diamond geezer

 Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Purple finally opened!



It's as enormous as they said it was and as excellent as you hoped it would be.

And although I've been all over it, including the secret lift, the escalator switchback and the very long passage, I can't possibly do the whole thing justice in a single post. And that's fine, it just means umpteen future posts to unpick everything, precisely as you'd expect. But I can show you 40 photos on Flickr if you didn't get down yesterday and fancy a flavour of what you missed. And I can also bring you a potted summary of every station along the central section, each with a not-entirely-representative-but-hopefully-alluring photograph of its own, starting out west...



Paddington
This feels quite different to the rest of the stations, partly because it's (currently) the end of the line and partly because it's deeply-stacked beneath a former taxi rank. Mainline passengers get to descend one set of giant escalators into something bricky and capacious, then down another set into a shallower slice where the trains run. It feels darker than most of the other stations, despite the flying saucer lamps in formation overhead, but there was a glorious moment when I spotted direct sunlight on the platform courtesy of the splodgy glass roof positioned way above. I felt a rhythm to the station as each westbound train arrived and emptied out, once every five minutes, just as the eastbound train that'd been slowly filling on the opposite platform closed its doors and headed off. How they're going to cope with rapid detraining when the service doubles later in the year I don't know (but that's precisely why the line isn't yet open on Sundays). Also of note is the escape tunnel to the Bakerloo line, which is indeed a fair yomp, and one particular set of steps is sure to appear in my future post All The Secret Crossrail Staircases You Never Knew Existed.



Bond Street
No Bond Street's not open yet, as announcements at all preceding stations are careful to announce. Instead trains pass straight through allowing you to review the state of the platforms and their general uncompletedness, including the odd incomplete panel on the walls and crews toiling in hi-vis down the crosspassages. A nice touch is that all the roundels have been renamed to read, alternately, Station Closed and Opening Soon... although because trains pass through at speed it's nigh impossible to get an unblurry shot.



Tottenham Court Road
Here's the first of the big central stations with entrances at both ends, although here it's relatively straightforward because all the underground interchanges are at one end and the other end's mainly for shopping. You can get your bearings architecturally because the walls are differently spotty and the lamps are differently gorgeous as you approach the foot of the escalators. Those escalators may be long but at least they'll whisk you out of the station in one go, which isn't always the case elsewhere. Passengers needing to please Instagram should note that the eastbound platform is gently curved so is inherently prettier, indeed uniquely so (and the curved crosspassages are arguably more photogenic still). Also if you're getting off at the Dean Street end watch out for 'Way Out' signs that mischievously point away from the exit, which are sure to appear in my future post Evil Arrows That Assume It's Rush Hour All Day Long.



Farringdon
The Crossrail/Thameslink nexus has two centres of gravity, one at each end, and the only way from one to the other is along the platforms. They're very long platforms, indeed even longer than they need to be because the architects futureproofed them with room for two additional carriages. This means that everyone arriving at the Barbican end has to walk a bit further along the glass wall to reach the first door, a potential optical illusion which means you might not spot a train is waiting in the platform until it's too late. I think I'd have been more awestruck by the scale of things if only I hadn't had a sneak preview down here at an Open Day four years ago. It is still the case that the Underground is only signposted towards the Farringdon end, with the 'Barbican' escalators instead funnelling passengers towards a brand new ticket hall by Smithfield Market. The lift connection to Barbican station is very understated and very easily missed, so is sure to appear in my future post You Won't Believe It's Now Possible To Walk From Liverpool Street to Farringdon Underground.



Liverpool Street
This is the slightly mind-bending one because it makes no secret of being one station at one end and a different one at the other. I even heard an announcement saying "Welcome to Moorgate station" while I was standing next to a purple Liverpool Street roundel, although that may have been a first day blip. The most impressive feature, which is likely to engender a "woo!" from first-time visitors when revealed mid-descent, is the central passageway lined by uplighter totems resembling a row of geometric trees. Liverpool Street is also the only station where you can stand in the middle and see the escalators at both ends, or at least the first of a set of two escalators because these platforms are really quite deep. I spotted a lot of able-bodied youngsters excitedly waiting to ride the funicular lifts that shadow the escalators up towards (but not quite as far as) the existing Liverpool Street station. As for the extraordinary passage that extends to the Northern line at Moorgate, and even includes seating halfway, this is sure to appear in my future post The Underground's Most Ridiculously Long Interchanges.



