Finsbury Park Station/City North Development

kreuzkav

The problem in a nutshell.  Basically, socialism has been relegated to 'fruit basket' territory while the market has taken over.  What happened to 70s egalitarianism.  Even on my meagre wage I'd be happy to pay a  bit more in tax to have public bodies control our system.  I think the whole private public consortium is a bit dubious.  And the privatisation of railways is crass.  BR  was inefficienct but now it's replaced by a mean machine that directs the profits to private people. And fares have gone up.  To be honest I think the transport system would have become more efficient and better with the increased technology.  

miss annie

Do you work for the transport system @maclondon? Your posts read like press releases.

miss annie

People will need to leave more time to top up Oysters, Travelcards etc. hhe entire entrance is closing - the ticket hall too. The machines on Station Place entrance are slooow and ticket offices there don't do Oyster.

Ali

<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"> </font></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>Kreuzkav It is <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>really difficult to keep up because of massive increase in passenger demand.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"> </font></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>Most of the engineering work is associated with increasing capacity re London Bridge, new Thameslink at FP as well.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"> </font></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>You can only stuff so much into a tube hence cross rails to massively increase capacity but it all takes time. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"> </font></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>I believe I saw something the Metro about the Vic line being closed down for three <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>weeks in August for engineering works near to Walthamstow. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Not sure what the impact is for us or if it makes it more difficult to get to Stansted <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"> </font></p>

Arkady

<font face="Arial, Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal;">BBC news report:</span></font><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><br></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: normal;">

Sutent

@Arkady. I was disappointed you didn't make your television debut in BBC london news 

Arkady

I wasn't around at the time they were doing the filming. Also, like Batman, I prefer to operate from the shadows.

Papa

<div>Essentially, like many public works in modern-day Britain they just can't be arsed to do it quickly and to limit disruption to people.</div><div><br></div><div>We really are pretty hopeless in this country at actually considering the general public. That is combined with  years of not bothering to fix stuff properly that is coming back to haunt us at the moment.</div><div><br></div><div>Our roads, for example, are quite literally falling apart. </div><div><br></div><div>It's astonishing really when you think about it.</div>

JoeV

I wonder if TFL will install its own ticket machines on the Station Place side?

Arkady

That would be wise. It will be interesting to see how they end up rejigging the frontage there. I think they may be removing the small shops altogether to create a small open space between the TfL and NR corridors - astonishingly no plans have surfaced yet.

Sutent

Does anyone know how many gates they will install? I hope there will be many otherwise it will be a huge bottle neck<div><br></div><div>I have often wondered about the model of ticket gates. I really like the old ones that slam shut which are big and square. I don't like the new rounded ones. They are a bit to devoid of any personality. I would love to add an old fashion ticket gate to the bus stop that I have at home </div>

NorthNineteen

In terms of the Vic line shut down, no Victoria line trains between Seven Sisters and Walthamstow from August 8th to August 30th.  Will actually make the trains quieter at FP during this period, but after August 30th will mean no peak hour trains will start/end at Seven Sisters - this will mean it will be more difficult to get on the Victoria line during peak hours at Finsbury Park especially if there is disruption.<br>

Arkady

I'm helping to set up a Friends of Finsbury Park Station group alongside some people from Finsbury Park Trust. We have our first steering group meeting next Monday, and someone from TfL will be coming to talk to us. I'll try and get some answers.

Arkady

Have they installed the barriers today? It seems to be kicking off on Twitter.

Sutent

@Arkady - looks like the gates have opened on twitter...

