They closed Camden yesterday evening due to defective escalators. I
would have thought that the walk up the escalators was far less tiring
than the walk from Chalk Farm, Mornington Cres or Kentish Town and
would have still allowed interchange.
Is it necessary to close such an important station for that reason.
People entering the station have to use the fixed staircase anyway.

Kevin

yped


They closed Camden yesterday evening due to defective escalators. I
would have thought that the walk up the escalators was far less tiring
than the walk from Chalk Farm, Mornington Cres or Kentish Town and
would have still allowed interchange.
Is it necessary to close such an important station for that reason.
People entering the station have to use the fixed staircase anyway.

Kevin

AIUI it's a case of preventing dangerous overcrowding and the risk of
accidents on the stairs.

You just can't shift large droves of travellers if escalators and lifts
aren't working.

If Camden Town station is closed, some travellers will change elsewhere,
possibly using other lines, some might use buses etc. The crowds are
then split.

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

I don't agree with this. I can understand preventing large numbers
entering a station and walking down escalators is potentially dangerous
but then at Camden you have to walk down the spiral staircase. There
are two escalators to walk up.
How does making Mornigton Cres, Chalk Farm and Kentish Town more
congested help.
I am prepared to accept that there is a valid reason, I don't see that
possible overcrowding is the reason for this one.

Kevin

wrote in message
oups.com...
I don't agree with this. I can understand preventing large numbers
entering a station and walking down escalators is potentially dangerous
but then at Camden you have to walk down the spiral staircase. There
are two escalators to walk up.
How does making Mornigton Cres, Chalk Farm and Kentish Town more
congested help.

Because (at a simple level) they each receive only a third of the extra
congestion.

Dave.

On 11 May 2005 01:01:32 -0700, wrote:

They closed Camden yesterday evening due to defective escalators. I
would have thought that the walk up the escalators was far less tiring
than the walk from Chalk Farm, Mornington Cres or Kentish Town and
would have still allowed interchange.
Is it necessary to close such an important station for that reason.
People entering the station have to use the fixed staircase anyway.

One of the escalators is under repair and behind hoardings.

The other escalator developed a fault that required the escalator to be
taken out of service immediately for safety reasons. The station was
becoming dangerously overcrowded with the one up escalator as a fixed
stair and they decided to close. The other issue to bear in mind is the
ability to safely evacuate the station if there was a fire and no
working up escalator. The workmen working on the other escalator were
used to fix the one that became defective. The station reopened after 23
minutes.

I realise it was very inconvenient at the height of the peak for the
station to close but a repair time of just about 20 mins is very good
going in the circumstances.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

wrote:
I don't agree with this. I can understand preventing large numbers
entering a station and walking down escalators is potentially
dangerous
but then at Camden you have to walk down the spiral staircase. There
are two escalators to walk up.
How does making Mornigton Cres, Chalk Farm and Kentish Town more
congested help.
I am prepared to accept that there is a valid reason, I don't see
that
possible overcrowding is the reason for this one.

Kevin

It's maybe the fear of the escalators collapsing - i.e. due to their
being defective. This would be the case even if they were switched off.

In that case I think that a better explanation, that the closure was
due to congestion as a result of escalator defect would have been more
appropriate.
On a further note, Camden has been a problem with overcrowding and
safety issues for many years now but there appears to be no plans to do
anything about it, or not that I know of.
We have been promised all this investment to improve the underground
but when it comes to a situation that needs some serious money spent on
it nothing happens.
They are now quibbling over where the money is coming from to build the
new St Pancras Thameslink station.

Kevin

In message .com,
writes

On a further note, Camden has been a problem with overcrowding and
safety issues for many years now but there appears to be no plans to do
anything about it, or not that I know of.

There have been endless plans, and a planning enquiry last year, but
AFAIK the interested parties cannot reach agreement on what appears to
be a massive project:

http://www.alwaystouchout.com/project/62

--
Paul Terry

On 12 May 2005 00:50:36 -0700, wrote:

In that case I think that a better explanation, that the closure was
due to congestion as a result of escalator defect would have been more
appropriate.
On a further note, Camden has been a problem with overcrowding and
safety issues for many years now but there appears to be no plans to do
anything about it, or not that I know of.

There are huge plans to completely rebuild Camden Town. They are very
expensive and I understand a full public enquiry has been held. I am not
aware that a final decision has been reached as to whether the plans can
proceed or not.

We have been promised all this investment to improve the underground
but when it comes to a situation that needs some serious money spent on
it nothing happens.

It is not fair to say nothing happens. A lot of time and effort has been
spent trying to develop a workable and affordable solution for Camden
Town. As always happens with big schemes there are a range of interested
parties and it is rare that all of those interests co-incide to produce
one clear solution. It is all too easy for good ideas to be delayed or
stopped due to vested interests not wishing to back down. We do not have
the same transport / political consensus or planning processes as some
of our continental cousins possess. Money is also more likely to be
allocated to public transport on the continent than here.

They are now quibbling over where the money is coming from to build the
new St Pancras Thameslink station.

Yes - no surprise there. I would agree that it is a nonsense but if you
think that is bad then wait until the new DfT Railways team gets
established and then the cuts to all transport investment and main line
railway services will really start. We (Londoners) *may* be spared the
worst aspects of this due to Ken being Mayor but it is more than evident
that TfL are struggling to do everything they would like to do. I pity
those living in the former Metropolitan counties where there is a heavy
reliance on TOC services - bye bye trains, hello crappy buses.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

I seem to remember it revolves around 3 issues

-The replacement building design is modern and bland, and totally out
of scale and character with the surroundings.
--even though they could get better architects or just rebuild the old
ox-blood tiled (and listed) frontage once they have finished the
construction underneath.

-The official plans insist on demolishing trinity church (a traditional
construction) and replacing it with a bland modern hall and function
rooms.
--Even though better planning of the temporary entrance and escalators
would mean that this corner could be avoided.

-The official plans require evicting Buck Street Market and, after
constfuction is finished, replacing it with chain shops.
--I have no idea why they can't just put the ground back instead of a
huge building, and let the market return to their old land.