In message of Sun, 12 Dec 2010 07:54:47
in uk.transport.london, Roland Perry writes
In message , at 00:23:24 on Sun,
12 Dec 2010, Eric remarked:
The currently recommended routes have made Kings Cross impossible for
people for
whom it was previously possible. For some such people, it would be OK if
there were some seats along the way, but we can't have that either.

They've made all the platforms wheel-chair accessible, but in the
process have lengthened the walks. They continue to claim that the
design results in reduced journey times.

Where do they claim that?

I have complained that the "Stations" tab in http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/
livetravelnews/realtime/tube/default.html is uninformative.
LU has not improved its practice.

Currently, for King's Cross St.Pancras (KXX), it says:
"Reduced lift service until early April 2011."
This is not enough to inform a wheelchair user.
I have just phoned the LU CSC on 0845 330 9880. It suggested I would be
answered in approximately 4 minutes for approximately 6:43. An agent
then took 3 minutes to fail to get through to KXX, but promised to call
me back.

I suppose the service is better than that from Surface Transport, whose
CSC only works Monday to Friday.
--
Walter Briscoe

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message , at 00:23:24 on Sun, 12
Dec 2010, Eric remarked:
The currently recommended routes have made Kings Cross impossible for
people for
whom it was previously possible. For some such people, it would be OK if
there were some seats along the way, but we can't have that either.

They've made all the platforms wheel-chair accessible, but in the process
have lengthened the walks. They continue to claim that the design results
in reduced journey times.

Another way of looking at it is that they have altered the passenger flows
early to those wanted in the future for the Western (mainline) ticket hall
when open, when they possibly don't want pax heading for KX mainline or
suburban departures using the tube ticket hall, but going via the northern
ticket hall's escalators?

Just a guess mind...

Paul S

In message , Eric
writes
another way of travel - "no, we don't have to make any provision on the
buses for wheelchairs, they can just travel another way, or stay home."

People used to say that, and what you are saying is no different.

The currently recommended routes have made Kings Cross impossible for
people for
whom it was previously possible. For some such people, it would be OK if
there were some seats along the way, but we can't have that either.

The problems are not just for people with difficulty walking, it can
affect practically all of us when we travel with heavy luggage.
Fortunately there are now lifts to almost all points (maybe all).

Unfortunately the shortest level route in some cases, such as that
between the Northern Line and the Thameslink station, would involve
using no fewer than five lifts, as far as I could see. Finding the
shortest route to the appropriate lift in each case can't be easy.

--
Clive Page

"Roland Perry" wrote in message ...
In message , at 23:10:40 on Fri,
10 Dec 2010, MaxB remarked:

http://www.perry.co.uk/images/kx-composite.jpg

Thanks, that is of some help, but I am still not sure why, when I got off
the Vic line last time I ended up at the "wrong " end of St Pancras. I
will be trying again tomorrow!

You will have followed the signage to the eastern end of the Victoria line
platforms, then walked the entire length of the 45-degree passage, up the
escalators, through the northern ticket hall, and along a passage to St
Pancras north end. My map doesn't have very much of that final passage, but
it's an extension of the yellow rectangle at the top of the plan.
--
Roland Perry

The answer is to follow the signs for the "Euston Road". After that all is
as before!
MaxB

On Dec 12, 11:02*am, "MaxB" wrote:
"Roland Perry" *wrote in ...
In message , at 23:10:40 on Fri,
10 Dec 2010, MaxB remarked:

http://www.perry.co.uk/images/kx-composite.jpg

Thanks, that is of some help, but I am still not sure why, when I got off
the Vic line last time I ended up at the "wrong " end of St Pancras. I
will be trying again tomorrow!

You will have followed the signage to the eastern end of the Victoria line
platforms, then walked the entire length of the 45-degree passage, up the
escalators, through the northern ticket hall, and along a passage to St
Pancras north end. My map doesn't have very much of that final passage, but
it's an extension of the yellow rectangle at the top of the plan.
--
Roland Perry

The answer is to follow the signs for the "Euston Road". After that all is
as before!
MaxB

It may be now, but it has been changing frequently, which may make
some observations (including mine) inaccurate/out-of-date. The
Northern Line is now far more accessible/escapable than it was a few
weeks ago.

In article ,
MIG wrote:
There was a time when the short escalators were closed, and there was
signposting to a passageway slightly further forward towards the
Piccadilly and on the left, going down stairs.

Yes, it sounds like that is the passage I was thinking of.

This is presumably open most of the time, but everyone would take the
escalator.

I haven't found it to be open on recent visits to London.

-roy

In message , at 10:38:07 on
Sun, 12 Dec 2010, Paul Scott remarked:

The currently recommended routes have made Kings Cross impossible for
people for
whom it was previously possible. For some such people, it would be OK if
there were some seats along the way, but we can't have that either.

They've made all the platforms wheel-chair accessible, but in the
process have lengthened the walks. They continue to claim that the
design results in reduced journey times.

Another way of looking at it is that they have altered the passenger
flows early to those wanted in the future for the Western (mainline)
ticket hall when open, when they possibly don't want pax heading for KX
mainline or suburban departures using the tube ticket hall, but going
via the northern ticket hall's escalators?

Just a guess mind...

I'm sure that's their long term plan[1], but they didn't have to
implement it by creating quite such a long walk to the Victoria Line
platforms. Having taken the load off the existing tube hall with a
quicker route to the Northern, and a similar length route to the
Piccadilly, they shouldn't be discouraging the old route to the
Victoria.

[1] Will there be some escalators up to the new KX booking hall, from
the vicinity of the corridor south from the Northern Ticket Hall?
--
Roland Perry

In message , at 10:50:54 on Sun, 12 Dec
2010, Clive Page remarked:

Fortunately there are now lifts to almost all points (maybe all).

Yes, all of them.

Unfortunately the shortest level route in some cases, such as that
between the Northern Line and the Thameslink station, would involve
using no fewer than five lifts, as far as I could see.

You can do it in three/four: One from platform to gate level. A second
from gate level to street, and then one or two back down to the
Thameslink platforms.

Finding the shortest route to the appropriate lift in each case
can't be easy.

The only choices (for any of the accessible routes) are how you get from
Street to "-1".
--
Roland Perry

In message , at 11:39:48 on Sun, 12
Dec 2010, Roy Badami remarked:
There was a time when the short escalators were closed, and there was
signposting to a passageway slightly further forward towards the
Piccadilly and on the left, going down stairs.

Yes, it sounds like that is the passage I was thinking of.

This is presumably open most of the time, but everyone would take the
escalator.

I haven't found it to be open on recent visits to London.

The gates wee shut, but not locked, when I last saw it. (A member of
staff breezed through, but it was clearly not open to the public).
--
Roland Perry

In article ,
Roland Perry wrote:
Having taken the load off the existing tube hall with a
quicker route to the Northern, and a similar length route to the
Piccadilly [...]

Are the new routes really quicker/comparable? I have to say I always
avoid the new ticket halls these days out of a (possibly mistaken)
perception that all the new routes seem longer.

-roy