Rebuilding of Blackfriars Thameslink station...end in sight?

[teuchter]

Good news - the south bank entrance to Blackfriars station is now open.

http://www.thameslinkprogramme.co.uk/news/news_items/view/120

The countdown to completion starts today as the first passengers use a new station entrance on the south bank of the River Thames. This will be followed by a new station entrance on the north bank on 12 December, with the first ever 12-car trains on the Thameslink route calling at Blackfriars on the same date. A new look London Underground station will open in February 2012, followed by a further two new national rail platforms in May.

Countdown to completion at Blackfriars
- Spring 2009: Work to restore and widen the eastern side of Blackfriars rail bridge begins
- January 2010: Tracks switched to the eastern side of the bridge to allow work to begin on the west, while trains continue running
- October 2011: Work begins to install 4,400 solar panels on the roof of Blackfriars, creating London's largest solar array
- 5 December 2011: First passengers use new entrance on the south bank of the Thames
- 12 December 2011: First 12-carriage Thameslink trains serve Blackfriars; new northern entrance opens
- 26 February 2012: New London Underground station opens
- May 2012: Two more terminating platforms completed; south bank entrance complete
- Summer 2012: Full passenger benefits delivered, two new entrances, capability for 12-carriage trains and a new Underground station fully operational ahead of Olympic and Paralympic Games

They are running a test 12-car train along the route today (Wednesday).

Are we to understand that after "summer" 2012 trains will run through central London on weekends again, and we will get back later trains at night on the Sutton/Wimbledon loop again? The website seems a bit cagey about that.

 

[quimcunx]

Oh. There is a particular reason why trains from bastarding Sutton finish so early?

 

[teuchter]

Yes.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Well, the tube station might be open in time for the Olympics, anyway.

 

[quimcunx]

I had presumed it was just general thing to make my life just that little bit more inconvenient.

Have you been to visit yet?

 

[teuchter]

No, but I will soon. I would like to check whether it allows me to now get from my front door to the Tate in under 15 mins. If so, the project can be judged a success.

 

[Crispy]

Q: Can you use the station as a footbridge?
A: Yes, if you hold a season ticket or travelcard on your oyster. If you only have PAYG, you will get get charged for entering and exiting the station.

 

[London_Calling]

Just how many Olympic events are there gong to be at Blackfriars, or is the timing to ensure the multitude of Blackfriars residents can get back and forth from elsewhere...

Otherwise: epic development. And kind of an extra station as well now.

 

[cybertect]

The London SE1 Community website had a piece about the opening on Monday

http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/5705

 

[clicker]

Does this mean we can walk along the south bank now without diverting out onto the street near the municipal greenery?

 

[teuchter]

Does this mean we can walk along the south bank now without diverting out onto the street near the municipal greenery?

I hope so

 

[ska invita]

Q: Can you use the station as a footbridge?
A: Yes, if you hold a season ticket or travelcard on your oyster. If you only have PAYG, you will get get charged for entering and exiting the station.

You can walk across Blackfriars bridge for free though

 

[teuchter]

Or the unwobbly bridge.

 

[cybertect]

Does this mean we can walk along the south bank now without diverting out onto the street near the municipal greenery?

Yep, according to the SE1 article, the Thames Path reopened on Monday morning too.

 

[London_Calling]

So I'm estimating that the platforms on Crossrail - 10 carriages but built for 12 i.e. 240 metres long - will be about the length of Blackfriars Bridge - whatyathunk?

 

[lang rabbie]

So I'm estimating that the platforms on Crossrail - 10 carriages but built for 12 i.e. 240 metres long - will be about the length of Blackfriars Bridge - whatyathunk?

The present or New Blackfriars Bridge was commenced in the year 1862 from designs of Mr. Joseph Cubitt. The entire work was completed and the bridge publicly opened by Her Majesty in November, 1869. The style of architecture -- termed Venetian-Gothic -- well suits the object of the design, which consists of five arches constructed principally of iron resting upon granite piers, the centre arch with a span of 185 feet, those immediately on either side being 175 feet, and the two end or abutment arches 155 feet; the centre piers are 20 feet 6 inches wide, and the other two 18 feet each; making a total length from shore to shore of 923 feet.

