Blackfriars Station - nice, but where is the signage?

[lookingforit35]

Really good to see Blackfriars open again, the new development looks impressive. But is it me or is there a distinct lack of signage on the new building?

Aside from the modest blue "Blackfriars Station" wording directly above the entrance (see attached pic), there seems to be just a relatively small BR and LU sign mounted high on the glass frontage - sorry but I haven't found any pics of this but I saw it on the BBC London news. I reckon it does look a little bit like an afterthought.....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianvisits/6909841991/

 

[swt_passenger]

Really good to see Blackfriars open again, the new development looks impressive. But is it me or is there a distinct lack of signage on the new building?

Aside from the modest blue "Blackfriars Station" wording directly above the entrance (see attached pic), there seems to be just a relatively small BR and LU sign mounted high on the glass frontage - sorry but I haven't found any pics of this but I saw it on the BBC London news. I reckon it does look a little bit like an afterthought.....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianvisits/6909841991/

It's pretty typical for the stations in that area. City Thameslink is easily missed from the street as well, IIRC. I suspect because nearly all passengers (who aren't interchanging) are regulars and arrive/depart on foot?

Network Rail have a pic:

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/news/blackfriars-underground-station-reopens.aspx

 

[Class377/5]

Seeing as the station is still under construction and doesn't get signed off for a few more months the signage isn't fully up yet.

However the external is pretty much what was shown off before they started.

 

[brianthegiant]

I'm guessing here, but could it be that the station is in a conservation area due to historical significance of adjacent buildings? Whilst the station facade is quite modern, bright neon lights might have been a step to far in planning process?

 

[jopsuk]

For context, this is what it used to look like.

The new sign, especially with the high-up mounted BR/LU sign on the corner of the building, is if anything more obvious.

 

[swt_passenger]

I forgot about GSV - regarding my post above, this is what the south entrance of City T/L looks like. Not at all obvious - only that relatively small sign on the building exterior just left of the recessed entrance, about 12ft up?

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Lud...oid=0XRovILucJzBz9n7Q2FB0Q&cbp=12,174.63,,0,0

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

I forgot about GSV - regarding my post above, this is what the south entrance of City T/L looks like. Not at all obvious - only that relatively small sign on the building exterior just left of the recessed entrance, about 12ft up?

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Lud...oid=0XRovILucJzBz9n7Q2FB0Q&cbp=12,174.63,,0,0

I've found using CTK easy, it's very well advertised as an alighting station, besides most people end up on the Central Line anyway, and the station's more obvious than you think, in my view. You'd notice it.

 

[asylumxl]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I felt I'd add my post to an existing thread rather than make a new one.

Today I had the "joy" of using the new ticket hall/exit.

I'll skip the explanation as to why I say "joy but...

Why is the ticket office in the new ticket hall Underground tickets only?!

The NR office is the original and is out-dated. Access from the new ticket hall to NR ticket office seems to be a breeze block tunnel reminiscent of something from an underground military bunker, and a plethora of stairs.

Why, with so much working going on, is this the case?

 

[mister-sparky]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I felt I'd add my post to an existing thread rather than make a new one.

Today I had the "joy" of using the new ticket hall/exit.

I'll skip the explanation as to why I say "joy but...

Why is the ticket office in the new ticket hall Underground tickets only?!

The NR office is the original and is out-dated. Access from the new ticket hall to NR ticket office seems to be a breeze block tunnel reminiscent of something from an underground military bunker, and a plethora of stairs.

Why, with so much working going on, is this the case?

they haven't finished it yet. they're opening it bit by bit.

 

[jopsuk]

Quite- you can't buy NR tickets at LU ticket offices at other big joint stations. Yes, the old NR ticket hall is tatty, but there will be a new one, when the station as a whole is done.

 

[asylumxl]

Quite- you can't buy NR tickets at LU ticket offices at other big joint stations. Yes, the old NR ticket hall is tatty, but there will be a new one, when the station as a whole is done.

I have bought a BZ6 to Luton SDS from Farringdon before so this is surely incorrect.

 

[A60K]

I have bought a BZ6 to Luton SDS from Farringdon before so this is surely incorrect.

If there is no National Rail ticket office at a station the the Underground ticket office will sell a large range of NR tickets. At Blackfriars there is a National Rail ticket office, it's just that the station is still under construction so it's the old ticket office that has to be used.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I forgot about GSV - regarding my post above, this is what the south entrance of City T/L looks like. Not at all obvious - only that relatively small sign on the building exterior just left of the recessed entrance, about 12ft up?

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Lud...oid=0XRovILucJzBz9n7Q2FB0Q&cbp=12,174.63,,0,0

If you think the south end is hard to find, don't bother looking for the Holborn Viaduct entrance!

 

[swt_passenger]

If you think the south end is hard to find, don't bother looking for the Holborn Viaduct entrance!

