Crossrail - operating discussion and opening day 24th May

[swt_passenger]

I don't know the central line between Stratford and Liverpool Street always feels ridiculously slow I'd imagine the time you'd save by staying on the lizzie line longer is fairly substantial by the time you reach TCR

If coming through from Stratford or Liverpool St whereabouts on the Central line are you actually changing for?

 

[357]

I don't know the central line between Stratford and Liverpool Street always feels ridiculously slow I'd imagine the time you'd save by staying on the lizzie line longer is fairly substantial by the time you reach TCR

Stratford to Liverpool Street
7 minutes on the mainline
13 minutes on the Central line

Elizabeth line will make an additional stop at Whitechapel but won't have a slow approach into the mainline station.

I think for journeys from the east into shared stations in the core, such as Tottenham Court Road, the difference will be minimal.

For real world commuters, the value of cross platform change at Stratford will outweigh the 500m+ walks in the core to then save a minute or two

 

[Envy123]

It's a pity the idea of a loop connecting with Kings Cross/St P and Euston didn't happen. Three massive infrastructure projects (HS1, HS2 and Elizabeth) and none connecting with any other. I suppose it's a metaphor for the lack of joined-up thinking in British politics generally.

Though the expanded Thameslink destinations from the Thameslink Programme, allow easy interchange at Farringdon with the Elizabeth Line. Skipping the need to interchange at Kings Cross.

 

[345 050]

I've discovered on the Crossrail project site it shows plans of each station overlayed onto a map, see https://www.crossrail.co.uk/route/n...x=-0.12824271678550872&ymax=51.51704538447688

View attachment 115312

Sadly it seems the low level link between the Central line passageway and the Elizabeth line wasn't built as originally planned. It would be good to know the reason for this as it seems a real shame given the advantages it would bring at this key interchange such as:

1 - Anyone interchanging from the west end of the EL platforms now has to walk the full length of the platform, up to the ticket hall, and back down again. Following signs for the Central you then have to walk the full length of the passageway before you get to the platforms. We're talking a half a kilometre walk here.
2 - It would provide access to the Central and Northern lines from the Dean Street entrance
3 - Takes many interchanging passengers away from the busy ticket hall and escalators
4 - Provides a shorter, quicker interchange from the Central line and for passengers towards the western end of an EL train

On a positive note it seems Bond Street will be getting some sort of low level link but I just don't understand why it hasn't been included at TCR

I suppose as long as there's a link at Bond St it's not the end of the world, you just change at Bond Street instead, and do slightly more time on Central line.

 

[theking]

How long are they going to have platform staff droning on the tannoy exactly the same message as the automated announcement would do.

I thought tfl was skint but have never seen so many staff doing non jobs.

 

[357]

How long are they going to have platform staff droning on the tannoy exactly the same message as the automated announcement would do.

I thought tfl was skint but have never seen so many staff doing non jobs.

They work for MTR, not for TfL (and even then likely subcontracted to STM)

MTR - the train operator
STM - their agency staff of choice

 

[kristiang85]

Is there scope to install moving walkways in some of the longer tunnels (like at Waterloo between the Jubilee/Northern)? That could potentially help, if they were made wide enough like at airports. Granted, it would completely ruin the aesthetics though, so the architects would probably baulk at that!

(although to be honest I intensely hate using the Waterloo one at busy times as people just seem to stand there and block it, not realising that the majority don't want to spend all thier lives in an underground tunnel).

 

[Robert Ambler]

Moorgate side or Liverpool Street side? All seemed fine on the LST side

Liverpool Street side. The down escalator had stopped and people were having to walk down which was causing a bit of a queue

 

[Taunton]

Second trip today, Friday, unfortunately like Tuesday it was impressive outwards, shambles on return.

On Tuesday, trying to enter at Canary Wharf at 6pm, it had been determined that due to problems on the Jubilee Line, they would introduce passenger flow control at the Elizabeth station. This was despite the passenger levels being well within the station capacity. At one end everyone was sent around outside in a circle, ending up when they started, then sent right down to the other end ("we're doing one way"), only to find the Bostwick gates across there. You may recall there was a thunderstorm in progress at that time, so all outside got soaked. Eventually gates opened just a fraction, all squeezed through, one lady slipped and fell over (doubtless not reported as just outside the TfL line), only to find the station near-deserted inside.

