Blackfriars underground station has re-opened a week early.

--
David Cantrell | Reality Engineer, Ministry of Information

In Victorian times, when every man wore a beard the size of a yew,
Britain ruled the world. In the early 20th century, when the beard
was trimmed to a moustache, we scraped through two world wars but
lost an empire. Today, when Mach3 Turbo multi-blades are the norm,
our national pride derives largely from beating the Swedes at
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Grow a beard. Your country needs you.

"David Cantrell" wrote in message
k...
Blackfriars underground station has re-opened a week early.

Or depending on point of view only 10 weeks late, which is a slight advance
on the planned 11 weeks late announced in December!

All the same, photos I've seen online, and plans I downloaded a while ago,
suggest a massive amount of building work to form the new underground
structures (and back of house facilities) either side of the platforms has
been undertaken. AIUI the decision to defer opening was very last minute,
so does anyone know the root cause?

Paul S

In message , at 10:48:15 on
Mon, 20 Feb 2012, Paul Scott remarked:
Blackfriars underground station has re-opened a week early.

Or depending on point of view only 10 weeks late, which is a slight
advance on the planned 11 weeks late announced in December!

All the same, photos I've seen online, and plans I downloaded a while
ago, suggest a massive amount of building work to form the new
underground structures (and back of house facilities) either side of
the platforms has been undertaken. AIUI the decision to defer opening
was very last minute, so does anyone know the root cause?

A train I was on went through three weeks ago, and it looked finished at
platform level. Lots blokes in hi-vis wandering around inspecting it.

When did they remove the temporary "tunnel" erected to protect the
through trains?
--
Roland Perry

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...

A train I was on went through three weeks ago, and it looked finished at
platform level. Lots blokes in hi-vis wandering around inspecting it.

When did they remove the temporary "tunnel" erected to protect the through
trains?

The protection shield was removed about 9 months ago, IIRC.

I see the BBC have attempted to describe the reopened tube station he

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17090565

They have used an artists impression of the south bank rail station
entrance, and then wrongly described the tube station as having a new south
bank entrance.

(As of 1230 today, so I'll send them a critique...)

Paul S

In message , at 12:38:15 on
Mon, 20 Feb 2012, Paul Scott remarked:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17090565

They have used an artists impression of the south bank rail station
entrance, and then wrongly described the tube station as having a new
south bank entrance.

Worse than that, don't you lose one Oyster "credit" if you use the
Blackfriars Thameslink Station as a footbridge to the tube, or am I
confused again?
--
Roland Perry

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message , at 12:38:15 on Mon,
20 Feb 2012, Paul Scott remarked:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17090565

They have used an artists impression of the south bank rail station
entrance, and then wrongly described the tube station as having a new
south bank entrance.

Worse than that, don't you lose one Oyster "credit" if you use the
Blackfriars Thameslink Station as a footbridge to the tube, or am I
confused again?

I think last time we collectively worked out that if you used the
Thameslink station as a simple footbridge across the river you'd pay some
sort of fare unless you were unfeasibly quick to get in and then out again,
(less than 2 mins IIRC), but if you continued onto the tube you'd be charged
normally as the north side NR and LU gatelines would function just like any
other OSI between modes.

Paul S

"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
...

This is beginning to sound awfully like the mess that was created at
Southwark LU / Waterloo East when South Eastern stuck a new gateline
in. There is a special Oyster charge levied to allow people to walk
through Southwark to reach the street. The reverse situation applies
here with the exit route via FCC's station although I guess you can
argue that people should walk across the road bridge and enter at the
right ticket hall rather than use FCC's platforms as a walking route.

Is the Southwark situation really a 'special charge' though, or is it the
same as what you'd be charged if you entered and left any station in the 2 -
30 min bracket? This is what we discussed regarding Blackfriars after FCC
mentioned on their website that using their station as a thoroughfare would
incur a 'penalty'. We came to the conclusion that it was no different to
any other station - just that people aren't in the habit of walking straight
through in most places. But apparently there are posters at Canary Wharf
advising of a 'pass through' charge?

