Who's been to look at St Pancras, then?

[Miss-Shelf]

i just went out / back on eurostar to bruxelles then to koln this weekend

agree - the departure post passport is low level - didn't take euros or card transactions in shop/cafe - looks like all the amenieties concentrated in the 'mall'

arrival back to st pancras pleasurable in looks after the dismal experience of bruxelles midi but the long walk under the floor and out seemed unecessary

our destination was koln hauptbahnhof and this was great - a functional dramatic station with international trains/local trains all mingling with a well used station with many services open till after midnight

all in all its a train station with long distance trains hurrah. I LOVE TRAINS

 

[catrina]

Well, I went to look yesterday. I must say, I really like it. Especially the Eurostar part of it. It looks like you're going on a plane, not a train! I really like the blue archway, I think it looks nice.

I couldn't find the oyster bar, I was rushing through. The bottom part is nice, and just as much a shopping centre as any other railway station I've been in the world. At least it's clean and will never be exposed to tobacco smoke!

The tube station is really nice now, too, which I really appreciate. That area has been such a drag to travel through forever.

I'm glad they used some new brick rather than doing the whole thing up in modern identikit like they've been doing throughout London. After a little wear and tear, the brick will blend in and will look vintage, rather than dated.

 

[Crispy]

I'm glad they used some new brick rather than doing the whole thing up in modern identikit like they've been doing throughout London. After a little wear and tear, the brick will blend in and will look vintage, rather than dated.

They'd have had no choice - the building is listed, which means very strict controls on the construction methods, materials and design of any alteration to the existing fabric.

 

[hipipol]

never get it back to....

this...

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

So where was the 1er classe lounge at Waterloo, then?

Once through secuirty, go about 1/2 way along the departure lounge there was a door on your left, you walked in there, reception is in front of you, drinks area to your right with seating, seating area to your left.

 

[laptop]

Now there's a makeshift curtained-off avoid-the-polloi area at St Pancras.

In Brussels, on the other hand, there are 70s orange leather wing chairs and free WiFi - hence this

 

[lang rabbie]

I got the train from St Pancras to Tulse Hill today and used the "First Capital Connect" platforms for the first time.

The connection for anyone wanting to connect between "East Midlands Trains" (formerly Midland Mainline) and the Thameslink services is a thousand times more convenient than the old schlep across to Kings Cross Thameslink, which is great for me when visiting folk in the midlands.

But ... being an ungrateful sod ... in my twelve minute wait on the platform I was left wanting to rant and rave!

[Victor Meldrew]

(i) After spending some £70million of public money on the new Thameslink station, why have they failed to include a direct link to the new Western Ticket Hall for London Underground - which is only a few yards from the southern end of the new platforms The walk from the deep level tube lines to the Thameslink services must now be ten minutes longer than it was, making the daily journey of thousands of London commuters more inconvenient [but hey they will now be captive footfall for the shopping mall inside the station!]

(ii) Why do the new Thameslink station platforms look so shoddily finished - bits of metal in the ceilings that don't meet, cheap and nasty light cowling etc. I suspect it will need a major revamp within twenty years because of false economies.

(iii) Are we really not allowed to even have a coffee bar at platform level - if you want to get a coffee you have to navigate it and your luggage down two flights of escalators.

(iv) Why has EVERY mention of Thameslink been suppressed in a rebranding of Stalinist purge proportions. It is corporate wankerdom of the highest order of stupidity- First Capital Connect will still be running half of their services out of the Kings Cross Suburban platforms until 2010 or later - yet there is now signage all over St Pancras directing you to the far northern end of that station. If you actually wanted to get one of FCC's former "Great Northern" services to Cambridgeshire, you can't run across St Pancras Road, as there is an intervening building site where they are digging a hole for the new Northern Ticket Hall (delayed by Treasury prevarication for three years)

[/Victor Meldrew]

 

[DG55]

I've got to say, that kings cross redevelopment thing looks fabulous, once the entire thing - tube, kings cross, st pancras - is all done, it will be stunning and uber modern. Nice!

 

[teuchter]

I got the train from St Pancras to Tulse Hill today and used the "First Capital Connect" platforms for the first time.

The connection for anyone wanting to connect between "East Midlands Trains" (formerly Midland Mainline) and the Thameslink services is a thousand times more convenient than the old schlep across to Kings Cross Thameslink, which is great for me when visiting folk in the midlands.

But ... being an ungrateful sod ... in my twelve minute wait on the platform I was left wanting to rant and rave!

Used the thameslink bit for the first time myself the other day... it's a bit weird; it doesn't really feel like it's in London somehow...

[Victor Meldrew]

(i) After spending some £70million of public money on the new Thameslink station, why have they failed to include a direct link to the new Western Ticket Hall for London Underground - which is only a few yards from the southern end of the new platforms The walk from the deep level tube lines to the Thameslink services must now be ten minutes longer than it was, making the daily journey of thousands of London commuters more inconvenient [but hey they will now be captive footfall for the shopping mall inside the station!]

Not sure about this but I think that the main entrance to the tube station is going to be moved Northwards eventually, so perhaps the thameslink bit will be connected directly to this once it's built.

(ii) Why do the new Thameslink station platforms look so shoddily finished - bits of metal in the ceilings that don't meet, cheap and nasty light cowling etc. I suspect it will need a major revamp within twenty years because of false economies.

Agreed.

(iii) Are we really not allowed to even have a coffee bar at platform level - if you want to get a coffee you have to navigate it and your luggage down two flights of escalators.

