Travelling From St Pancras 31/1/15

[Hadders]

I'm travelling from London to Leicester on Saturday 31/1 on a reasonably tight schedule.

Looking at tickets available I see that St Pancras is closed that weekend with all trains starting/terminating at West Hampstead Thameslink.

This has an air of 'Finsbury Park' about it, does anyone know what the likelihood is of a repeat of the scenes we saw last Saturday.

I appreciate there is far longer to plan things than there was last week, and presumably there's no way NR/GTR/EMT will want a repeat of Finsbury Park and will hopefully ensure sufficient staffing resources are deployed.

Can anyone with any inside knowledge shed any light.

 

[Abpj17]

I don't have inside knowledge I'm afraid, but West Hampsted is a better station to change at than Kentish Town (narrow steps/exit between Thameslink platforms and the usually packed Northern Line) or Finsbury Park. The exits from West H are generous and then it is a 200m or so walk down the road (which spreads the crowds out) before going down to the Jubilee line (which has generous platforms).

It won't be nice, but I can think of far worse options. If you are travelling onwards, someone can help advise the best place to change/carriage to pick at West Hampsted.

 

[CyrusWuff]

A quick look at Realtime Trains for that weekend shows Thameslink services all using Platform 2 (the Down Slow), with EMT terminating in Platform 3 (Up Fast) and shunting over to Platform 4 (Down Fast) for their next working. (Apologies if I've got the wrong line names, but you get the idea).

As Platform 2/3 is an island, this could result in bottlenecks if an EMT service arrives on 3 at the same time as a Thameslink is boarding on 2. It would have been preferable to have EMT turning round in Platform 4 to separate the flows better, but obviously they have a longer turnaround time than the Thameslink services.

In terms of access, the situation has improved since the new entrance opened on the Iverson Road (Down) side of the station, though there are only five standard and one wide ticket barrier there, with three standard and one wide gate on the Up side (where the Ticket Office used to be).

The station has two footbridges: The "original" one towards the London end of the platforms linking the up side entrance to the platforms, which only has stair access, and a new one towards the middle of the platforms with lift and stair access, which links to the Iverson Road entrance.

As has already been stated, the three West Hampstead stations are approximately 200 metres apart with West Hampstead Thameslink the furthest North, West Hampstead (NLL) in the middle, and West Hampstead (Jubilee) the furthest South and on the opposite side of West End Lane. Pavement width is something of a concern, however.

 

[EM2]

I'm travelling from London to Leicester on Saturday 31/1 on a reasonably tight schedule.

Looking at tickets available I see that St Pancras is closed that weekend with all trains starting/terminating at West Hampstead Thameslink.

Oooh, nice quiet weekend at work for me!

 

[455driver]

I'm travelling from London to Leicester on Saturday 31/1 on a reasonably tight schedule.

Looking at tickets available I see that St Pancras is closed that weekend with all trains starting/terminating at West Hampstead Thameslink.

This has an air of 'Finsbury Park' about it, does anyone know what the likelihood is of a repeat of the scenes we saw last Saturday.

I appreciate there is far longer to plan things than there was last week, and presumably there's no way NR/GTR/EMT will want a repeat of Finsbury Park and will hopefully ensure sufficient staffing resources are deployed.

Can anyone with any inside knowledge shed any light.

Is the 31st the day after a huge 2 day celebration when the network is shut down completely with many thousands wanting to get home after visiting relatives?

 

[Kite159]

East Midland Trains is using Luton as well to terminate trains (1 train an hour) with 2 trains an hour going down to West Hampstead.

 

[45107]

I'm travelling from London to Leicester on Saturday 31/1 on a reasonably tight schedule.

Looking at tickets available I see that St Pancras is closed that weekend with all trains starting/terminating at West Hampstead Thameslink.

This has an air of 'Finsbury Park' about it, does anyone know what the likelihood is of a repeat of the scenes we saw last Saturday.

I appreciate there is far longer to plan things than there was last week, and presumably there's no way NR/GTR/EMT will want a repeat of Finsbury Park and will hopefully ensure sufficient staffing resources are deployed.

Can anyone with any inside knowledge shed any light.

Believe it or not, but this will be planned with (hopefully) sufficient staffing levels/reservations etc.
Finsbury Park was an unplanned event at short notice after the country was shut down for 2 days.

 

[Robertj21a]

It will probably work fine, West Hampstead has been used on a number of occasions. Otherwise, if the schedule allows, use a National Express coach instead, or train via Nuneaton.

 

[Hadders]

I'm on the 1129 EMT departure from West Hampstead Thameslink.

Loads of staff at all three West Hampstead Stations directing passengers although the trains do seem very quiet.

So far so good and definately no Repeatg of Finsbury Park.

 

[Abpj17]

I'm on the 1129 EMT departure from West Hampstead Thameslink.

Loads of staff at all three West Hampstead Stations directing passengers although the trains do seem very quiet.

So far so good and definately no Repeatg of Finsbury Park.

Commuters had a hellish week on the line, I can't imagine any going into London this weekend other than for work/pre-booked committments.

 

[Bald Rick]

Commuters had a hellish week on the line, I can't imagine any going into London this weekend other than for work/pre-booked committments.

TL trains today well loaded - all 8 car. W Hampstead worked well, plenty of staff on hand. Both my trips on time.

 

[Hadders]

My trip back up to London was trouble free too. All EMT trains were 10 carriage

I agree West Hampstead was very well controlled. Lots of staff directing passengers at all three West Hampstead stations. Seemed to be a number of 'suits' about this morning as well.

Good separation of platforms for arriving and departing services. It seemed to me that the plan worked well.

I suppose the last thing anyone needed was a repeat of Finsbury Park in the media!