Surprisingly, I don't think this has been posted here yet...

Posters displayed at King's Cross indicate that the entrance to the
Underground from within the main line station concourse - the one more or
less opposite platform 7 - which seems to have been there for ever, at least
within my recollection, is to close permanently from next Sunday, 1st
February.

On 26 Jan, 00:35, "John Salmon" wrote:
Surprisingly, I don't think this has been posted here yet...

Posters displayed at King's Cross indicate that the entrance to the
Underground from within the main line station concourse - the one more or
less opposite platform 7 - which seems to have been there for ever, at least
within my recollection, is to close permanently from next Sunday, 1st
February.


Intriguing. I've found this information on the TfL website:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/proj....aspx#entrance

---quote---
Entrance closure - 1 February 2009

The staircase that leads from within King's Cross mainline station to
the Underground will be closed permanently from 1 February 2009.

This closure is to enable a lift to be installed to provide step-free
access from the ticket hall to the Northern line platforms.

This staircase will not re-open, but a new route between King's Cross
mainline and the Underground will open nearby when the new Northern
ticket hall opens in 2010.

Until then, passengers should use the main entrance staircase and lift
located outside of King's Cross mainline station, to change between
rail and Underground services.
---/quote---


In time the whole focus of King's Cross station is shifting from the
present concourse over to the new western concourse, which will open
in 2011/ 2012 - in this context the closure of this staircase makes
rather more sense. I'm not really all that clued up on the
redevelopment of the station, but it seems as though the new northern
Tube ticket hall will become the primary entrance to the Underground
from the mainline station.

This Network Rail webpage provides a rough outline as to the plans,
but there's not really enough detail in it:
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/4059.aspx

I note that the footbridge in the main trainshed was scheduled to be
removed over Christmas - I haven't been into KX lately so can't say if
this happened or not. It was fun walking over it when it was still
open, it was a distinctly forgotten corner of the station. It only
gave access to platforms 1 and 8 - was this always the case? I also
note that it's being/been taken into storage - any ideas for a new
home for it?

John Salmon wrote:
Surprisingly, I don't think this has been posted here yet...

Posters displayed at King's Cross indicate that the entrance to the
Underground from within the main line station concourse - the one more
or less opposite platform 7 - which seems to have been there for ever,
at least within my recollection, is to close permanently from next
Sunday, 1st February.

I may be missing something, but this is a great pity. It was so easy to
get off an arriving train, and straight down the stairs into the
underground.

Fom 1 Feb, you have through the often crowded station concourse, out of
the front of the station, merge in with everyone else coming into the
station, and then down the stairs.

All this so a lift can be installed.

This seems very contrary.

In message , at 09:54:37 on Mon, 26
Jan 2009, Allan remarked:
Fom 1 Feb, you have through the often crowded station concourse, out of
the front of the station, merge in with everyone else coming into the
station, and then down the stairs.

Look on the bright side - you are still walking about a quarter of the
distance that people arriving from the Midland Mainline are.
--
Roland Perry

On 26 Jan, 09:54, Allan wrote:

John Salmon wrote:
Surprisingly, I don't think this has been posted here yet...

Posters displayed at King's Cross indicate that the entrance to the
Underground from within the main line station concourse - the one more
or less opposite platform 7 - which seems to have been there for ever,
at least within my recollection, is to close permanently from next
Sunday, 1st February.

I may be missing something, but this is a great pity. *It was so easy to
get off an arriving train, and straight down the stairs into the
underground.

Fom 1 Feb, you have through the often crowded station concourse, out of
the front of the station, merge in with everyone else coming into the
station, and then down the stairs.

All this so a lift can be installed.

This seems very contrary.


Come 2011/2012 when the new western concourse at King's Cross mainline
station opens, then things would be changing anyway. I very much doubt
that this entrance would be closing now were it not for these major
forthcoming changes to the mainline station which will result in the
current concourse disappearing.

So what you're missing is the bigger picture of how things are to
develop at King's Cross - this is just a stage in those developments.

On Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:54:37 +0000, Allan
wrote:

John Salmon wrote:
Surprisingly, I don't think this has been posted here yet...

Posters displayed at King's Cross indicate that the entrance to the
Underground from within the main line station concourse - the one more
or less opposite platform 7 - which seems to have been there for ever,
at least within my recollection, is to close permanently from next
Sunday, 1st February.