Arkady

Amusing. Astonishing how many people are freaking out at not being able to get free journeys any more.<div><br></div><div>Sounds like they have been installed (but are not yet functioning) at the Seven Sisters entrance.</div>

fabruce

Well at least people will not be able to travel for free and maybe the overall experience can improve because of the money collected.<div><br></div><div>Or maybe fewer people will use Finsbury Park :-)</div>

Arkady

I'd put money on the station moving up from 4th busiest in zone 2 to 2nd busiest in the next full-year stats. But it may well feel quieter - some of the freeloaders will stop using it, but you also get quite a few people cutting though from Seven Sisters to Wells Terrace at the moment.

fabruce

That would be interesting to see actually. <div>You are right though, many people on twitter are just going crazy about it. Didn't know that so many are actually travelling for free? It's not super easy, but maybe that is the reason why there are always ticket controller at highbury and islington to check people who are changing to use the overground.</div><div>Who knows if TFL have any data about this?</div>

kreuzkav

I imagine people have to be very strategic to use it as a free station.  Where are they travelling to that has no barriers?  Can't think of many other non-barrier stations that are prime locations.  Don't forget you have to touch in with an oyster at the end as well as the start of a journey, otherwise a penalty fare is incurred.

Arkady

It's interesting the variety of fare-skipping journey's mentioned is astonishing, from FP to Seven Sisters right through to FP-Woolwich Arsenal (recently gated). 

graeme

<div><div><div><div>So just so we're clear, LU spokesman on the BBC snippet says that during the closure period, the existing two entrances "will be able to cope with the existing demand".  That is - no closures at peak?  </div><div><br></div><div>How does that work, if 3 entrances are not currently able to cope with existing demand?  Unless coping means "closing them most mornings several times between 8-830".  </div><div><br></div><div>No wonder he was red-faced and tripping over his own BS.  </div></div></div></div><div><br></div>

Arkady

It's been suggested, not unreasonably, that the station is only closed when delays on the line mean that the platforms get overcrowded. This won't be effected by the entrance closure. Indeed to the contrary - as it will take longer for people to get into the station overcrowding is less likely. Instead, the problem will be that the queues will now be outside, as people struggle to get through the two gatelines.

Sutent

@Arkady. What kind of middle class shadow have you been living in? People have been fair evading the tube since it began and will continue to do so.

Arkady

The middle class shadow of Mordor. No doubt they will try, but this will make it harder. I'm not suprised at the evasion, I'm surprised at the widespread sense of entitlement I'm seeing in the messages.

miss annie

I see at least one person every day walking through the barriers at Piccadilly just behind someone who has scanned their Oyster. It's rife everywhere, people jump ovet the barriers at Richmond because there are rarely any staff there. Tube staff not overly bothered when you tell them. Astonishing how quiet the 29 became when the bendy bus was taken away and people had to scan in for their journey. How will the station fare with Arsenal matches, it's one way at the moment with Wells Terrace being the exit.

fabruce

3 ticket gates at seven sisters entrance...is this what we will get? <div><br></div><div>Maybe another 3 at station terrace and it will be 6 gates for 28+ million entries/exits?</div><div><br></div><div>Seriously, who is dealing with this ?</div><div><br></div><div>This can't be for real.</div><div><br></div><div>Maybe i am missing something here...?</div>

maclondon

Arkady is right, the station closures are primarily due to disruptions on tube or national rail services. we may wish to see everything always working perfectly and not paying very much but as Kreuzkav said, socialism died and despite the 2008 crisis public investment has actually fallen. So, to paraphrase a 2010 bit of spin "we are all in this together, but we don't want to pay for it".

Duncan

A belated thanks, Arkady.<br><br>I hadn't clocked that the Wells Terrace entrance was closing permanently.  Though I suppose it's not much further around, mostly you're just walking above ground instead of in a tunnel.<br><br>Might make the buses less safe, as they won't be so visible from the station?

RajSahota

As one of the three Labour councillors in SG, this is a note to say that we have been monitoring this issue. <br><br>The latest we have heard has just been posted on our blog - sorry its too long to post here - (with thanks to Cllr Hearn for her efforts). <a href="http://www.stroudgreenlabour.org.uk/blog/wells-terrace-entrance-update">Visit here for more information. <br> </a><br>