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Remaining Northern Line Bank upgrades following major blockade

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Busaholic

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Yes, the term “new” / “temporary” bus route implies that it will be a normal route number, rather like the temporary bridge replacement service when Hammersmith Bridge was closed (does this still run now the bridge has reopened to pedestrians and cycles?) and the many temporary buses that operate when roadworks close roads.
Yes, route 533 still runs from Hammersmith to Barnes via Chiswick Bridge, numbered in the 'temporary' block, although it may end up about as 'temporary' as Income Tax has proved to be!
 
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700007

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The route has already gone out to tender, it will be numbered route 733 and will operate between Moorgate and Kennington / Oval. My understanding is that it will be limited stop on the 'outer' sections but once past London Bridge will be serving most, if not all stops, to Moorgate. It will follow a similar route and provide relief to route 133.
 

TitanMike

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The route has already gone out to tender, it will be numbered route 733 and will operate between Moorgate and Kennington / Oval. My understanding is that it will be limited stop on the 'outer' sections but once past London Bridge will be serving most, if not all stops, to Moorgate. It will follow a similar route and provide relief to route 133.
The 733 will be serving all stops along the route.
 

DanNCL

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There’s been quite a bit of confusion amongst the regular passengers at Moorgate with this weekend’s mini version of next year’s Bank blockade, with a lot of people not seeming to realise that trains from the Southbound platform at Moorgate are in fact heading to High Barnet, despite it being very clearly advertised on posters. Some station staff haven’t properly been informed either - staff at Kings Cross St Pancras this morning were still directing people heading for London Bridge and Bank to the Northern line, completely unaware that it’s shut South of Moorgate.
 

317 forever

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The route has already gone out to tender, it will be numbered route 733 and will operate between Moorgate and Kennington / Oval. My understanding is that it will be limited stop on the 'outer' sections but once past London Bridge will be serving most, if not all stops, to Moorgate. It will follow a similar route and provide relief to route 133.
It has been won by Tower Transit, who will use Volvo B5LHs formerly on route 328 being loaned to Metroline for the same route.
 

Snow1964

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New Civil Engineer has an article on what is happening during the blockade starting January, with some diagrams

Already constructed are 1.3km of tunnels that weave around the existing station, as well as 18 connections to the existing tunnels. A temporary access shaft from Arthur Street down to the tunnels has also been constructed to allow workers, equipment and materials into the work site.

However, there are more connections to be made, particularly at the ends of the tunnels. This will be the first phase of work during the blockade, which lasts for 44 days.

During this phase, 99m of new tunnels – 55m at the south end and 44m at the north end – will be created to tie in the new platform tunnel with the existing tunnels of the northern line. The work site with all the equipment will be based within the new southbound tunnel.

The first step is to remove the rails from the old tunnel, install formwork and backfill it with foam concrete. The concrete is pumped down to the tunnels trough a hollow pile.

The 99m of connective tunnels between the new platform tunnel and the existing tunnels will then have to be excavated. Once opened up, a single pass spray concrete lining (SCL) will be installed, followed by the casting of the first stage concrete, and finished with a spray reulating layer.

Phase two spans 19 days and will see the installation of 712m of new track. The first stage of this is to complete the track bed through the tunnel up to where it connects to the existing Northern Line.

The rails will be laid out with a tracked rail transporter and the blocks/baseplates put in place with a telehandler and mini digger. The rail will be placed on top of this and clipped in place. The track then has to be aligned to its final design position.

Concrete from the Arthur Street shaft will be put in place to shore up the track. The final stages are to install conductor rail, signalling equipment, traction power and train radio.

The project then has 11 days to demobilise the tunnelling equipment. It will first backfill the hollow pile, and the portal to the tunnel will be waterproofed and have a second lining installed. The muck chamber is the next to go, as it will be emptied and filled with foam concrete.

Finally, all plant will be removed through the 40m deep Arthur Street shaft. The shaft will then be in-filled, but a support structure has to be built and a framework erected before concrete can be poured. Once the concrete has cured, the former portal will be waterproofed.

With the construction of the tunnel then complete, the project moves on to the 39-day phase four: fitting out the platform tunnel and installing the systems. This involves removing the hoardings and protections, and putting in place the new coping stones and floor finish. Lights will also be installed in the new tunnel.

