London Reconnections has been running an intersting series of articles on the Bank station upgrade, part four has just been published:
Part one
[ Click here ] Part two
[ Click here ] Part three
[ Click here ] Part four
[ Click here ]It would appear that Bank station will be closed for about four months. I don't know if this means that Bank station will be closed to passengers on all lines (Central line non-stopping) or just the Northern line.
When a similar diversion was constructed at London Bridge, there was S - N reversing at Moorgate. Without looking at a timetable, I think that NB trains still ran between Kennington and Moorgate, with some of these trains going SB via CX back to Morden.
Under the proposed works, I'm not sure if NB trains will be able to run through Bank, or if thee will be no Northern line service at all between Moorgate and Kennington. If NB trains can still run through Bank, then I assume the service pattern will be similar to that of the earlier London Bridge work.
One of the differences between the London Bridge and the Bank closures is that when London Bridge closed, there was no Jubilee line option at London Bridge, although it may not make that much difference for Bank users. There are also more people using the Underground than there were 20 years ago.
It will be a nightmare for passengers in the rush hours, the system struggles to cope as it is. If the Northern line is running through Bank NB, at least tube passengers from the south end of the Northern line will be able to get to London Bridge or Moorgate and walk as necessary, even if they will then struggle to get back home. If no Northern line at all, then tube passengers have various alternatives:
Bus
Change onto the Victoria line at Stockwell then onto the District at Victoria for Monument and walk
Change at Embankment for the District line
Get the main line from Balham or Clapham High St to Victoria then the District
Get the main line from Clapham High St to London Bridge (change at Peckham Rye) then walk
Main line from Tooting or Elephant & Castle to Blackfriars then District line, or to Farringdon then change for Moorgate
I assume that special buses will be laid on from Kennington, but it will no doubt be a nightmare on the road at that time of day and I’m not sure if extra buses would be able accommodate everybody or even if there would be sufficient “spare” buses available anyway.
Stockwell is already busy with trains from Brixton often being nearly full when they arrive. The Charing Cross branch will not be able to accommodate the existing three minute NB service from Morden with the existing Kennington reversers, meaning that some trains would have to be cancelled between Morden and Kennington, making the overcrowding from Tooting even worse (LU are already telling passengers not to use the Northern line from Tooting Broadway between (08:00 and 08:45).
As for using the main line, that’s already struggling to cope, without any extra passengers
Main line passengers into London Bridge could carry on / change and go to Canon St or Charing Cross for the District line (probably pointless) I don't know if the Drain will still be able to run to Bank. If so, that will no doubt be overwhelmed. If it can't, that will just add to the overcrowding elsewhere.
Of course, there is always walking from London Bridge to the City, as many passengers do now. How many will want to carry on walking to Moorgate or Old Street? How many will walk if it’s raining?
One last option is to travel in by car instead of tube. However, that’s really a very last resort unless you’re rich enough to pay for an all-day parking space for four months and have the patience to actually drive in rush hour London. And, of course, many passengers will probably have already paid for a season ticket any way, so why go to the extra expense?