As the railway bridge was required to align exactly with the new road bridge it must also be 923 feet = 281.3304 metres (give or take an inch!) over the river - and there is also a bit of viaduct from Queen Victoria Street through to the northern bridge abutment.

 

[clicker]

Yep, according to the SE1 article, the Thames Path reopened on Monday morning too.

thank gawd for that....my favourite London stroll was blighted by having to divert...all in a good cause but it seemed to go on forever....just as you walked through the subway bit with the river history sketched on the walls, and the strains of a lonesome sax would fill the night air, you'd have to hot foot it up the sodding stairs, walk over that flowerbed effort, get hit by a truck reversing down the back alley, then walk through a brown faceless concrete monstrosity of a building to head back to the river....and onward.

 

[bromley]

Is this new underground station called Blackfriars?

 

[Crispy]

What new underground station?

 

[London_Calling]

As the railway bridge was required to align exactly with the new road bridge it must also be 923 feet = 281.3304 metres (give or take an inch!) over the river - and there is also a bit of viaduct from Queen Victoria Street through to the northern bridge abutment.

Cheers. Seems like the better guide would be the part of the bridge that is actually above water. It must mean the active platforms at Blackfriars also extend the full width of the river.

 

[bromley]

What new underground station?

26 February 2012: New London Underground station opens

Perhaps by new they mean refurbished?

 

[London_Calling]

Perhaps 'improved':

The Tube is back at Blackfriars in February after the improvements above, restoring the link with the District and Circle lines that closed in March 2009. After extensive improvements, there will be step-free access throughout, a larger ticket hall, with new and improved access through lifts and escalators to widened platforms.

Work's been progressing as you can see from this shot taken when the new platforms were first revealed in early October.

http://www.thameslinkprogramme.co.uk/cms/pages/view/68

 

[London_Calling]

Is this new underground station called Blackfriars?

Maybe they're conflating the tube with the 'new' Thamslink entance on the south side of Blackfriars Bridge. Some like to call it a new station but it looks like a new entrance to me Albeit a pretty significant new entrance for those exiting south.

 

[teuchter]

So, when are we going to get our late night and weekend Thameslink services back in south London?

All the website says is that the current situation will continue "into 2012".

 

[Crispy]

Fingers crossed it'll be in the May timetable update.

 

[teuchter]

So, it seems confirmed that the full service on the Wimbledon/Sutton loop will resume from the 19th May (or very soon after).

I'm looking forward to having late night/weekend services back.

Can anyone remember how late the service used to run in the evenings? I can't find any information on this.

They'd better not try and sneakily "resume" a service that is not as good as what used to run. Letters will be written.

 

[Crispy]

Enjoy it while it lasts. When the London Bridge upgrade is complete in 2018, all Sutton loop trains will terminate at Blackfriars. No Thameslink for you!

 

[quimcunx]

thank gawd for that....my favourite London stroll was blighted by having to divert...all in a good cause but it seemed to go on forever....just as you walked through the subway bit with the river history sketched on the walls, and the strains of a lonesome sax would fill the night air, you'd have to hot foot it up the sodding stairs, walk over that flowerbed effort, get hit by a truck reversing down the back alley, then walk through a brown faceless concrete monstrosity of a building to head back to the river....and onward.

Which is what I had to do this Saturday just past.

 

[clicker]

Which is what I had to do this Saturday just past.

I was up there Monday evening this week and it was open at about 9 pm -ish........but i think i half saw a sign saying it would still be closed at 10.30pm-ish for a while....i may have imagined it, was so euphoric at being able to walk without the sodding divert and buoyed on extortionately priced lager fro the Royal Festival Hall

 

[teuchter]

Enjoy it while it lasts. When the London Bridge upgrade is complete in 2018, all Sutton loop trains will terminate at Blackfriars. No Thameslink for you!

I know, but I don't think it'll be that bad really - the trains through the central bit will be so frequent, every 2 or 3 minutes at peak time, that you'll not have to wait long to change trains at Blackfriars.

And the trains on the Sutton Loop will hopefully be less prone to delays and cancellations caused by things happening on the main Thameslink route.