In article , (Roland
Perry) wrote:

In message
,
at 03:36:48 on Tue, 11 Dec 2007, Mr Thant
remarked:
The platforms can't both be "massive" and "only 2 ft wide" - if
an extra track was inserted.

Whyever not? The kind of "massive" we're talking here is only like,
say, the southbound platform at Angel (ie unusually large for an
underground station), and that's equal to one track plus a tiny
island.

I think we can only resolve this with some measurements!

My impression tonight was that the platform widths vary along their
lengths. Looking carefully at the North end where you can see the
trackless GN tunnels (why are they fully lit, BTW?) it would appear that
there is room for four tracks, but just not enough platform between them.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

In article
,
(jonmorris) wrote:

On 11 Dec, 11:08, Sky Rider wrote:

What I'm personally more annoyed about are the new gates - at the
moment you have to shove your (paper) ticket through the slot, and
the flaps themselves are so slow they make it easier for tailgaters
to pass through behind someone else (compared to the other two sets
of gates on the LU network anyway).

The gates are shockingly slow, just like those in use throughout
King's Cross. I don't like them one bit (about 10 people can pass
through with you) but for the sake of Paul C's sanity, I won't start
ranting about them again!!

One thing I will say; at the FCC stations that have only put in a few
gates, they're so slow that during busy periods they're forced to
press the 'plunger' to open them up and let people through. This sort
of defeats the object, in my opinion.

I noticed the new gates for King's Cross platforms 9-11 in place tonight
but not yet commissioned. They are going to be a right nightmare to get
through with my bike off the 10:15 in the mornings!

--
Colin Rosenstiel

In article ,
(Paul Scott) wrote:

AIUI Thameslink will eventually take about 8 or 9 tph off the GN
lines in the peaks. What proportion of the existing peak service
into KX and Moorgate (GN) is that? You might still be able to go
to KX...

Cambridge and beyond gets 4 trains an hour now, all to the Cross. Only
inners run to Moorgate.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:58:47 -0000, Lew 1
wrote:


Frankly, signage around the whole of St Pancras is absolutely dire.

Some signs say East Midlands trains, others say Midland Mainline, and the
worst ones of all say "UK Trains" when pointing to the EMT platforms, and
completely ignoring FCC. When I started getting confused where I was
going,
and I probably have far more vested interest and prior knowledge to
general
travellers, I knew it was bad.

The information displays are equally awful throughout the station. The
big
station-wide board at the entrance to the FCC platforms lists all UK
trains - but not in departure order, but by train company - not that
this is
stated, and at first glance is just a random selection of trains in a
random
order.

This was my impression of the huge departure board at the North end of the
station too. The thing is vast, must be about 30m wide, and is constructed
of numerous LCD screens with their associated poor viewing angle. You
actually need to walk up and down the concourse to get any information out
of it. What is wrong with Solari or LED departure boards? A step forward
in technology and a step back in usability IMO.

I was also very disappointed by the information, or lack of, given to
international arrivals. I don't know what information is available to
passengers air side, but as they come through the doors to land side they
are unceremoniously dumped into what appears to be a bustling shopping
arcade, not a major transport hub. There is no obvious signage for onward
travel options at all. They most eye catching thing in front of them is a
staircase leading up to the platform level. The side of this staircase
would be an ideal place to put a large map of the station and useful
signage, but it is wasted. I stood on Sunday for a while and watched as
passengers came out the door, looked around despairingly for a while and
then shuffled off in some random direction. When people arrive in a
foreign place they need a bit of space and useful information in order to
gather their thoughts and orientate themselves.

Also, an obvious 'meeting point' should be provided.

--
Fig

"Jonathan Morton" wrote

When the Snow Hill route re-opened, the
third rail was extended north to Farringdon (which was [1] the changeover
point) and the dual voltage 319s were brought in to run the new Thameslink
service. The 317s were re-deployed.

[1] and still is, I think. Did I dream it or was there some suggestion
that
as part of TL2000 the wires would be extended to Blackfriars - on the
grounds that that was a better changeover station since trains tended to
stop there for a longer time anyway?

The 317s were sent to the Euston - Milton Keynes/ Northampton route for a
time, before they moved east.

The TL2000 plan *was* to move the voltage change to Blackfriars, but AIUI
the plan has changed again. IIRC it will now move to City Thameslink.

Peter

"Fig" wrote in message newsp.t27a2kwum4iaeb@dell...

...... I stood on Sunday for a while and watched as passengers came out
the door, looked around despairingly for a while and then shuffled off in
some random direction.

Have a look on a weekday morning and you'll see them being mown
down by several hundred newly-disgorged FCC passengers who
know exactly where they are going, have no interest in all the shops,
cafes and stalls, and who simply want to get out or get to the
Underground as fast as possible.

Didn't they consider the mix of passengers who would be using the same
station? It's like allowing your ageing Aunt Dotty to drive her Nissan Micra
against the flow of traffic on a motorway :-)
--
Garry Smith

Today at 02:40, Fig wrote:
Also, an obvious 'meeting point' should be provided.

Statues?

--
Kirk

In message , at 23:58:47 on Tue, 11 Dec 2007, Lew
1 remarked:
I may be far too cynical here, but it seems that in their efforts to create
an arty farty "meeting place", the St Pancras team have forgotten about the
most basic elements... seatings, signage and information displays.

.... and passenger flows.

I fell like a lone voice in the wilderness, having been moaning about
the MML platforms all this time, and pretty much being told "stop
fussing, it'll be alright when the main shed opens".

But it isn't.

And now we seem to be hearing "it'll be alright when the northern ticket
hall opens"

Pardon me if I say: "I don't believe it".
--
Roland Perry

"Colin Rosenstiel" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Paul Scott) wrote:

AIUI Thameslink will eventually take about 8 or 9 tph off the GN
lines in the peaks. What proportion of the existing peak service
into KX and Moorgate (GN) is that? You might still be able to go
to KX...

Cambridge and beyond gets 4 trains an hour now, all to the Cross. Only
inners run to Moorgate.


I'll rephrase the question then, because there must surely be a lot more
than 8 tph off the GN network into KX & Moorgate in the peak in total -
will all the Cambridge trains divert to the Thameslink route, or might some
of them still go to KX?

Paul

"Kirk Northrop" wrote in message
.me.uk...
Today at 02:40, Fig wrote:
Also, an obvious 'meeting point' should be provided.

Statues?


They could even call one of them 'The Meeting Point'...

Paul