"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 10 Jul 2010 16:14:28 +0100, "Paul Scott"
wrote:



"D DB 90001" wrote in message
...

Hopefully, the plan in the long term will be either an extra bridge,
or widening of existing infrastructure and an extra set of stairs; no
idea if that's the official plan tho.

Details are available on Westminster's planning website:

http://idocs.westminster.gov.uk:8080...r=09/09265/LBC

The 'design and access statement', figure 3.2.2 is a relevant section, but
the text quality is very poor.

The rebuilt H&C station has its own access routes from the main station,
and
a dedicated gateline, leading to three sets of stairs and a lift down to
P15/16. The existing footbridge will not provide a direct interchange
route
from 10/11/13/14 to the LU platforms, you'll have to leave via a dedicated
gateline, and re-enter the underground's gateline. (And vice versa of
course)

I managed to find a more detailed plan of the H&C arrangement - it looks
very odd. As you say three staircases in a row which all have a direct
90 degree turn at the top towards the gateline then a further 90 degree
turn to the unpaid area.

I appreciate they're working in a very constrained site but you have to
wonder whether any of this could be described as an improvement in
overall terms within the Paddington station complex.

I suppose a main aim is that pax from LU and FGW suburbans who aren't
interchanging will not NEED to mix on the existing footbridge, which will
only be in FGW's paid area, but it seems strange to me that the existing
'non-paid area' bridge, the one with the bend in it paralleling the 'paid'
footbridge, isn't being made a major pedestrian route - as it lends itself
to being part of a main route from the lawn, up the P8/9 ramp towards the
new H&C concourse. What they seem to have assumed is that the main flow
will be along the side of the new cab rank, accessed from the buffer stop
end of the suburban platforms via what they call the 'vertical circulation
core'... (yuk).

[Of course that application is separate to the NR span 4 work - so for all
we know the final solution to the 'NR bridges' could be different to that
shown.]

Paul S