catering outlets will be). The passenger flow onto the platforms is organised so as to be mainly from the south end.

 

[Sir_Clagalot]

it is an escalator from bridge level to the platform, not stairs. I saw it before they fitted the plywood cladding!

 

[Lee_Again]

The new footbridge is for access to the platforms only - exit will be at the southern end of the platforms as currently.

Didn't realise it was exit only. Nevertheless, you'll have 5 or 6 coaches worth of passengers walking down the narrow platforms.

Escalators and not stairs. Couldn't see that so will take the posters word for it but that does seem strange. Is there a chance they're stairs and escalators?

 

[Sir_Clagalot]

Escalator at the north end, (lift down to the subway from platform level just under the top of the escalator, in the location of the old lift), bridge, then lift from bridge to platform level.

 

[LE Greys]

One of those things that seems like a good idea, but isn't quite up to it. Over-the-top access probably doesn't work unless it's regulated carefully (Gare du Nord Eurostar terminal for instance). Island platform stations such as Reading don't have to cope with quite the same numbers as a London terminus, and they get congested a lot of the time. However, they do not really have much choice. The original design was not brilliant, and resulted in the 'African village' at the south end. How long before we see that repeated with catering outlets and newspaper stalls, not to mention SIM card sales people?

Also, I know I've said this before, but could they not have recycled the parapets from the old bridge to make it look a bit more in keeping with the rest of the station? Oh, and put the clock back as well.

 

[swt_passenger]

Didn't realise it was exit only. Nevertheless, you'll have 5 or 6 coaches worth of passengers walking down the narrow platforms.

Have you misinterpreted this? The footbridge is access only from the catering mezzanine, but the southern ends of the platforms also allow for most of the access and all exit. Platforms 5-8 are being shortened at the buffer stops to provide much greater circulation space for platforms 4-8 (existing numbers).

Then the barrier line right across the southern end of the station will be all exit, and the barrier line through to the new western concourse will be mainly entrance with some exit.

In summary most entry and all exit is from the buffer stop end. Some entry is also available via the footbridge.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

One of those things that seems like a good idea, but isn't quite up to it. Over-the-top access probably doesn't work unless it's regulated carefully...

The 'over the top access' is only for people from the catering area. The main access is from the south end of the western concourse via the buffer stop end. There will be a minor entrance and exit half way down the existing P8 primarily for access to that platform only.

 

[91101]

Most of the access to and from trains will still be via the buffer stops, the mezzanine level of the new concourse will have its access via the footbridge only as an additional measure.

There will be a huge gateline built roughly where Marks and Spencers used to be, on the ground floor linking the concourse (which is termed "The Eyelash" by people on the project) to the buffet stop entrances to platforms.

 

[LE Greys]

The 'over the top access' is only for people from the catering area. The main access is from the south end of the western concourse via the buffer stop end. There will be a minor entrance and exit half way down the existing P8 primarily for access to that platform only.

Aha, gotcha.

 

[A60K]

... the buffet stop entrances to platforms.

Is the idea that a runaway train can be stopped by a couple of hundred sausage rolls and maxpax coffees?