I wouldn't say the south entrance is hard to find if you know roughly where to look, but the point made was that the new Blackfriars' signage was fairly small, and I just thought it was typical of many similar stations.

Indeed a check using street view of most other main line termini in London shows that the 'arrows of indecision' sign is usually on the small side - what you see first is usually the actual building, because it often looks like you'd expect a major station to look like...

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

they haven't finished it yet. they're opening it bit by bit.

As they've repeatedly announced.

Last week's press release by NR was specifically about the underground station, but also mentioned in the editors notes' section that the national rail station would not be completed until summer 2012.

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...UX-OF-PASSENGERS-19dc/SearchCategoryID-8.aspx

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I have bought a BZ6 to Luton SDS from Farringdon before so this is surely incorrect.

The 'old Farringdon' didn't have a separate NR ticket office though. There will be one in the new Thameslink/Crossrail ticket hall on the south side of Cowcross St in a few months time, at which point the sale of NR tickets by LU will probably cease...

 

[causton]

at which point the sale of NR tickets by LU will probably cease...

Not *too* sure about that - especially at the self-service TVMs which they seem to have spent a bit of money on lately getting them to sell national rail tickets (handy at Moorgate where there will probably never be a proper NR ticket office!) - it confuses RPIs though, try one?

 

[swt_passenger]

Not *too* sure about that - especially at the self-service TVMs which they seem to have spent a bit of money on lately getting them to sell national rail tickets (handy at Moorgate where there will probably never be a proper NR ticket office!) - it confuses RPIs though, try one?

I was referring just to the manned ticket office in the Farringdon LU side, not generally. There seems little or no point in LU's staff there being able to issue a subset of national fares, when presumbaly FCC's staff just across the road will have access to everything...

 

[transmanche]

it confuses RPIs though, try one?

I used to have a Z1-6+Slough season issued by an LU station. A typical ticket checking conversation used to go something like; "Sorry that ticket's not v.... OK, that's fine".

 

[asylumxl]

The 'old Farringdon' didn't have a separate NR ticket office though. There will be one in the new Thameslink/Crossrail ticket hall on the south side of Cowcross St in a few months time, at which point the sale of NR tickets by LU will probably cease...

This was actually the temporary ticket office at Farringdon a few months back during the work on the station.

I got some strange looks from RPIs too as it was printed on LU stock .

 

[12CSVT]

Quite- you can't buy NR tickets at LU ticket offices at other big joint stations. Yes, the old NR ticket hall is tatty, but there will be a new one, when the station as a whole is done.

I've bought a ticket for Stratford to Chappel & Wakes Colne in the past

 

[transmanche]

There's an opportunity for LU to collect a bit of extra income, if their ticket machines were upgraded so you could collect NR TOD.

 

[Richardr]

More changes about to happen at the northern end. The FCC ticket office is due to close at the end of next week, and from Easter the exit via the Mermaid link will also close, the latter due not to reopen until the end of July.

With no ticket office, and machines only serving tickets of a week or shorter, there could well be some confusion for a while.

 

[Class377/5]

More changes about to happen at the northern end. The FCC ticket office is due to close at the end of next week, and from Easter the exit via the Mermaid link will also close, the latter due not to reopen until the end of July.

With no ticket office, and machines only serving tickets of a week or shorter, there could well be some confusion for a while.

Are you sure on that? Once the Mermaid entrance closes it closes for ever. The current walkway to the NR ticket office will become a staff only area once the open the passenger side full. (The staff parts won't be finished for a while yet).

 

[Richardr]

Are you sure on that? Once the Mermaid entrance closes it closes for ever. The current walkway to the NR ticket office will become a staff only area once the open the passenger side full. (The staff parts won't be finished for a while yet).

No - but it what the website is saying:
Thameslink Programme Website

Temporary changes in the north station

North bank National Rail ticket office, closed 30 March (10.30pm) until mid May 2012
Mermaid link entrance, closed 5 April (10.30pm)until late July 2012

 

[asylumxl]

More changes about to happen at the northern end. The FCC ticket office is due to close at the end of next week, and from Easter the exit via the Mermaid link will also close, the latter due not to reopen until the end of July.

With no ticket office, and machines only serving tickets of a week or shorter, there could well be some confusion for a while.

Some quality ideas from LU/NR/FCC there. A major station which doesn't have a NR ticket office and a LU ticket office that doesn't sell NR tickets...

 

[Edvid]

There is a ticket office on the south bank, and its new counterpart on the north bank will open within 2 months. On another note, I've noticed the Thames Path has been diverted through the station recently.

 

[Class377/5]

No - but it what the website is saying:
Thameslink Programme Website

Unless they've completely redesigned the staff areas of Blackfriars in the last year, Mermaid will never open to passengers again and will be retained for a fire exit only.

 

[swt_passenger]

I'm sure it won't come as a surprise to hear I have planning drawings and reports filed away that show the Mermaid link footbridge remaining open, with normal public access.

Not that it would be much help if you want P2-P4 of course...