First impressions of the Thameslink platforms at St Pancras which
opened on time this morning (after what must have been a massive
tidy-up operation).

Spacious platforms, clean and well lit but not inspiring and, as yet,
minimal advertising. Signs and indicators matching the those rest of
St.P.I. The train indicators do show intermediate stations (ref
earlier comment here.) Seats only at the outer ends of the
platforms, probably not enough of them, particularly since half of
them will be off the end of 4 coach trains.

Surprisingly, the southern ends of the platforms are on a curve but
these will only be needed if and when we get 12 coaches. This curve
causes much flange noise from southbound trains to compete with
automatic train announcements.

Access looks OK with escalators (2 each side) and stairs between
platforms to a mezzanine level and then more of the same up to the
main station undercroft. Exit/entrance, with gateline, in use, faces
the end of the arcade.

Lifts available from platforms to the mezzanine at least (and
hopefully further but I did not explore.)

No retail outlets or toilets within the gates but I dunno about what,
if anything, is planned.

Delayed commuters will be frustrated since, as might be expected,
mobile phones do not work on the platforms (does the technology exist
to fix this?). I did not notice any payphones there.
--
Peter Lawrence

Peter Lawrence wrote:

snip

Spacious platforms, clean and well lit but not inspiring and, as yet,
minimal advertising.

Hmmm...sounds a bit like City Thameslink.

Signs and indicators matching the those rest of
St.P.I. The train indicators do show intermediate stations (ref
earlier comment here.) Seats only at the outer ends of the
platforms, probably not enough of them, particularly since half of
them will be off the end of 4 coach trains.

Seating is unfortunately at a premium throughout the whole StP complex
at the moment (unless you fancy a £7.50+ glass of champagne :-)).

Surprisingly, the southern ends of the platforms are on a curve but
these will only be needed if and when we get 12 coaches. This curve
causes much flange noise from southbound trains to compete with
automatic train announcements.

I would be surprised if during the forthcoming weekend closures of the
core Thameslink route didn't invlove the renewal of *at least* most of
the track along the whole stretch, including the legendary Hotel Curve.

Access looks OK with escalators (2 each side) and stairs between
platforms to a mezzanine level and then more of the same up to the
main station undercroft. Exit/entrance, with gateline, in use, faces
the end of the arcade.

Lifts available from platforms to the mezzanine at least (and
hopefully further but I did not explore.)

I won't be there until tomorrow (apparently Ruth Kelly is due to
'officially' open it on that day) but I'm certain that there are two
lifts - one covers the street, mezzanine and platform (A) levels while
the other covers the mezzanine and platform (B) levels.

No retail outlets or toilets within the gates but I dunno about what,
if anything, is planned.

According to the LCR maps of StP there will be no retail units or
toilets within the paid-side of SPILL - in any case all SPILL passengers
will have to use the gateline so they'll need all the space they can get.

snip

Peter Lawrence wrote:
Delayed commuters will be frustrated since, as might be expected,
mobile phones do not work on the platforms (does the technology exist
to fix this?).

Yes, it's perfectly possible for a micro-cell site to be installed in
the platform area: http://www.mobiledia.com/glossary/162.html

I would have thought, given the tight deadline that it wasn't high in
the list of priorities (just like the shops in the rest of the station
which were delayed in favour of more important bits of the station!) ...
but then commuters don't expect mobile phone reception in any another
below ground station

On Dec 9, 12:36 pm, Sky Rider wrote:
Peter Lawrence wrote:

snip

Spacious platforms, clean and well lit but not inspiring and, as yet,
minimal advertising.

Hmmm...sounds a bit like City Thameslink.


Compared to City Thameslink, I found SPILL more pleasant - brighter,
lighter, and much more spacious. Like some other parts of St Pancras,
it does have a very gallic/continental feel - made me think of the RER
in Paris, or the new underground stations in Berlin such as Potsdamer
Platz. Agreed that it's not very inspiring. The mezzanine in
particular is a massive space with huge blank walls which could surely
have been made more interesting to look at.

At 11:48:40 on Sun, 9 Dec 2007 Peter Lawrence opined:-

First impressions of the Thameslink platforms at St Pancras which opened
on time this morning (after what must have been a massive tidy-up
operation).

Spacious platforms, clean and well lit but not inspiring and, as yet,
minimal advertising. Signs and indicators matching the those rest of
St.P.I. The train indicators do show intermediate stations (ref
earlier comment here.) Seats only at the outer ends of the platforms,
probably not enough of them, particularly since half of them will be off
the end of 4 coach trains.

That at least is better than St P I, which has NO seats.
--
Thoss

Peter Lawrence wrote:
First impressions of the Thameslink platforms at St Pancras which
opened on time this morning (after what must have been a massive
tidy-up operation).

Where's the street entrance? I drove through Midland Road yesterday and
couldn't see any signs marking a station at all.

but then commuters don't expect mobile phone reception in any another
below ground station

I find this very astonishing. In other parts of the world mobile phone
coverage of underground lines has been custom for years. The operators
have installed several transmitters (e.g. here
http://www.fst-gsm.de/d1-u-bahn.html is a list for one operator in
Cologne, Germany. The other 3 German operators have similar equipment).
It works.

As far as I know the phone operators pays the transport company (KVB) a
rent - so KVB gets more revenue and improves service at the same time.

Of course, the London underground network is much, much larger. But even
then I find it hard to understand why it is that difficult there.

In message , at 11:48:40 on
Sun, 9 Dec 2007, Peter Lawrence remarked:

Seats only at the outer ends of the platforms, probably not enough of
them

Whoever designed that aspect of StP (was it the architect we saw
agonising over small details on TV, or someone else) has clearly got an
aversion to seating.

Delayed commuters will be frustrated since, as might be expected,
mobile phones do not work on the platforms (does the technology exist
to fix this?).

Of course. The HEx tunnels have continuous coverage, or they could fit
some microcells for just the platforms. However, they don't even seem to
have wifi in the main shed yet. Another blind spot from the architects?
--
Roland Perry

On Sun, 09 Dec 2007 15:27:29 +0100, Martin Krieger
wrote:

Of course, the London underground network is much, much larger. But even
then I find it hard to understand why it is that difficult there.

Many people wouldn't want it, just as many don't want it on planes.
It's unpleasant enough spending time rammed up hard against other
passengers without them blabbing away into mobile phones at the same
time.

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.

On Sun, 9 Dec 2007 14:38:28 +0000, Roland Perry
wrote:

Whoever designed that aspect of StP (was it the architect we saw
agonising over small details on TV, or someone else) has clearly got an
aversion to seating.

Same as Euston[1], then? Maybe it was intentional to encourage
business for the shops and bars. Mind you, Blackhole isn't exactly
well-endowed with seating, bar that almost-floor-level bar that people
tend to sit on on the platforms.

[1] I am a big fan of Euston as a very practical station, if not
anything like as beautiful as St. P. However, it has two very bad
design features. One is the lack of seating, and the other is the
lack of a marked-out (perhaps with railings) area in which passengers
should *not* stand and wait on the concourse, which means that getting
to the suburban platforms in the peak can be a slow affair.

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.