Whitechapel
Here's where TfL's 'no expense spared' mantra ran out. Whitechapel's a lovely station, indeed arguably the purest of the lot, but they only built one exit because it was decreed that the Blind Beggar pub and the big Sainsbury's didn't merit a second. This means there's just one set of escalators at one end and no need for passengers to walk much further, so the platforms get spookily quieter the further along you go. The member of staff patrolling the far end gave me funny looks as I walked past the last platform door and entered the overspill where the emergency exits are. One of my favourite things about Whitechapel is the art that appears in place of adverts along its length, these being a selection of lifesize aluminium collages by Chantal Joffe depicting local people she saw on Whitechapel Road one Sunday in 2017. If you're only passing through it'll give you something nice to look at as the train slows down, and is sure to appear in my future post That Thing You Just Walked Straight Past Is Actually Art.



Canary Wharf
Blimey that was quick, Crossrail really speeds through, indeed we only left Paddington 16 minutes ago. The most obvious thing about Canary Wharf is that its escalators are bright yellow, indeed canary yellow (see what they did there). There are a lot of these yellow escalators, first three sets up from the platforms to a (surprisingly sparse) mezzanine level, then three more sets up to what passes as basement level on the Canary Wharf estate. Prepare to get quite confused as you try to interchange through the adjacent shopping mall, with the Jubilee line signposted from the quieter end you'd never use otherwise. Also by now you'll probably have noticed that only five companies are advertising across Crossrail stations, not quite the global megabrands TfL intended back in 2017 but they did reel in Google, Reed, Sage, Schweppes and, er, MoneySuperMarket, all of whom are sure to appear in my future post The Further Prostitution Of Public Transport.



Custom House
Let's be honest, this is the dull one. It's a single island platform with a DLR station and exhibition centre at one end, so has been ready for ages, and my word its staff must have got really bored over the last year. You enter from the overbridge and must then filter down to purple train level via the cheapest infrastructure TfL could get away with. Don't think you need to walk down, or up, because immediately beyond the first set of steps will be a single escalator going the same way. Less than half of the platform is covered so if you arrive at the wrong end during a torrential shower, as was the reality on opening day, you're going to get very wet. Also even the plastic canopies at the 'dry' end have gaps in them, a damp error that's sure to appear in my future post Well It May Look Nice But It Doesn't Actually Work.



Woolwich
Woolwich is a bit like Whitechapel in that it only has an exit at one end, but also not like Whitechapel in that it has one central platform rather than two separate bores. The roof is supported by a central row of thumpingly thick concrete columns, the lights resemble giant shower heads, and for a budget station added to the line at the last minute the overall effect is really rather appealing. The glass on the platform walls was surprisingly mucky though, far grubbier than at any other station. So long as you alight at the near end you can be up in the ticket hall very quickly but you'll greatly increase that time if you make the mistake of alighting at the other. I tried walking the full length of the platform at normal walking pace and it took me 2 minutes and 55 seconds because that's how long these horizontal behemoths are, as is sure to appear in my future post Crossrail Journeys Where The Endless Walking Takes Longer Than The Actual Train Ride.



Abbey Wood
And finally, after precisely 29 minutes, it's the end of the line. I checked with a stopwatch and just over 5 of those 29 minutes had been spent waiting at stations, indeed the dwell time at some of the central London stations is really long. The train is not going to zoom off without you. An oddity at Abbey Wood is that trains on one platform stop two-carriages-worth further down the platform, and an annoyance is that it's not as blatant as it ought to be which of the two trains will be departing first. Yesterday the platform was abuzz with spoddy passengers grabbing train pics, helpful staff wielding route maps, police officers eyeing everything closely and a couple of blokes in 'Security' jackets who appeared to be overkill. And every day you can either cross the footbridge to grab a Dartford train or exit through the gateline into the actual borough of Bexley which has never had a TfL rail service before. The surrounding area is thrilled to suddenly be in close contact with central London, a truth which has already featured in my earlier post Visit Abbey Wood, so rest assured there's only a finite amount of Crossrail content still to appear.


