Transferring from Elizabeth Line to H&C line at Farringdon

[Brookmill18]

I will be coming from Heathrow so will have some luggage--how difficult is it to transfer between those lines at Farringdon? I read that the easiest way might be to exit Farringdon station off Elizabeth Line, walk across the street and onto the H&C line? I haven't don't it before so just want to have a sense of how to do this. Other option is to get off at Tottenham Court Road on Elizabeth Line and walk but walk is a bit far and weather looks iffy. Thank you!

 

[Chris Butler]

I will be coming from Heathrow so will have some luggage--how difficult is it to transfer between those lines at Farringdon? I read that the easiest way might be to exit Farringdon station off Elizabeth Line, walk across the street and onto the H&C line? I haven't don't it before so just want to have a sense of how to do this. Other option is to get off at Tottenham Court Road on Elizabeth Line and walk but walk is a bit far and weather looks iffy. Thank you!

The details depend on which direction you're taking the H&C at Farringdon. I guess Eastbound ?

The route you describe is simple but the biggest thing to note is that the 'street' you cross (Cowcross St.) is pedestrian only ... no vehicles, so it's just a short hop in the open air between the two entrances which are directly opposite each other.

 

[Brookmill18]

Thank you--heading to Great Portland Street which I think is actually West Bound?

 

[Chris Butler]

Thank you--heading to Great Portland Street which I think is actually West Bound?

Yes it is westbound.

Changing at Farringdon is 'overshooting' Great Portland Street by about 1½miles (!) and coming all the way back though. Paddington is the 'obvious' place to change. It's step free from Elizabeth to H&C but quite a distance, so maybe that's why you're looking at Farringdon.

I've attached the lift guide for Farringdon which shows that the Ticket Hall level (which is street level) has lifts to all platforms on one side of Cowcross St (which runs between Lift C and Lift D) or the other.

The other thing to say is that the National Rail (Thameslink) southbound platform and the H&C Westbound platforms are right next to each other. The only thing is that there is a height difference of 1-2m between them and so four or five steps. As a result Lift C almost serves the H&C westbound.

The thing is that I have never used lift B and never got off Lift C at the National Rail platform, so I am going on my overall knowledge of the station as a frequent user and the TfL info. Hopefully someone else can 100% confirm.

 

[stuu]

If you go to the eastern end of Farringdon Elizabeth line platforms, there are lifts directly to the westbound platform of Barbican station

 

[Taunton]

If you go to the eastern end of Farringdon Elizabeth line platforms, there are lifts directly to the westbound platform of Barbican station

That's the way I go, except that the second lift to the end of the Circle westbound appears to have no signage, it is round a corner.

 

[35B]

I did almost precisely this with luggage coming from Heathrow. The west end lift from the Elizabeth Line comes up on the southbound Thameslink platform, which is a short (5 or 6 step) stairway from the westbound Circle line. This was straightforward and easy for me with family (able bodied, with luggage) - and certainly easier than going through the station entrances and across Cowcross St.

 

[Chris Butler]

Just to point out that using the Barbican exit is taking you even further away from Great Portland Street (at Barbican it's about a 2 mile 'overshoot'). The travel time is about 6-7mins longer via Farringdon/Barbican than via Paddington. That is offset by the difference between the walk/lifts/escalators at Paddington and the walk/lifts/escalators at Farringdon/Barbican.

The lift guide for the Farringdon/Barbican route is below. (By the way it shows that the lift to Barbican is not direct from the Elizabeth line platforms as was described above, it's a two hop journey).

For me Paddington is the best bet or, if not, the lift at Farringdon (which is direct, unlike the Barbican route) to the Thameslink southbound and then up five steps to the H&C/Circle. Not sure of your circumstance, but I think you have all the options now.

 

[35B]

Just to observe that the journey I made was aiming at King's Cross, and I deliberately chose Farringdon as (a) having more frequent Circle service than Paddington and (b) being a simpler interchange than Paddington. Having done both in my time, I would use Farringdon again - but my emphasis was and is on convenience over specific journey time.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Thank you--heading to Great Portland Street which I think is actually West Bound?

Depending on your exact destination, it is a step-free interchange between the Elizabeth Line and the Northern Line at Tottenham Court Road. Goodge Street has lifts to the surface (but there are steps from platform to lift) and Warren Street has escalators. Both are a short walk from the northern end of the actual street named Great Portland Street.

 

[stuu]

Just to point out that using the Barbican exit is taking you even further away from Great Portland Street (at Barbican it's about a 2 mile 'overshoot'). The travel time is about 6-7mins longer via Farringdon/Barbican than via Paddington. That is offset by the difference between the walk/lifts/escalators at Paddington and the walk/lifts/escalators at Farringdon/Barbican.

The lift guide for the Farringdon/Barbican route is below. (By the way it shows that the lift to Barbican is not direct from the Elizabeth line platforms as was described above, it's a two hop journey).

For me Paddington is the best bet or, if not, the lift at Farringdon (which is direct, unlike the Barbican route) to the Thameslink southbound and then up five steps to the H&C/Circle. Not sure of your circumstance, but I think you have all the options now.
View attachment 169113

My mistake, I thought that the lift at Farringdon went to the northbound platform. As it's the southbound that is clearly the sensible option, unless the OP finds themselves at the eastern end of the train

I would still describe the lifts at Barbican as directly to the platform though, even though it's two stages

 

[cjw714]

Depending on your exact destination, it is a step-free interchange between the Elizabeth Line and the Northern Line at Tottenham Court Road. Goodge Street has lifts to the surface (but there are steps from platform to lift) and Warren Street has escalators. Both are a short walk from the northern end of the actual street named Great Portland Street.

Another option would be the 27 bus which stops pretty close to the Elizabeth Line entrance at Paddington and takes about 15 minutes to get to Great Portland Street.

 

[Somewhere]

Just to point out that using the Barbican exit is taking you even further away from Great Portland Street (at Barbican it's about a 2 mile 'overshoot'). The travel time is about 6-7mins longer via Farringdon/Barbican than via Paddington. That is offset by the difference between the walk/lifts/escalators at Paddington and the walk/lifts/escalators at Farringdon/Barbican.

The lift guide for the Farringdon/Barbican route is below. (By the way it shows that the lift to Barbican is not direct from the Elizabeth line platforms as was described above, it's a two hop journey).

For me Paddington is the best bet or, if not, the lift at Farringdon (which is direct, unlike the Barbican route) to the Thameslink southbound and then up five steps to the H&C/Circle. Not sure of your circumstance, but I think you have all the options now.
View attachment 169113

Don't think that really matters. The OP is trying to work out the easiest route, not the quickest route

 

[Mgameing123]

I will be coming from Heathrow so will have some luggage--how difficult is it to transfer between those lines at Farringdon? I read that the easiest way might be to exit Farringdon station off Elizabeth Line, walk across the street and onto the H&C line? I haven't don't it before so just want to have a sense of how to do this. Other option is to get off at Tottenham Court Road on Elizabeth Line and walk but walk is a bit far and weather looks iffy. Thank you!

Depends what side of the train your on. I'd recommend going to front of the train and use the secret lift to Barbican.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Depending on your exact destination, it is a step-free interchange between the Elizabeth Line and the Northern Line at Tottenham Court Road. Goodge Street has lifts to the surface (but there are steps from platform to lift) and Warren Street has escalators. Both are a short walk from the northern end of the actual street named Great Portland Street.

Regents Park station is also very close to Great Portland Street. It has lifts but is not completely step free