Just had a look! Fairly impressed.
Definitely some finishing bits and pieces left to do, in particular some missing wooden cladding from some of the bottoms of the bridge decks, and the hoardings on Platform 15 are still largely up. I guess this will be sorted out at nights/weekends to come. Lots more to do to on Stainer Street and the Western Arcade which I know is being done progressively over the next couple of years, although these are apparently open during peak commuter hours. Plus imagine some work to do to open up the Shard concourse level, the route to the concourse escalators is a bit awkward right now due to the second offset gateline that was added last year, which I assume this will be going away now at least half the passengers getting off terminating trains will presumably be taking the stairs down to the concourse.
Noticed some surprises, differences from the most recent set of plans I've seen:
- Looks like you'll be able to walk either side of the escalator void on Platform 15, on the plans it looked like the void would extend all the way to the St Thomas Street frontage.
- The lift on platform 11/12 is staff only. Quite surprised at that given it seems to be designed to go all the way down to ground (although with no doors at ground level for the moment) - assumed this was going to be a passenger lift and it was on the plans!
- Fixed staff staircase in front of the lift on platform 13/14 seems permanent.
- The L-shape of gates at the bottom of the stairs down from the Shard concourse seems sensible, it was visible in other photos I've seen before today, but isn't the line I saw in the plans. Seems like this could work quite well if one side is 'in' and the other side 'out'.
- The passenger lift alongside that staircase, which I think originally was going to be off to the side.
They've done a nice job with the temporary wall closing off the rest of the redevelopment work. Shops I saw include TM Lewin (moved from the Western Arcade...), another WHSmith (wonder if they'll keep the one upstairs?), a donut/coffee shop, and a Neros outside in one of the St Thomas Street arches. Nothing looked very ready to open yet.