In article ,
(Paul Scott) wrote:

"Paul Oter" wrote in message

...
(SPILL with a bike)

On Dec 12, 1:15 am, (Colin Rosenstiel) wrote:

I had a look round tonight, having nearly half an hour spare before
my train to Cambridge. I didn't have my bike with me today so walked

down to the platforms via the escalators but came up in lift 1,
with a cyclist. I only visited the southbound platform.

I caught a train from the southbound platform this morning. On my
second visit it doesn't seem quite as far down to the platforms as I
found yesterday, but you still have two flights of steps.

There are two escalators from the mezzanine down to the southbound
platform (not for use with bikes, of course) - but both were set to
go

Er, I take my bike on escalators at Liverpool St. It's not hard, though,
as bikes aren't carried in the peaks, congestion issues don't arise.

up, forcing everyone with suitcases to carry them down the steps or
wait ages for the lift. Amazing that a brand new station was built
with insufficient escalators (compare this with the Jubilee Line at
Canary Wharf). I suspect when a train from Bedford is followed by a
train from Cambridge followed by a train from Peterborough even two
escalators will be overwhelmed.

Oh dear! There may be room for more. I thought the main stairway rather
spacious but didn't explore the links to the Northbound platform.

A few people have suggested here in the past that there should also
have been a southern exit from the Thameslink platforms, directly
to the west end of the western ticket hall for the Circle/Met/H&C,
but what do we know...

There are two fire exits in that area on the Southbound platform at least.
Where do they lead?

Having said that, didn't someone already post that the low level
platforms had been closed due to overcrowding on Monday evening -
how did they ever get on at the old station, or have the numbers
using the new station changed considerably with the move?

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On 12 Dec, 17:38, (Colin Rosenstiel) wrote:
In article ,

(Paul Scott) wrote:
"Paul Oter" wrote in message


I caught a train from the southbound platform this morning. On my
second visit it doesn't seem quite as far down to the platforms as I
found yesterday, but you still have two flights of steps.

There are two escalators from the mezzanine down to the southbound
platform (not for use with bikes, of course)


Er, I take my bike on escalators at Liverpool St. It's not hard, though,
as bikes aren't carried in the peaks, congestion issues don't arise.

Really? Cycles are banned on escalators at Underground stations, and I
assumed the same would apply here.

PaulO

In article
,
(Paul Oter) wrote:

On 12 Dec, 17:38, (Colin Rosenstiel) wrote:
In article ,

(Paul Scott) wrote:
"Paul Oter" wrote in message

I caught a train from the southbound platform this morning.
On my second visit it doesn't seem quite as far down to the
platforms as I found yesterday, but you still have two
flights of steps.

There are two escalators from the mezzanine down to the
southbound platform (not for use with bikes, of course)

Er, I take my bike on escalators at Liverpool St. It's not hard,
though, as bikes aren't carried in the peaks, congestion issues don't

arise.

Really? Cycles are banned on escalators at Underground stations,
and I assumed the same would apply here.

Never seen any signs to that effect at Liverpool St, nor any interest
from staff.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

"Garry Smith" wrote in message
...

I also noticed that the displays don't say whether the next train will
be 4 cars or 8 - the displays at KX TL did.

Noticed last night that the displays now say which zones of the
platform to use.

"zones 2" means a 4-car train. "zones 2,3" means 8-car.

I'm sure they didn't have that earlier in the week.

And am I the only one who finds the floor through the main
station and into the FCC station very slippery? Have to ask
Father Xmas for some new soles :-)
--
Garry Smith

On 13 Dec, 09:08, "Garry Smith" wrote:


Noticed last night that the displays now say which zones of the
platform to use.

"zones 2" means a 4-car train. "zones 2,3" means 8-car.

I'm sure they didn't have that earlier in the week.


Could be lots of confusion from passengers who think it's referring to
Travelcard validity.

"solar penguin" wrote in message
...

On 13 Dec, 09:08, "Garry Smith" wrote:


Noticed last night that the displays now say which zones of the
platform to use.

"zones 2" means a 4-car train. "zones 2,3" means 8-car.

I'm sure they didn't have that earlier in the week.