I may be missing something, but this is a great pity. It was so easy to
get off an arriving train, and straight down the stairs into the
underground.

Fom 1 Feb, you have through the often crowded station concourse, out of
the front of the station, merge in with everyone else coming into the
station, and then down the stairs.

All this so a lift can be installed.

This seems very contrary.

I, and I suspect many others will call the powers that be that thought
up this ridiculous plan a bunch of arseholes. If anything they should
have been providing more escalators or a high capacity rapid lift in
this area rather than moving it outside.

When those without the funds to travel 1st class on NXEC often have to
walk down the platforms from just outside Peterborough, the long walk
to a platform on the underground often leaves them hot sweaty and
completely knackered. Making it more complicated and adding a trip
into the open air is proof that passengers are just an inconvenience.

Maybe they could also move the KX taxi ranks to 83 yards down the road
from London Victoria?


--

On Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:54:37 +0000, Allan put finger to keyboard and
typed:

John Salmon wrote:
Surprisingly, I don't think this has been posted here yet...

Posters displayed at King's Cross indicate that the entrance to the
Underground from within the main line station concourse - the one more
or less opposite platform 7 - which seems to have been there for ever,
at least within my recollection, is to close permanently from next
Sunday, 1st February.

I may be missing something, but this is a great pity. It was so easy to
get off an arriving train, and straight down the stairs into the
underground.

Fom 1 Feb, you have through the often crowded station concourse, out of
the front of the station, merge in with everyone else coming into the
station, and then down the stairs.

In the short term, yes, it's going to be a nuisance. But it's part of
a long-term plan which will, at least in theory, make things a lot
better.

All this so a lift can be installed.

It's not just so a lift can be installed. In the long run, the whole
of the existing concourse area (where the stairs currently emerge)
will disappear. The new concourse will be to the side of the station,
instead of in front of it, and the area where the stairs now emerge
will be outside the building instead of inside it.

There's are some artist's impressions of the station after the
concourse redevelopment at:
http://www.e-architect.co.uk/london/...ss_station.htm

and the Network Rail information page about it is at:
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/4059.aspx

Mark
--
A Miscellany Of Good Stuff:
http://www.good-stuff.co.uk
http://namestore.good-stuff.co.uk
http://news.good-stuff.co.uk

In message
, at
02:11:21 on Mon, 26 Jan 2009, Mizter T remarked:
I very much doubt that this entrance would be closing now were it not
for these major forthcoming changes to the mainline station which will
result in the current concourse disappearing.

This entrance, and indeed any lift built on the same footprint, will be
in the middle of an open space, when the redevelopment is complete.

Remember also, that people arriving on the main platforms at KX will be
tipped out into that open space (with very limited coverage from the
rain). This halfway house will get them used to packing an umbrella
--
Roland Perry

In message , at 10:21:16 on
Mon, 26 Jan 2009, Mike remarked:
I, and I suspect many others will call the powers that be that thought
up this ridiculous plan a bunch of arseholes. If anything they should
have been providing more escalators or a high capacity rapid lift in
this area rather than moving it outside.

This old staircase *would* be outside, when they demolish the current
roof over the "temporary" concourse.

When those without the funds to travel 1st class on NXEC often have to
walk down the platforms from just outside Peterborough, the long walk
to a platform on the underground often leaves them hot sweaty and
completely knackered. Making it more complicated and adding a trip
into the open air is proof that passengers are just an inconvenience.

As I said earlier, the walk is considerably less than Midland Mainline
passengers have been enduring since the refurbishment of St Pancras
began - for a couple of years the only way to the tube was a long walk
outside in the rain; now it's a slightly longer walk, albeit indoors.

Maybe they could also move the KX taxi ranks to 83 yards down the road
from London Victoria?

Haven't they already moved the taxi rank to the road in between KX and
StP? Again, difficult to get to without being rained upon.
--
Roland Perry

On Jan 26, 10:39*am, Roland Perry wrote:
Remember also, that people arriving on the main platforms at KX will be
tipped out into that open space (with very limited coverage from the
rain). This halfway house will get them used to packing an umbrella

Eh? The new footbridge to the new western concourse will be the
primary exit route to the Tube, St Pancras, etc. The exit to the south
where the current concourse is will only be for people exiting into
the local area.

--
John Band
john at johnband dot org
www.johnband.org