Northern City Line tunnels

This is only a guess, but I wonder if ownership is actually still with LU?

Reasoning: The tunnels between Drayton Park and Finsbury Park were closed primarily to allow the Victoria line to use the Northern City platforms at Finsbury Park, with the GN electrification and takeover being secondary.

Around 20-30% of the tunnels south of Finsbury Park are still in use, by the southbound Piccadilly and Victoria, before the Pic crosses to its old alignment just north of Arsenal, and before the Vic starts its new direct alignment to Highbury. The remainder of the tunnels weren't being used for anything when BR started conversion work - and I don't think they were used in any way in the conversion, simply having the tunnel mouths landscaped over.

I'm sure I remember seeing pictures from someone who explored the tunnels from Drayton Park some time after closure, and eventually came to a access hatch or door or grille where the tunnel joins the Vic. If that's for real then I would expect LU to retain them.

I did see a plan somewhere of the alignment of all the tunnels old and new, but unfortunately can't remember where. It *may* possibly be in a John R Day book, perhaps in the new library at the NRM in York (which is well worth a day's visit in any case). I think the Pic and Northern City run pretty much parallel under the eastern edge of the main line formation to just north of Drayton Park, but can't be sure.

Supplementary question: the GNR was responsible for the construction of the four tube platforms at FP, but what's the ownership history of these?

I have no doubt at all that the disused Northern City line tunnels are still LU assets. The last time that I walked the Vic line tunnels some years ago (late 1980s) now but long after the transfer of Drayton Park to Moorgate to BR I found the entrance to the disused tunnels and took a walk as far as a long defunct pumphouse with a brick built shaft leading skyward but probably capped. At that time the track in the tunnels had been lifted leaving just a black dusty soft surface to walk on, there was no lighting, all cabling having been removed and the majority of the cable brackets. I never had the time to fully explore the area which seemed to lead to infinity well beyond the beams of our powerful torches. The access to this area was through an open bolt hole from the Vic running tunnels. I would expect that by now it probably has been secured as is the fashion in this day and age.

I missed this one earlier but my understanding is this! The main station entrance and ticket hall is definitely a NR asset. LU owns the entrance and ticket hall adjacent to the bus station 'round in the back' and the passageways from there to the platforms and out to Seven Sisters Road.

As for the platforms they must be LU assets just as the old lift shafts are. The lift shafts are the main cable route between the platform inverts of the northbound and southbound platforms although they are not the only route. I can't quite remember now the arrangements at the top of those shafts as I haven't been in the disused parts for many a year.

A trip down the GNCR tunnels was an occasional excursion for some Victoria Line T/O's on nights - unfortunately I never got the chance to go down there with them!

There are still drawings available showing which bolt holes link the Picc and Vic running tunnels up to the GNCR.

A few months ago I read some planning documents submitted to LB Islington, relating to the upgrading of Finsbury Park, and the current situation is complex. As well Network Rail and LU interests, a company called CIL (based west of the main line platforms) also owns some of the land that will be needed to build the new passageways and rebuild the existing for lifts to the underground platforms.

LU referred in those documents to the problems caused by water ingress from the former upper lift landing (the blocked off area north of the main line subway), coming down the spiral stair shafts to platform level. The document made it sound like Network Rail knows there's a problem with the water, but won't do anything about it as it doesn't affect their part of the station!

The documents are worth looking at for pictures and diagrams and for details of the station rebuild - Mr Thant's blog has the details.

Ok Im trying to map out this forgotten tube tunnel, and this pump house detail is really important, could you tell me a basic idea of where this pump house would be above ground?

Im guessing the tunnel heads towards Gillespie Park Nature Reserve next to Arsenal station, but thats an educated guess.

Of course, for reasonably detailed plans showing where the tunnels were built, many of the archives in London (e.g., House of Lords, LMA, NA, etc.) have copies of the original Parliamentary deposit plans. I'm certain that at least one of these would have the original GN&CR plans. They won't, of course, have the very detailed LUL plans, and don't show bolt-holes or any other details. They also won't show access to the disused tunnels as they don't get amended retrospectively.

www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=239238&nseq=0

found this interesting photo from drayton park looking north, from 1970. Im guessing the location of the tunnel mouth is exactly where the emirate stadum bridges are now.

Interesting picture - I remember the photographer as a Signaller at Earl's Court a few years ago.