What are you giving up for Lent? West Londoners are giving up travelling to Shepherd'sBush on the Central line. The station (which is used by 11½ million passengers a year) closed on Saturday for an "upgrade", and won't reopen until October. That's nigh nine months of disruption, announced with little prior warning, so that the station can be made ready for the hordes of shoppers due to use the Westfield retail complex when it opens later this year. Local shop owners in W12 are already worried about the impact that this unashamedly aspirational retail development will bring. Now they face the next 250 shopping days without even a tube station to bring in their existing punters. Let's hope that a revamped entrance hall and overhauled escalators are worth the inconvenience.
But the area's crawling with alternative stations, isn't it? Surely it shouldn't be too difficult for local residents and commuters to make alternative travel arrangements. Maybe, maybe not. You can read TfL's advice here. Or you might prefer, with the aid of my stunning hand-drawn map, to use the dg guide to escaping from Shepherd's Bush (Feb-Oct 2008)
By rail • Shepherd's Bush (London Overground) Never fear, because there's a brand new station immediately nextdoor. Except there isn't. It was supposed to open last year, only there was some pathetic row about safety concerns and platform width, so it's still closed. And, even when this new station does finally open, the Overground service still won't be terribly useful. Two or three trains an hour to places as useful as Clapham, Willesden and Watford. I think we can dismiss this one.
By tube • Shepherd's Bush (Hammersmith & City line) Two stations with the same name - that's got to mean they're quite close, surely? Well, about 600m apart, as it turns out, which'll take about 7 extra minutes to walk. But which Central line user is going to want to use the Hammersmith & City line anyway? If you're heading for central London, this slow train (plus an extra change at Paddington or Baker Street) will greatly lengthen your daily commute over the next nine months. Not great. • Goldhawk Road Also 600m from Shepherd's Bush, but with a busy road to cross. So no. • Latimer Road 1.3km from Shepherd's Bush (a quarter hour walk). Forget it. • Wood Lane They haven't finished building thisone yet either. It's another additional station planned to boost access to the Westfield development. And it's not due to open until late this year. Typical eh? There are two new stations due to open in the Shepherd's Bush area over the next few months, but TfL still had to shut down the Central line station before the other two were ready. • Kensington (Olympia): Just over 1000m away, and a fair walk too, and for what? This single plaform halt boasts the District line's most feeble service, to almost nowhere, and only every 15 minutes. Really, don't bother. • White City: Ah, now this station's on the right line, at last. It's also less than 1km away in a straight line, except you can't walk in a straight line because there's a giant shopping centre being built inbetween. So this is another lengthy 1.3km, 15 minute walk. So not a great alternative. • Holland Park: This is the closest Central line station, exactly a kilometre from Shepherd's Bush. It'll take you up to 12 minutes to walk there, but at least when you arrive you'll be able to catch a train to where you want to go. This has to be the dg-recommended option. But it'll still waste you two hours a week, there and back.
By bus • 148: Good old TfL. They're putting on 10 additional buses an hour during the morning peak which'll whisk you (slowly) from Shepherd's Bush to Notting Hill Gate. 10 buses may sound a lot, but together they only have the capacity of one single tube train. • Rail replacement bus service: And yes, there's also a special TfL replacement bus service to shuttle Central line passengers between Shepherd's Bush and White City. It's described as "frequent", but I bet it's not as frequent as the underground trains it replaces. Once waiting time is added in, it may well still be quicker to walk.
So, my final advice to the people of Shepherd's Bush is as follows. Get a grip. It's not going to be fun, but there are plenty of alternative options. It'll be time-wasting, and it'll be inconvenient, but it's not the end of the world. The good people of Crouch End, Camberwell and Collier Row cope perfectly well without a functioning tube station on their doorstep, and have done for a lot longer than nine months. You'll cope.
And the rest of you, even if you don't think this applies to you now, be warned. Because this sort of enforced shutdown could be happening to you next.
But the area's crawling with alternative stations, isn't it? Surely it shouldn't be too difficult for local residents and commuters to make alternative travel arrangements. Maybe, maybe not. You can read TfL's advice here. Or you might prefer, with the aid of my stunning hand-drawn map, to use the dg guide to escaping from Shepherd's Bush (Feb-Oct 2008)
