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Post by goldenarrow on Jul 12, 2021 13:17:06 GMT
The delayed closure of the Northern line Bank Branch between Moorgate and Kennington has been publicly announced as a 17 week blockade between 15 January and mid-May 2022. The new ticket hall on Cannon Street will open later around September 2022
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Post by Dstock7080 on Jul 12, 2021 15:33:13 GMT
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Post by alpinejohn on Jul 14, 2021 13:21:29 GMT
Sadly this protracted shut-down seems totally unjustified, and if recent experience is any guide 99% certain to be extended.
I know we now live in a "safety is paramount" world, but what exactly necessitates such an extended closure other than satisfying the usual objective of contractors (just like CrossRail) to prolong the project for as long as possible to maximise their income and for their workforce to eke out as much salary as possible from what seems to be becoming yet another out of control milk cow project...
In the past London Transport showed they can manage to organise very major platform changes with minimal inconvenience for passengers. For instance when routes and platforms were re-arranged at Euston to accommodate the new Victoria line with the public impact being minimised over a weekend ...
Years later we now seem to be totally unable to schedule things anywhere near as well.
Why oh why can they not take as long as they need now to get the new southbound platform and new entrance tested, inspected and signed off as ready to use from day one?
In the meantime the two existing platforms at Bank are presumably still perfectly safe for passenger to use right now - so that cannot justify this extended closure.
If TFL project updates are to be believed, the step plate junctions for the new Southbound alignment are both seemingly virtually complete. So presumably the whole new route can now be prepared with all the relevant track & signalling balises in place and tested so that only a few metres of track at both connections would actually need to be replaced during one overnight possession to swiftly divert trains through the new southbound platform.
If extra paperwork really needs to be completed - then perhaps the admin people can for once be asked to do night shifts every day until everything is duly approved. That should provide suitable motivation! OK that may mean a short period when trains have to run through Bank non-stop in the Southbound direction only, but this should not mean inflicting months and months of inconvenience on passengers.
Obviously on the change over night someone would also need to put up a few blue hoardings to close off the old southbound platform access - but presumably the current Northbound platform and surface access routes could remain open whilst someone fills in the old southbound platform and removes the temporary blue hoardings
This protracted possession seems to be dictated by the convenience of the workforce with little or no thought, or value, being assigned to the negative impact on passengers. Driving your customers away is not a brilliant tactic...
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Post by hptraveller on Jul 14, 2021 14:05:15 GMT
I think you've misunderstood what work has been completed - the new southbound tunnel has not been linked into the existing and that's what this protracted closure is for. From memory I believe they will need to fill the existing tunnel with a foam of concrete and then re-bore through that to make an entirely new tunnel, rather than it being constructed as a step-plate junction. I think this approach is taken because of the risk of subsidence, especially with the southern connection where it's almost under the river. Happy to be corrected if I'm wrong.
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Post by xplaistow on Jul 14, 2021 15:05:25 GMT
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Post by goldenarrow on Jul 14, 2021 15:29:58 GMT
Some past closures over the years that also involved extensive tunnel or station construction works
London Bridge (Northern): July-October 1996 + July-September 1999
Tottenham Court Road (Northern): April-November 2011
Embankment (Bakerloo & Northern): January-November 2014
Tottenham Court Road (Central): January-December 2015
Kennington (Bank Branch): May-September 2018
When you compare those past examples with the scale of what is being undertaken at Bank, the single biggest upgrade to one of the largest underground complexes in Europe, 17 weeks is peanuts compared to the benefits it will bring. Anyone who's used the Northern line from Bank recently will know how busy it is already starting to get. Even against the backdrop of suppressed ridership, this really isn't work that can be postponed any longer.
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Post by jimbo on Jul 14, 2021 21:34:06 GMT
Wasn't the northbound closure to be much shorter than the southbound closure? No mention of that now!
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Post by Chris L on Jul 15, 2021 5:51:58 GMT
Wasn't the northbound closure to be much shorter than the southbound closure? No mention of that now! There will no trains in either direction between Moorgate and Kennington. |
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Post by Chris M on Jul 15, 2021 10:44:44 GMT
Wasn't the northbound closure to be much shorter than the southbound closure? No mention of that now! I too have recollection that there was a plan/idea for this. I presume that detailed investigation has determined that it would not be practical to work such a service |
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Post by jimbo on Jul 16, 2021 7:42:49 GMT
Wasn't the northbound closure to be much shorter than the southbound closure? No mention of that now! “The closure was planned for an initial 40 days in both directions for tunneling of connections, followed by closure only in the southbound direction for fit-out and commissioning, but even then the northbound Bank branch trains will need to squeeze through the Charing Cross branch on their return trip, permitting little overall service improvement. Throughout this whole period Northern line trains will not stop at Bank station.” Underground News March 2021 |
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Post by goldenarrow on Oct 8, 2021 16:29:51 GMT
This months Programme & Investment Committee papers have given an insight into the progress being made on Bank Station Capacity Upgrade (BSCU) with the the track on the new southbound line now installed along with with cabling systems. Fit out of the new station areas has also got underway images of which look quite Crossrail-esque to me. Images here |
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Post by jimbo on Nov 6, 2021 3:02:09 GMT
TfL issues travel advice ahead of planned 17-week closure of the Northern line’s Bank branch here. |
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Post by Dstock7080 on Dec 21, 2021 16:00:09 GMT
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Post by Dstock7080 on Feb 19, 2022 16:39:37 GMT
not seen this graphic before:  |
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Post by melikepie on Mar 11, 2022 23:26:33 GMT
How are they going to fit all of those football pitches into the tunnels?