Today, discussion with Canary Wharf marshal, who agreed that Tuesday evening was a ludicrous chaos. They are all blaming silly TfL procedures. But at 4pm, came to return from Paddington, announced the fire alarm had activated at Abbey Wood - of course a fully open air station, I wonder how many of those nationally have fire alarms. So service paused, finally started, train announced terminating at Woolwich, then later to terminate at Custom House, which for us is as good as Canary Wharf for getting on the DLR. Very stop-start journey, finally get there. You would now never imagine there had been all those months if not years of training. Complete headless chicken mode at Custom House, train just sat in the eastbound platform for about 10 minutes holding up all behind, conflicting and indecipherable announcements from the vast number of staff, one lot said the train was now for Paddington, another lot said it was tipping out, doors opened, doors closed, everything behind held up. Eventually it departed westbound over the crossover, seemingly empty.

I'll have another try soon for an efficient journey home.

 

[tomuk]

announced the fire alarm had activated at Abbey Wood - of course a fully open air station, I wonder how many of those nationally have fire alarms.

Jeez, you're criticising them because they have a fire alarm fitted. I can assure you that all NR stations where there are occupied buildings will have a fire alarm.

 

[plugwash]

So what's the quicker way from Paddington Elizabeth line to the Circle line ... up and over, or down via the Bakerloo line?

Doesn't the circle line at paddington come into two totally different parts of the station depending on where you are going?

 

[swt_passenger]

Doesn't the circle line at paddington come into two totally different parts of the station depending on where you are going?

Yes. I reckon “via the Bakerloo platforms” is useless for both though, having watched Geoff Marshall’s Paddington video where he explores said passageway. The west end of the EL station may provide the best route to the H&C/Circle P15/16, via the cut through half way down platform 1 and the mid platform overbridge.

 

[thomalex]

@TfL setup at Custom House this evening is an absolute joke. DLR platform staff telling people wrong way to a closed Elizabeth Line entrance, megaphones shouting at them when they get there, EL staff literally grabbing people, two different sets of instructions on the platform

https://twitter.com/quizeye/status/1530246167598178310?s=21&t=ZIazcesq5NF2CYV93mQOLg

I must admit there seems to be too many staff on the EL platforms which while good intentioned isn’t exactly helpful at times.

 

[Taunton]

@TfL setup at Custom House this evening is an absolute joke. DLR platform staff telling people wrong way to a closed Elizabeth Line entrance, megaphones shouting at them when they get there, EL staff literally grabbing people, two different sets of instructions on the platform

https://twitter.com/quizeye/status/1530246167598178310?s=21&t=ZIazcesq5NF2CYV93mQOLg

See my note on "headless chickens" there a few posts above.

 

[DC1989]

I think there would always be teething issues with this - all in all its gone well and I think (hope) improvements will be made over time

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Crossrail is the first railway designed with the assumption that every passenger will have their own Segway.

Glad its not only me that thought there was some fair distances to be covered to get out of the stations and have already decided that i will stick to using the surface tube from Farringdon to Liv St.

 

[357]

Jeez, you're criticising them because they have a fire alarm fitted. I can assure you that all NR stations where there are occupied buildings will have a fire alarm.

Absolutely not the case from my experience working on many many stations. On my regular patch of 11 stations only one had a fire alarm and all had occupied buildings.

 

[stratford]

Yes, agreed, there's no 4G or working WiFi in the trains, only on stations is there WiFi.

Yeah checked again and it seem whilst I can connect to the WiFi in the tunnels as 'TfL_Wifi' and it takes me to a page to accept the terms of conditions it gets stuck after that.

 

[ijmad]

Yeah checked again and it seem whilst I can connect to the WiFi in the tunnels as 'TfL_Wifi' and it takes me to a page to accept the terms of conditions it gets stuck after that.

This is because the train's onboard wifi base stations use 4G to send traffic onwards, so it won't work underground until 4G is switched on in the tunnels.

A lot of trains do wifi this way.

