Kings X to Moorgate - Northern or Metropolitan et al

[westv]

My office has just moved. Previously I'd get the metro/circle to Aldgate and a 5 min walk from there. Now the closest station is Bank. Ideally I would have preferred to use the old route, get off at Moorgate and have a 10 min walk. Much prefer the lines closer to the surface and the air con stock.
However, I know that Kings X to Bank on the Northern line is quicker so I decided to give that a go this week. I gave up as there was a non moving crowd just to get through the KX barriers! Decided to use old route. This was around 9:15 this morning. Was this a one off or a regular occurence? I only use the route Friday afternoon and (normally) Monday morning.

On another note, is it just me or is Moorgate tube exit to Moorgate east side confusing? I've tried twice now and twice not ended up coming out where I wanted to!

 

[SaveECRewards]

I'd stick with your preferred route. It's not fun in a tube train in rush hour. Even when I worked near Monument I had been known at times to just take the circle round if one was due in the next 10 mins rather than go down to the quicker Northern line.

 

[StateOfPlay]

I'd stick with your preferred route. It's not fun in a tube train in rush hour. Even when I worked near Monument I had been known at times to just take the circle round if one was due in the next 10 mins rather than go down to the quicker Northern line.

A very busy route. I used the Finsbury Park to Moorgate service as a trial and found that more crowded than the tube. I work in Leadenhall 1 week every 2 months and use the Northern Line for speed, my wife visits her head office once a week and avoids Bank station, using the circle line to Monument instead. I am thinking of doing the same when I am there next month.

I use the Victoria line to Victoria at the moment, great service but the trains are not as nice as the circle line, and could really do with some air conditioning.

 

[bluegoblin7]

KX is getting increasingly worse during the mornings. There's just more and more people starting to use the station resulting in congestion. If there's any line problems then this will make the situation worse still.

I wish I could say it was a one-off!

I'd definitely stick with your existing route during the morning, although KX will be the better option on the way home.

 

[jon0844]

A very busy route. I used the Finsbury Park to Moorgate service as a trial and found that more crowded than the tube. I work in Leadenhall 1 week every 2 months and use the Northern Line for speed, my wife visits her head office once a week and avoids Bank station, using the circle line to Monument instead. I am thinking of doing the same when I am there next month.

I use the Victoria line to Victoria at the moment, great service but the trains are not as nice as the circle line, and could really do with some air conditioning.

FPK to Moorgate should be okay if you board at the rear of a six car train. A lot of people get off to change to the tube, but I wouldn't like to try and board one of those trains between Potters Bar or New Barnet and FPK!

The new stock should help a lot but only because almost everyone will be standing in the first place!

Coming back, it's a case of getting down the right platform quick to board what will start as an empty train. When I worked at Old Street I occasionally boarded a southbound train and stayed on, but needed to know it was going to be the right destination!

 

[westv]

Ok thanks for the replies.
I think I'll stick with my current route then although it's a slight pain as I like to get on at Kings X at the rear of the met/circle line train. At Aldgate that was fine as the exit stairs weren't too far away but at Moorgate the exit is right at the other end of the train.

 

[A0]

My office has just moved. Previously I'd get the metro/circle to Aldgate and a 5 min walk from there. Now the closest station is Bank. Ideally I would have preferred to use the old route, get off at Moorgate and have a 10 min walk. Much prefer the lines closer to the surface and the air con stock.
However, I know that Kings X to Bank on the Northern line is quicker so I decided to give that a go this week. I gave up as there was a non moving crowd just to get through the KX barriers! Decided to use old route. This was around 9:15 this morning. Was this a one off or a regular occurence? I only use the route Friday afternoon and (normally) Monday morning.

On another note, is it just me or is Moorgate tube exit to Moorgate east side confusing? I've tried twice now and twice not ended up coming out where I wanted to!

Where are you coming into Kings Cross from ? If it's north on the GN, why not get off at Finsbury Park and take the GN service to Moorgate?

Finsbury Pk - Moorgate is same time as Finsbury Pk - Kings Cross. Even allowing a few minutes to change at FPK it's probably quicker.

 

[Bletchleyite]

For the City I increasingly use Met to Moorgate and walk rather than the Northern Line, which is a very unpleasant experience (particularly as the subsurface lines have the rather nice S-stock).