Paul S

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...

A train I was on went through three weeks ago, and it looked finished at
platform level. Lots blokes in hi-vis wandering around inspecting it.

When did they remove the temporary "tunnel" erected to protect the through
trains?

Interesting timelapse video has appeared on NR's site. The temporary tunnel
makes an appearance at one stage, but there's a heck of a lot of concrete
gone in since then...

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/6264.aspx

Paul

On Feb 20, 1:30*pm, Roland Perry wrote:

In message , at 12:38:15 on
Mon, 20 Feb 2012, Paul Scott remarked:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17090565

They have used an artists impression of the south bank rail station
entrance, and then wrongly described the tube station as having a new
south bank entrance.

Worse than that, don't you lose one Oyster "credit" if you use the
Blackfriars Thameslink Station as a footbridge to the tube, or am I
confused again?

You are, I'm afraid - when using Oyster PAYG, if you finish a Tube
journey at Blackfriars LU station, then if you wish you get 'free
passage' though Blackfriars NR/ Thameslink station i.e. across the
bridge over the river to the South Bank exit.

Likewise if you enter Blackfriars NR/ Thameslink station at the South
Bank entrance, walk across on the bridge and exit, then enter the LU
station you won't get charged anything extra for traversing through
the NR/ Thameslink station.

I tested the first scenario this evening just gone (i.e. Monday) using
a 'virgin' Oyster card - it was loaded with GBP2, enough for a zone 1
Tube journey - I started at a zone 1 Tube station, got off at
Blackfriars LU and exited via the LU gates, then entered the NR gates,
walked across the bridge and exited again at the new South Bank exit -
the walk through the NR/ Thameslink station cost nowt extra.

(For those who don't know, on the north side of the river, there are
seperate gatelines for the LU and NR stations.)

I have to say that, coming out of the LU gates I'm not sure there'll
be that much of an draw to walking along the platform through the NR/
Thameslink station rather than just walking across Blackfriars Bridge
- that is when the pavement on the eastern side reopens (it's closed
to facilitate station rebuilding works) - unless of course it's
precipitating felines and canines. When coming from the South Bank
then I guess the new entrance might draw more people in, particularly
if it features an LU roundel and signage - I didn't look for one today
(but if it's planned then I doubt it's there yet).

On Feb 20, 2:55*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:
[Blackfriars LU and NR]

This is beginning to sound awfully like the mess that was created at
Southwark LU / Waterloo East when South Eastern stuck a new gateline
in. *There is a special Oyster charge levied to allow people to walk
through Southwark to reach the street. *The reverse situation applies
here with the exit route via FCC's station although I guess you can
argue that people should walk across the road bridge and enter at the
right ticket hall rather than use FCC's platforms as a walking route.

Sorry Paul but that isn't quite right w.r.t. the situation at
Southwark.

When using Oyster PAYG, you now automatically get free passage through
Southwark Tube station - i.e. from the Waterloo East entrance to the
main Southwark Tube station entrance (on the corner of The Cut and
Blackfriars Rd) or vice versa.

This applies quite independently of any Oyster PAYG journey on NR you
may have just made - i.e. if getting off a Southeastern train at
Waterloo East - or any Oyster PAYG journey on NR you might be about to
make - i.e. if about to get on a Southeastern train at Waterloo East.

Indeed, you needn't make any Oyster PAYG journey on NR to or from
Waterloo East whatsoever to benefit from this - i.e. if you have a
paper ticket for a journey to/from Waterloo East, you can use your
Oyster card to get from Waterloo East to the main Southwark Tube
entrance or vice versa. You can also do this with an Oyster card with
zero (GBP0.00) credit on it.

And yes, I have tested it on a number of occasions...

In other words, there's no OSI required as part of the mix to use an
Oyster card to walk through Southwark Tube station. At Blackfriars
however, it's different as one either needs to have just made a Tube
journey, or needs to be about to make one, in order to be able to walk
through the Thameslink station and across the bridge for free.