 

[thomalex]

OK so an update on some interchanges after a quick explore on the way home. I criticised TCR earlier for it's lack of sensible interchange with the Central line (a new low level link was originally planned but wasn't built) however I can report there is a nice, super short low level link to the Northern line at the eastern end just before you go up the escalator so top marks for that one. And if you follow this link a sign to the Central line appears which directs you halfway along the Northern platforms and then to the Central line. So if you are interchanging to the Central here follow signs to the Northern line it's certainly quicker that going up to the ticket hall and back down again.

And at Farringdon if you want to interchange with the Circle, Met, H&C lines without crossing the street and tapping in/out you can on the northbound Thameslink platform which takes you under the street and then over the internal bridge. Also noticed that the signage here is poor as it just says National Rail however if you're after the southbound Thameslink platforms you're better following the Underground sign, going up to street level and back down.

 

[Mikey C]

I certainly don't want to be a moaning mrytle and absolutely have enjoyed riding the line but the walks and connections do seem to be quite poor in some places. TCR has been highlighted above and I will see whether going via the northern line is indeed faster tomorrow. But also at Moorgate I came from the northern line this morning and go sent via and over the circle line platforms to crossrail (at which point I gave up and decided just to get the met line) which seems ridiculous is there no other route? (I guess you could go out and in again). Also very sad there's no connection to the eastbound platforms at barbican either (and barely one to the westbound). I guess things just got dropped on cost grounds but the line does feel very "separate". Maybe bond street will be better.

I've been banging the crossrail drum at work but a lot of people have pointed out that due to the long connections they'll be barely saving much time at all on their journeys, and the more I look at it the more I think they may be right. Specially if you pick the wrong end of the train.

There's a direct connection from the Northern Line platforms to the Liz line at Moorgate, the stairs go down between the 2 Northern Line platforms

 

[James H]

There's a direct connection from the Northern Line platforms to the Liz line at Moorgate, the stairs go down between the 2 Northern Line platforms

However from the Northern line (certainly southbound) it's not signed at all

 

[345 050]

I thought I heard about Farringdon being shut due to fire alert earlier today as well. It seems like all of the stations are having them!

 

[ctom_s]

Glad its not only me that thought there was some fair distances to be covered to get out of the stations and have already decided that i will stick to using the surface tube from Farringdon to Liv St.

yeah the only way to make the lizze line worth that journey would be to walk the full length of the train while it's moving

There's a direct connection from the Northern Line platforms to the Liz line at Moorgate, the stairs go down between the 2 Northern Line platforms

that's good to know, tough to pick up that in the rush hour but I'll keep my eyes peeled next time

 

[bicbasher]

Easy enough at Whitechapel from the Overground platforms. If using the northbound ELL service, the stairs to the Elizabeth line are at the top end of the platform, on the southbound, it's at the rear end.

 

[JaJaWa]

I thought I heard about Farringdon being shut due to fire alert earlier today as well. It seems like all of the stations are having them!

It’s the dust being kicked up after it finally opened after remaining dormant

 

[greyman42]

It’s the dust being kicked up after it finally opened after remaining dormant

Yes it happens. Other examples of this are underground car parks in apartment blocks.

EL staff literally grabbing people, two different sets of instructions on the platform

If someone grabbed me they might get grabbed back. Do passengers really put up with this?

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Today, discussion with Canary Wharf marshal, who agreed that Tuesday evening was a ludicrous chaos. They are all blaming silly TfL procedures. But at 4pm, came to return from Paddington, announced the fire alarm had activated at Abbey Wood - of course a fully open air station, I wonder how many of those nationally have fire alarms. So service paused, finally started, train announced terminating at Woolwich, then later to terminate at Custom House, which for us is as good as Canary Wharf for getting on the DLR.

Jeez, you're criticising them because they have a fire alarm fitted. I can assure you that all NR stations where there are occupied buildings will have a fire alarm.

I would assume the criticism isn't of the fact of a fire alarm being fitted but of a perceived over-reaction to it going off.

 

[ijmad]

There's a direct connection from the Northern Line platforms to the Liz line at Moorgate, the stairs go down between the 2 Northern Line platforms

Direct in the same sense as driving from Rugby to Carlisle on the M6 is direct

 

[ctom_s]

oh ffs I was gonna do some exploring today sounds like I'll need a combination of a segway, hiking boots, and maybe one of those sticks people use when they walk long distances.

Maybe now is the time for a hoverboard? Though presumably they aren't allowed to be used in stations.