The platform will then be furnished with CCTV, staff telephones, WiFi, furniture, services speakers and advertising frames.

Concurrent to phases three and four is the 96-day conversion of the old southbound platform tunnel into a concourse. This first involves infilling the old southbound track bed to bring the floor up to the level of the concourse. Storage rooms for equipment will be created in part of the old tunnel.

Mechanical, electrical, public health and comms installations will be completed before architectural finishes are applied and signage and furniture are installed.

Finally, 42 days are allotted for phase five, where Dragados hands over to TfL and third parties carry out all the testing, commissioning and systems integration. The station staff will also be given time to familiarise themselves with the new station.

With all running smoothly and the seven days of float being sufficient to sustain any delays, the new southbound tunnel and platform will open for operations in mid-May.

 

Mikey C

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The current Bank platforms already look different, with more "passageways" in the middle opened up
 

Snow1964

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The 17 week bank blockade starts this Saturday 15th Jan

The temporary 733 bus service only runs weekdays, it uses the same Tower Transit buses which were loaned to Stagecoach Oct-Dec, and after the blockade, will be allocated to route 135 which Tower Transit take over on 21st May

New route 733 - 17 January 2022​

Route Affected: 733
New temporary route 733 will commence from Monday 17 January running between Oval Station and Moorgate, Finsbury Square. Route 733 will run during the closure of the Bank branch of the Northern line which is due to reopen towards the end of May 2022.
Route 733 will run on Monday to Fridays only between Oval Station and Moorgate, Finsbury Square via Kennington Park Road, Kennington Station, Newington Butts, Elephant & Castle Station, Borough High Street, Borough Station, London Bridge Station, Monument Station, King William Street, Bank Station, Princes Street and Moorgate

Towards Moorgate route 733 will start from bus stop C on Harleyford Street before serving all route 133 bus stops as far as Monument Station and then all route 43 bus stops up to Moorgate with buses terminating at bus stop C at Finsbury Square.
Towards Oval route 733 will start from bus stop K on Moorgate and will then serve all route 43 bus stops as far as Monument Station and then all route 133 bus stops until bus stop Z at Kennington Road with buses then going forward to terminate at bus stop D on Harleyford Street.

Route 733 will run on Monday to Fridays only at a frequency of every 10 minutes before 0630, every 7-8 minutes during both the peaks and the daytime except in the AM peak between 0745 and 0900 towards Moorgate only and in the PM peak between 1645 and 1800 towards Oval when the frequency will be every 6 minutes. The frequency after 2000 until the last bus will be every 10 minutes. There will be no service on Saturdays, Sundays, or Bank Holidays.
First buses will depart Oval Station at 0524 and from Moorgate, Finsbury Square at 0550. Last buses will depart Oval Station at 0005 and from Moorgate, Finsbury Square at 0030.

Route 733 will be operated by Tower Transit using double deck buses.



 

STEVIEBOY1

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As well as this blockade, there also appears to be other work on the other part of the Northern Line too. I just had an email from TFL which seems to being saying that, this weekend, there is no Northern Line from Charing Cross to Battersea and Stockwell, and also from Euston to Moorgate which normally would still run, it south of Moorgate that the works are.

I normally travel on a Saturday afternoon from Waterloo to Old Street, my preferred way is Waterloo to Elephant & Castle on the Bakerloo Line and change onto the bank branch of the Northern Line to Old Street. When this option was not available owing to track works etc last Oct & Nov, as an alternative I took the Northern Line from Waterloo to Euston where I changed onto the the South Bound Northern Line Bank branch which called at Old Street and went onto Moorgate. That is what I was planning to to this weekend, but it looks like that option won't be possible now, I think the only other / easiest way will be to take the 243 bus? Any other suggestions. I did think of the Victoria line to Euston, but there does not seem much point doing that now, also they may be on strike in the evening too.
 

