While we are at it, are they any plans to upgrade the station at the
bottom of the escalators? Where we have the Picc, Northern and Victoria
passageways all meeting, there are loads of conflicting flows of
passengers. There doesnt seem to be signs of any improvement around
here though.

Well, we're a month further on and there's still little if any visible
progress. The new tube hall ticket windows now have blinds saying
"closed" and you can just see chairs inside, still in their plastic
wraps. And the chip 'n pin machines have been covered up again.

The only info available says the new ticket halls will open "sometime
this year". Someone somewhere must have a tentative date.

Grrrr! Call me a pessimist, 'sometime this year' could technically mean
this Christmas. Not that it necessarily will be - but what on earth
seems to be taking them so long?
Oh, and you know those newsletters that LUL release (the those that
generalise intended progress over the next 6 months)? The latest one
covers the period Nov 05-Apr 06, which is now finished, and at the
moment there's no sign of an updated one. Not to mention that the
posters that someone else mentioned earlier (re. Slaone Scaffolding) are
*still* there.

Sky Rider wrote:
Grrrr! Call me a pessimist, 'sometime this year' could technically mean
this Christmas. Not that it necessarily will be - but what on earth
seems to be taking them so long?

Perhaps they're waiting for work on the Met line platforms to be
finished. I use these every day and although the rate of change is
glacial (presumably they can only work at weekends) these are slowly
getting refurbished. For example, the wall opposite the eastbound
platform was completely replastered and repainted a couple of weekends
ago.

I would imagine that since the western ticket hall includes new
escalators down to the Met line platforms the refurbishment of the
platforms is considered part of the same project.

(Obviously, they'll have to wait until the new ticket hall is open
before they can remove the old ticket windows and refurbish the area
between them and the current exit.)

PaulO

Signs of progress at last:

1. The site fencing around the new stairs at street level has been
removed, and replaced with temporary barriers
2. There are people working in what appears to be the new control room
in the tube ticket hall (of course they could be IT staff instaling or
testing the system)
3. The contractor's hoardings in the met/circle thoroughfare have been
partially removed, revealing a flight of steps down from the new
western ticket hall
4. Similar hoardings blocking off the westernmost cross passage beween
the two met line platforms have also been taken down, and replaced with
temporary fencing.
5. The passage between the tube ticket hall and the western ticket hall
is now virtually clear.

All this suggests that some form of opening is imminent, although given
the track record of this project it could well stay as it is for
several months yet - let's keep our fingers crossed.

I noticed a sign on the station yesterday saying from 28th May walking
routes around the station would change substantially. Didnt have time
to read the details

Rob

Rob wrote:
I noticed a sign on the station yesterday saying from 28th May walking
routes around the station would change substantially. Didnt have time
to read the details

Rob

This received from TfL this morning:

From Sunday 28 May 2006 a number of changes need to be made to walking
routes and interchanges between the Tube, King's Cross and St. Pancras
mainline stations, to assist the redevelopment of King's Cross St.
Pancras Underground station.


The existing access to the Metropolitan, Circle, Hammersmith & City
lines will close.

Access to the Underground from St. Pancras and King's Cross platforms
9, 10 and 11 will be via the new ticket hall entrance located on
Pancras Road. You will need to walk southbound down the right hand side
of Pancras Road into the Underground.

The temporary ticket office on King's Cross station forecourt will
close and the new ticket office in the Underground will open.

A new entrance to the Underground on the forecourt of King's Cross
will open and the entrance by the Great Northern Hotel will close.

Please look out for directional signs to help you while these changes
are implemented

============

Cheers,

Simon