It certainly feels rather stark down there,

(iv) Why has EVERY mention of Thameslink been suppressed in a rebranding of Stalinist purge proportions. It is corporate wankerdom of the highest order of stupidity- First Capital Connect will still be running half of their services out of the Kings Cross Suburban platforms until 2010 or later - yet there is now signage all over St Pancras directing you to the far northern end of that station. If you actually wanted to get one of FCC's former "Great Northern" services to Cambridgeshire, you can't run across St Pancras Road, as there is an intervening building site where they are digging a hole for the new Northern Ticket Hall (delayed by Treasury prevarication for three years)

[/Victor Meldrew]

Agreed again. There is no good reason why they couldn't have just called it First Thameslink (if they must include the First in there). It's really stupid and unecessary, just dogs-pissing-on-lampposts type stuff.

 

[laptop]

There is no good reason why they couldn't have just called in First Thameslink (if they must include the First in there). It's really stupid and unecessary, just dogs-pissing-on-lampposts type stuff.

"Branding" is what managers have instead of lives

 

[editor]

Took a quick look today:

http://www.urban75.org/london/st-pancras-station-2008.html

 

[teuchter]

Took a quick look today:
http://www.urban75.org/london/st-pancras-station-2008.html

Nice photos.

And good to see it with the stupid christmas banners taken down from the South gable-end of the main shed interior.

I see in your description you go along with the "longest champagne bar in x" line - I don't really buy it; it's not a continuous bar at all. Just a long row of seating. The definition of a bar is that is has drinkers on one side and bar staff on the other. In my humble opinion, anyway...

 

[_pH_]

serious-not-pointless bump! <- my behaving-nicely-not-breaking-the-FAQ face

I went to sheff today from St. P. (quite a good journey - newish class 222 DMU on the way, old stylee HST back - apart from the train up there being invaded by loads of people coming over from KX just before it left as the ECML had just been closed due to overhead line probs at P'boro)

I've been to the new St. P. before today but being there today got me wondering. I can't work out whether the 'downstairs' bit was the 'original' platform and new platforms have been built on a new level, or the platforms are as they used to be, with the 'retail' bit in some sort of cellar that was always there.

I'm inclined towards the latter, because of the columns which would appear to be original cast iron. If so, what was down there before they did the station up??

Can anybody (train)shed some light on this?

 

[HackneyE9]

serious-not-pointless bump! <- my behaving-nicely-not-breaking-the-FAQ face

I went to sheff today from St. P. (quite a good journey - newish class 222 DMU on the way, old stylee HST back - apart from the train up there being invaded by loads of people coming over from KX just before it left as the ECML had just been closed due to overhead line probs at P'boro)

I've been to the new St. P. before today but being there today got me wondering. I can't work out whether the 'downstairs' bit was the 'original' platform and new platforms have been built on a new level, or the platforms are as they used to be, with the 'retail' bit in some sort of cellar that was always there.

I'm inclined towards the latter, because of the columns which would appear to be original cast iron. If so, what was down there before they did the station up??

Can anybody (train)shed some light on this?

Yeah. The platforms are as was. The cellars were used in Victorian times for storing barrels of beer and or freight. In sixties were used as offices for British Rail Architects Division, amongst other things.

 

[_pH_]

ah ok, ty.

I wonder what it was like down there in the 60s?? I imagine it would have been dark and damp but i'm probably wrong

 

[HackneyE9]

ah ok, ty.

I wonder what it was like down there in the 60s?? I imagine it would have been dark and damp but i'm probably wrong

My dad worked down there for a bit, so I'll ask him. But yeah, windowless, dirty and noisy, you'd imagine!

 

[_pH_]

My dad worked down there for a bit, so I'll ask him.

ooh, yes please! I'd be interested to know (but then I am a bit of an anorak about these things )

 

[teuchter]

The patforms were at the same level and as far as I remember that was the level you entered at from the street, wasn't it? You walked up the taxi ramp and in through the front, which was a rather more impressive way to enter than the way you do now. As far as I know, eventually, the front will be opened up again. I don't know when.

Here's a photo as was. It's funny how quickly you get used to new things ... it's easy to forget just how dirty and neglected it used to look (although to be honest I rather liked the gloomy atmosphere, all filled with diesel fumes; it seemed to suit the gothic style of the architecture somehow...)

 

[_pH_]

yeah, that's how i remember it. you're right about the diesel fumes - I remember it back in the 80s with the HSTs, Peaks and 127 DMUs. barely breathable air

 

[teuchter]

yeah, that's how i remember it. you're right about the diesel fumes - I remember it back in the 80s with the HSTs, Peaks and 127 DMUs. barely breathable air

Paddington has a little of that about it still. But all boring re-engined HSTs.

 

[_pH_]

BR ain't what it used to be

 

[teuchter]

Aye.

*sombre but slightly sentimental music*

 

[laptop]

I wonder what it was like down there in the 60s?? I imagine it would have been dark and damp but i'm probably wrong

The New Year's party down there in 1996 or 97 was dry, dirty & dark





Best memory of St Pancras: wandering up into the trainshed at 6am on New Year's day to hear the platforms quietly reverberating to the beat beneath.

 

[_pH_]

The New Year's party down there in 1996 or 97 was dry, dirty & dark





Best memory of St Pancras: wandering up into the trainshed at 6am on New Year's day to hear the platforms quietly reverberating to the beat beneath.

how cool is that?

 

[HackneyE9]

ooh, yes please! I'd be interested to know (but then I am a bit of an anorak about these things )

Will do. (may take a while, he's just come out of hospital).

 

[Biddlybee]

New station's a bit flash innit.

 

[phildwyer]

I live by there when in London. Longest champagne bar in the world.