In message
, at
00:24:07 on Mon, 27 Sep 2010, lonelytraveller
remarked:
Half way through the lift journey, you'll see the passage. Then maybe
you might have an idea what it might be for, or where it goes, or why
its tiled like a public passage.

Not having sampled the Northern Line lift yet I can't comment
authoritatively, but could the "intermediate" level be one of the
concourse between the Piccadilly and Northern Lines or a link to the
(in)famous "SMILE" subway to Pentonville Road?

Its possible certainly, but it does head west and then turn north, so
its not really going in a sensible direction for that (the Piccadilly
concourse and SMILE subway are both to the east of the lift .

A better indication of depth would help a lot. Here are some numbers
which might help (all of them "below average street level"):

Top of new Northern lift, in old booking hall lower level: 5m
Bottom of new Northern lift, platform level: 27.25m
Piccadilly concourse: 21.5m

Which gives a drop of 22.25m, with the Piccadilly concourse 74% of the
way down.

The subway to Pentonville Road wanders around a bit, but isn't anywhere
near this new lift (and also on the wrong side). I'd guess it was about
15m below street level, which is 45% of the way down the new lift shaft.

The old Northern Line lift shafts are to the west of the new lift, and
according to Clive Feather's website there is an older emergency lift
(which is most likely to be in that vicinity). I wonder if this is a
connecting passageway to that emergency lift.
--
Roland Perry