Adoarable

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As well as this blockade, there also appears to be other work on the other part of the Northern Line too. I just had an email from TFL which seems to being saying that, this weekend, there is no Northern Line from Charing Cross to Battersea and Stockwell, and also from Euston to Moorgate which normally would still run, it south of Moorgate that the works are.
Total speculation, but it could be preparatory/preventative maintenance at Kennington and Moorgate, in anticipation of the new service pattern that will mean an intensive service between Morden and the Charing Cross branch, and the turnaround at Moorgate.
I normally travel on a Saturday afternoon from Waterloo to Old Street, my preferred way is Waterloo to Elephant & Castle on the Bakerloo Line and change onto the bank branch of the Northern Line to Old Street. When this option was not available owing to track works etc last Oct & Nov, as an alternative I took the Northern Line from Waterloo to Euston where I changed onto the the South Bound Northern Line Bank branch which called at Old Street and went onto Moorgate. That is what I was planning to to this weekend, but it looks like that option won't be possible now, I think the only other / easiest way will be to take the 243 bus? Any other suggestions. I did think of the Victoria line to Euston, but there does not seem much point doing that now, also they may be on strike in the evening too.
Other options:

The Great Northern service which is still operating 4tph from Moorgate to Old Street and beyond on Saturday - but getting to Moorgate from Waterloo will be a bit fiddly, e.g. Bakerloo to Oxford Circus, Central to Liverpool Street, Circle/H&C/Met to Moorgate.

TFL journey planner recommends Jubilee line to London Bridge and then bus (21, 43, or 141) to Old Street.

But neither of those sounds as easy as the 243 bus.
 

rebmcr

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As well as this blockade, there also appears to be other work on the other part of the Northern Line too. I just had an email from TFL which seems to being saying that, this weekend, there is no Northern Line from Charing Cross to Battersea and Stockwell, and also from Euston to Moorgate which normally would still run, it south of Moorgate that the works are.

I normally travel on a Saturday afternoon from Waterloo to Old Street, my preferred way is Waterloo to Elephant & Castle on the Bakerloo Line and change onto the bank branch of the Northern Line to Old Street. When this option was not available owing to track works etc last Oct & Nov, as an alternative I took the Northern Line from Waterloo to Euston where I changed onto the the South Bound Northern Line Bank branch which called at Old Street and went onto Moorgate. That is what I was planning to to this weekend, but it looks like that option won't be possible now, I think the only other / easiest way will be to take the 243 bus? Any other suggestions. I did think of the Victoria line to Euston, but there does not seem much point doing that now, also they may be on strike in the evening too.
I would probably involve the Circle from Embankment to Moorgate in such a journey. Whether the stubs at the ends are walking, bus, or tube/Great Northern is up to you.
 

STEVIEBOY1

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Ok Thanks for those suggestions, I think the 243 bus will be the easiest.
 

gordonthemoron

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Does this mean that they will stop doing weekend maintenance on H&C/Circle/Metropolitan/District? Or am I being overly optimistic?
 

Dstock7080

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Does this mean that they will stop doing weekend maintenance on H&C/Circle/Metropolitan/District? Or am I being overly optimistic?
SSR resignalling work continues

As well as this blockade, there also appears to be other work on the other part of the Northern Line too. I just had an email from TFL which seems to being saying that, this weekend, there is no Northern Line from Charing Cross to Battersea and Stockwell, and also from Euston to Moorgate which normally would still run, it south of Moorgate that the works are.
Saturday 15 January for Bank station upgrade and signalling works
Revised train service:
High Barnet-Charing Cross every 5min
Edgware-Euston (City), every 6min
Mill Hill East-Finchley Central every 15min
Stockwell-Morden every 5min
 
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Bald Rick

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As well as this blockade, there also appears to be other work on the other part of the Northern Line too. I just had an email from TFL which seems to being saying that, this weekend, there is no Northern Line from Charing Cross to Battersea and Stockwell, and also from Euston to Moorgate which normally would still run, it south of Moorgate that the works are.

I normally travel on a Saturday afternoon from Waterloo to Old Street, my preferred way is Waterloo to Elephant & Castle on the Bakerloo Line and change onto the bank branch of the Northern Line to Old Street. When this option was not available owing to track works etc last Oct & Nov, as an alternative I took the Northern Line from Waterloo to Euston where I changed onto the the South Bound Northern Line Bank branch which called at Old Street and went onto Moorgate. That is what I was planning to to this weekend, but it looks like that option won't be possible now, I think the only other / easiest way will be to take the 243 bus? Any other suggestions. I did think of the Victoria line to Euston, but there does not seem much point doing that now, also they may be on strike in the evening too.

I thought the drain was going to be opened 7 days during the blockade but could be wrong.
 