Could be lots of confusion from passengers who think it's referring to
Travelcard validity.

Done with the best intentions no doubt, and by inference, 'zone 1' must be
the bit where trains won't stop until they are lengthened to 12 car. Do they
have signs suggesting people don't stand there?

Maybe they could be reminded zones A, B, C, D wouldn't be confusing in that
way, especially after January...

Paul

In message
, at
02:12:33 on Thu, 13 Dec 2007, solar penguin
remarked:
"zones 2" means a 4-car train. "zones 2,3" means 8-car.

I'm sure they didn't have that earlier in the week.

Could be lots of confusion from passengers who think it's referring to
Travelcard validity.

And what happened to Zone 1?

No doubt they have hung signs from the ceiling saying where zones 1 and
2 are, closely followed by hanging some other sign a few feet in front
of it so as to completely obscure it!

This example is from Leicester, where the "Orange Zone" (nothing to do
with mobile phones!) sign at the far country end of the platform is
completely invisible behind the departure board, unless you are standing
with a few feet of it:

http://www.perry.co.uk/images/orange-zone.jpg

Note how the departure board is asking Standard passengers to go to
either the Orange or Purple Zones, so it's not redundant, as sometimes
claimed.

--
Roland Perry

On 13 Dec, 09:08, "Garry Smith" wrote:

Noticed last night that the displays now say which zones of the
platform to use.

Yes, but it will take you a while to work out what zone you are in.
(Clue; it's on the wall in the top corner above St Pancras
International). The zones are also reversed on the other side, which
might make sense (zone 1 at front, zone 3 at back) but it might have
been just as easy to have clearly marked zones for both sides - so
they could have been colour coded, and signs could hang down to make
it clear where the zones start and end.

Talking of which, much as I like the new station - why is there no
consistency in the way stations are signed and written? St Pancras has
its own font and signs that seem very random (it's already been
mentioned about the mix up of East Midlands Trains, Midland Mainland,
UK Rail (WTF?!) and poor signage to tell people how to get to other
services. Tourists arriving at St Pancras will not find it easy to
locate King's Cross, or Euston, and when they do the signs all look
different.

I'm also surprised how little foreign text there is once you go more
than 10cm from the Eurostar 'area', although I accept that in most
cases they've opted to use symbols.

"zones 2" means a 4-car train. "zones 2,3" means 8-car.

I'm not sure the trains stop exactly within the zones though (the S-
stop seems to be part of the way in zone 1) so I guess that means the
train will not have stopped entirely within zone 3 (8-car). Mind you,
the trains don't exactly fly in and out of the station so I doubt
anyone will miss one by having to walk a few metres forward/back.

And am I the only one who finds the floor through the main
station and into the FCC station very slippery? Have to ask
Father Xmas for some new soles :-)

Yes, very slippery - as I nearly slipped yesterday when coming off the
northbound platform to exit the station. Mind you, like most of the
station, it's still not finished. They're out today putting sealant on
new glass panels next to the stairs. It seems we have found a new way
to proudly state that we've finished on time, on budget.

Jonathan

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message
No doubt they have hung signs from the ceiling saying where zones 1 and 2
are, closely followed by hanging some other sign a few feet in front of it
so as to completely obscure it!

Very small signs stuck on the wall were all that I saw.

But I have been known to miss things that are glaringly
obvious!
--
Garry Smith

On 13 Dec, 10:22, "Paul Scott" wrote:

Maybe they could be reminded zones A, B, C, D wouldn't be confusing in that
way, especially after January...

The platforms are A and B (which in itself is rather confusing when
other St Pancras platforms are numbered) so the whole thing is a bit
of a mess. I know King's Cross TL was A and B, but what was the
reasoning for keeping that for an all-new station up the road?

I hadn't thought about the possible confusion with the use of 'zone
2,3', but now I can certainly see how someone might - if only for a
short time - get confused by the meaning.

Still, while their train indicators are still showing trains in the
wrong order (and not being consistent on times at all), the Journey
Check (Nexus Alpha) service hasn't got any FCC trains listed at all
for St Pancras International. All you get are East Midland trains! Not
very good for checking your train is running or not.

Jonathan