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Post by goldenarrow on Mar 29, 2022 10:30:40 GMT
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Post by Hutch on Mar 29, 2022 15:07:43 GMT
It would be interesting to see on that 3-D model of the new Bank works where the old King William Street terminus and tunnels are of the old CSLR tube. It can't be that far from the new Cannon Street entrance.
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Post by jimbo on Mar 29, 2022 19:00:13 GMT
The Battersea tunnels provided emergency passenger walkways alongside the track, but not at Bank.
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Post by goldenarrow on Mar 29, 2022 19:44:25 GMT
I suppose it’s much the same scenario as Angel and London Bridge, new tunnels leading nowhere so to speak. Isolated 100m sections of new tunnel with a walkway in one direction and no intermediate intervention points (unlike the NLE) ultimately offer extremely limited safety benefits.
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Post by Chris L on Mar 29, 2022 20:16:43 GMT
It would be interesting to see on that 3-D model of the new Bank works where the old King William Street terminus and tunnels are of the old CSLR tube. It can't be that far from the new Cannon Street entrance. King William Street begins on the north end of London Bridge. A shaft still exists on the Monument side of the road. The walls are very wet. The access shaft for the work was on the other side of the road. |
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Post by norbitonflyer on Aug 24, 2022 12:01:50 GMT
The delayed closure of the Northern line Bank Branch between Moorgate and Kennington has been publicly announced as a 17 week blockade between 15 January and mid-May 2022. The new ticket hall on Cannon Street will open later around September 2022 Any news on the Cannon Street entrance? |
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Post by davidr1986 on Oct 2, 2022 21:31:39 GMT
The escalators from the Northern Line to the DLR are due to open sometime this week. Customers interchanging between the DLR and Northern will be encouraged to use the new link
The travelators and escalators between the Northern and Central should be available by the end of the month which will mean the one-way system on and off the Northern line will cease
The Cannon Street entrance should be open by the end of the year
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Post by goldenarrow on Oct 13, 2022 11:33:05 GMT
The new link between the Northern line and the DLR was brought into use today: Article |
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Post by AndrewPSSP on Oct 13, 2022 12:37:30 GMT
Are there any photos?
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Post by xplaistow on Oct 13, 2022 13:56:42 GMT
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Post by ijmad on Oct 23, 2022 15:38:04 GMT
What's going to happen to the old route between the Northern/Central when all this is done? Is it going to be left open, unsigned? Closed for refurbishment? Closed permanently? I would imagine those tight spiral staircases aren't very compatible with modern H&S standards but I, for one, will miss them if they're closed to the public!
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Post by davidr1986 on Oct 23, 2022 17:29:33 GMT
What's going to happen to the old route between the Northern/Central when all this is done? Is it going to be left open, unsigned? Closed for refurbishment? Closed permanently? I would imagine those tight spiral staircases aren't very compatible with modern H&S standards but I, for one, will miss them if they're closed to the public! Most accidents happen on the spiral stairs (Trips/falls, etc) so I guess the plan is to eventually close it when people get used to the new route which will be safer/more direct. They may keep it for emergencies or an extra route if it gets too busy. Also the signage by the top of the spiral stairs (on platforms 5 and 6) will be taken down, replaced by the new ones at the top of the escalators |
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Post by ijmad on Oct 23, 2022 18:59:52 GMT
What's going to happen to the old route between the Northern/Central when all this is done? Is it going to be left open, unsigned? Closed for refurbishment? Closed permanently? I would imagine those tight spiral staircases aren't very compatible with modern H&S standards but I, for one, will miss them if they're closed to the public! Most accidents happen on the spiral stairs (Trips/falls, etc) so I guess the plan is to eventually close it when people get used to the new route which will be safer/more direct. They may keep it for emergencies or an extra route if it gets too busy. Also the signage by the top of the spiral stairs (on platforms 5 and 6) will be taken down, replaced by the new ones at the top of the escalators I maintain hope that it turns into future 'secrets of the tube' material as a back way to avoid the crowds. Appreciate the trip hazard but perhaps similar signage to the spiral exit staircases at some of the older stations might put enough people off. |
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Post by rsdworker on Oct 24, 2022 10:12:53 GMT
i think they should invested on lift between central and lower passageways if stairs was closed - those spaces can be turned in lift spaces or keep one emergency exit stairs and lift or remove both and turn in new passageways through it and lower passeways could blocked up and its would used for storage
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Post by Chris L on Oct 24, 2022 10:19:58 GMT
i think they should invested on lift between central and lower passageways if stairs was closed - those spaces can be turned in lift spaces or keep one emergency exit stairs and lift or remove both and turn in new passageways through it and lower passeways could blocked up and its would used for storage Very little point installing lifts given the very large gaps between platforms and trains. |
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