LU_timetabler

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I thought the drain was going to be opened 7 days during the blockade but could be wrong.
Would be useful, but the Central line is VERY short of drivers, so no guarantees on that. W&C will open fully only if the Central has sufficient drivers to do so.
 

A Challenge

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The BBC London news reported that Old Street is going to be closed because of the Northern closure, both in the talking and the on screen graphics - at least I'm assuming this is wrong.
 

Taunton

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Saturday 15 January for Bank station upgrade and signalling works
Revised train service:
High Barnet-Charing Cross every 5min
Edgware-Euston (City), every 6min
Mill Hill East-Finchley Central every 15min
Stockwell-Morden every 5min
One would have thought that during the Bank branch curtailment every effort would have been made to keep the Charing Cross branch clear, especially for those from the south side, by doing works either beforehand or afterwards.
 

bramling

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One would have thought that during the Bank branch curtailment every effort would have been made to keep the Charing Cross branch clear, especially for those from the south side, by doing works either beforehand or afterwards.

The works tomorrow are part of setting things up for the closure. I would suspect there are software changes required to the signalling.
 

Adoarable

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I think they meant just to lose its northern line service, they acknowledged the existence of the Great Northern.
But Old Street, being to the north of Moorgate, won’t be losing its Northern line service (except for today Saturday 15th).
 

STEVIEBOY1

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Continuously since 1934, if not earlier. :)
It is interesting to note, that while some bus services / routes have changed over the years, others have remained almost unaltered.

But Old Street, being to the north of Moorgate, won’t be losing its Northern line service (except for today Saturday 15th).
That is useful to know.

Thanks, I did not know the 76 went there too.
Infact, for the things that I am planning to do in the Old Street / City Road area, the 76 from Waterloo stops much nearer to where I need to be rather than the 243, but I will be having a drink and food at a Wetherspoons and the 243 bus stop back to Waterloo is very close to that pub. Going back to the main topic of this thread, am I correct that they have built a brand new tunnel and platform for the South Bound Northern Line at Bank? Will that mean that the North bound platform be made larger? some of those stations/platforms on that line are very narrow. Although I noticed at Euston Southbound Bank Branch and I think Angel?, how wide the platforms are compared with other UndergrounD lines, I wonder why that would be?
 
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alistairlees

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It is interesting to note, that while some bus services / routes have changed over the years, others have remained almost unaltered.


That is useful to know.


Infact, for the things that I am planning to do in the Old Street / City Road area, the 76 from Waterloo stops much nearer to where I need to be rather than the 243, but I will be having a drink and food at a Wetherspoons and the 243 bus stop back to Waterloo is very close to that pub. Going back to the main topic of this thread, am I correct that they have built a brand new tunnel and platform for the South Bound Northern Line at Bank? Will that mean that the North bound platform be made larger? some of those stations/platforms on that line are very narrow. Although I noticed at Euston Southbound Bank Branch and I think Angel?, how wide the platforms are compared with other UndergrounD lines, I wonder why that would be?
Angel is wide because both lines used to go through what is now one line / one platform (I forget whether north or south-bound), with a new tunnel and platform being constructed. Sometime in the 1990s I think.
 

edwin_m

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Going back to the main topic of this thread, am I correct that they have built a brand new tunnel and platform for the South Bound Northern Line at Bank? Will that mean that the North bound platform be made larger? some of those stations/platforms on that line are very narrow. Although I noticed at Euston Southbound Bank Branch and I think Angel?, how wide the platforms are compared with other UndergrounD lines, I wonder why that would be?
Euston and Angel were formerly central platforms in a wide tunnel with tracks each side, as two stations in Clapham still are. At Euston and Angel a second tunnel was bored for one of the tracks, and the other track stayed in the original tunnel with the line of the second track filled in to make a wide platform. Euston is a bit more complicated than that because of the arrangements made to accommodate the Victoria Line at the same time.

What is being done at Bank is similar to what was done at London Bridge a few years ago. At Bank, and formerly at London Bridge, the tracks were always in separate tunnels but very close together so passengers had to walk down the crowded platforms. One of the tracks is diverted into a new tunnel and the former platform tunnel becomes a passenger circulating space. In this area at London Bridge you can see that the accesses to one platform are arched, the original connections between the two platforms as at Bank, and the new ones on the other side are square-topped and I think a bit wider.
 
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