 

[D365]

Where are you coming into Kings Cross from ? If it's north on the GN, why not get off at Finsbury Park and take the GN service to Moorgate?

Finsbury Pk - Moorgate is same time as Finsbury Pk - Kings Cross. Even allowing a few minutes to change at FPK it's probably quicker.

Peterborough non-stop trains (stopping north of Hitchin only) don't call at Finsbury Park so it's not always workable.

 

[TheNewNo2]

I'd say go via the SSL - the trains are bigger, air conditioned, and also the line between Bank and King's Cross just feels like it takes an age without really getting anywhere.

 

[westv]

Where are you coming into Kings Cross from ? If it's north on the GN, why not get off at Finsbury Park and take the GN service to Moorgate?

Finsbury Pk - Moorgate is same time as Finsbury Pk - Kings Cross. Even allowing a few minutes to change at FPK it's probably quicker.

Hull Trains so a change at Finsbury Park isn't an option.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Northern Line trains are always hugely overcrowded between 8am and 9am- when I was commuting from Muswell Hill it was a squeeze for me to get on a Bank Branch train at Archway- and if you can avoid it you should avoid it.

 

[Busaholic]

Northern Line trains are always hugely overcrowded between 8am and 9am- when I was commuting from Muswell Hill it was a squeeze for me to get on a Bank Branch train at Archway- and if you can avoid it you should avoid it.

And just think of the fun when/if all those extra people get on at Camden Town from the Edgware branch if the split happens.

 

[D365]

And just think of the fun when/if all those extra people get on at Camden Town from the Edgware branch if the split happens.

Which will be compensated for by the ability to run at least 10 more trains per hour.

 

[Busaholic]

Which will be compensated for by the ability to run at least 10 more trains per hour.

The actual, rather than theoretical, ability to run 10 extra trains each and every hour will depend, at least in part, on how long the 'dwell' at Camden is. The proof of the pudding... Ditto Thameslink core, for different reasons.

 

[D365]

The actual, rather than theoretical, ability to run 10 extra trains each and every hour will depend, at least in part, on how long the 'dwell' at Camden is. The proof of the pudding... Ditto Thameslink core, for different reasons.

The Northern line split is entirely motivated by the desire to run more trains on each 'branch'.

 

[Busaholic]

The Northern line split is entirely motivated by the desire to run more trains on each 'branch'.

I'm sure it is, but people en masse can ruin motivation. Ask any dictator!

 

[westv]

12 minutes fast walking from my desk in Lombard St office to Moorgate west direction platform.

 

[robbeech]

Sorry for the thread hijack, can someone link me to information about this Northern line split. I seem to be spending a third of my time in Camden at the moment travelling in and out of St P or King's X.
Where i stay there is actually closer to Mornington Crescent which is a little tedious having to change at Euston or walk up to Camden Town (in fairness its 10 minutes so i'm hardly complaining).

 

[TheNewNo2]

I'm not sure there's anything official about it, but it's a well known TfL objective as Camden Town junction is the main limit to capacity on the Northern Line.

London Reconnections had an article about it a while ago - http://www.londonreconnections.com/2013/we-need-to-talk-about-camden/

 

[westv]

As it was raining on Monday morning I tried out the Northern line to Bank.
As mentioned earlier, the journey does seem to go on and on, the trains are very busy ( this was around 9:20) and Bank station is a maze. I ended up exiting via the Central line platforms although I expect I made a mistake in my navigation!

 

[TheNewNo2]

As it was raining on Monday morning I tried out the Northern line to Bank.
As mentioned earlier, the journey does seem to go on and on, the trains are very busy ( this was around 9:20) and Bank station is a maze. I ended up exiting via the Central line platforms although I expect I made a mistake in my navigation!

From the Northern Line platforms, follow the exit signage. This should take you in to the main set of escalators from DLR to Central Line. You want to go up one level, then turn right.

 

[westv]

From the Northern Line platforms, follow the exit signage. This should take you in to the main set of escalators from DLR to Central Line. You want to go up one level, then turn right.

I thought I was following the exit signage but I must have made a mistake.

 

[Bookd]

Bank must be a contender for the old joke about Willesden Junction; that it was haunted by the ghosts of people who had died of old age while trying to find the way out!

 

[TheNewNo2]

I thought I was following the exit signage but I must have made a mistake.

Ah, you don't follow the exit signage all the way, that's the trick.

Of course, the other option is to exit via Monument.