<< click for Newer posts

click for Older Posts >>


click to return to the main page


...or read more in my monthly archives
Jan24  Feb24  Mar24
Jan23  Feb23  Mar23  Apr23  May23  Jun23  Jul23  Aug23  Sep23  Oct23  Nov23  Dec23
Jan22  Feb22  Mar22  Apr22  May22  Jun22  Jul22  Aug22  Sep22  Oct22  Nov22  Dec22
Jan21  Feb21  Mar21  Apr21  May21  Jun21  Jul21  Aug21  Sep21  Oct21  Nov21  Dec21
Jan20  Feb20  Mar20  Apr20  May20  Jun20  Jul20  Aug20  Sep20  Oct20  Nov20  Dec20
Jan19  Feb19  Mar19  Apr19  May19  Jun19  Jul19  Aug19  Sep19  Oct19  Nov19  Dec19
Jan18  Feb18  Mar18  Apr18  May18  Jun18  Jul18  Aug18  Sep18  Oct18  Nov18  Dec18
Jan17  Feb17  Mar17  Apr17  May17  Jun17  Jul17  Aug17  Sep17  Oct17  Nov17  Dec17
Jan16  Feb16  Mar16  Apr16  May16  Jun16  Jul16  Aug16  Sep16  Oct16  Nov16  Dec16
Jan15  Feb15  Mar15  Apr15  May15  Jun15  Jul15  Aug15  Sep15  Oct15  Nov15  Dec15
Jan14  Feb14  Mar14  Apr14  May14  Jun14  Jul14  Aug14  Sep14  Oct14  Nov14  Dec14
Jan13  Feb13  Mar13  Apr13  May13  Jun13  Jul13  Aug13  Sep13  Oct13  Nov13  Dec13
Jan12  Feb12  Mar12  Apr12  May12  Jun12  Jul12  Aug12  Sep12  Oct12  Nov12  Dec12
Jan11  Feb11  Mar11  Apr11  May11  Jun11  Jul11  Aug11  Sep11  Oct11  Nov11  Dec11
Jan10  Feb10  Mar10  Apr10  May10  Jun10  Jul10  Aug10  Sep10  Oct10  Nov10  Dec10 
Jan09  Feb09  Mar09  Apr09  May09  Jun09  Jul09  Aug09  Sep09  Oct09  Nov09  Dec09
Jan08  Feb08  Mar08  Apr08  May08  Jun08  Jul08  Aug08  Sep08  Oct08  Nov08  Dec08
Jan07  Feb07  Mar07  Apr07  May07  Jun07  Jul07  Aug07  Sep07  Oct07  Nov07  Dec07
Jan06  Feb06  Mar06  Apr06  May06  Jun06  Jul06  Aug06  Sep06  Oct06  Nov06  Dec06
Jan05  Feb05  Mar05  Apr05  May05  Jun05  Jul05  Aug05  Sep05  Oct05  Nov05  Dec05
Jan04  Feb04  Mar04  Apr04  May04  Jun04  Jul04  Aug04  Sep04  Oct04  Nov04  Dec04
Jan03  Feb03  Mar03  Apr03  May03  Jun03  Jul03  Aug03  Sep03  Oct03  Nov03  Dec03
 Jan02  Feb02  Mar02  Apr02  May02  Jun02  Jul02 Aug02  Sep02  Oct02  Nov02  Dec02 

jack of diamonds
Life viewed from London E3

» email me
» follow me on twitter
» follow the blog on Twitter
» follow the blog on RSS

» my flickr photostream

twenty blogs
our bow
arseblog
ian visits
londonist
broken tv
blue witch
on london
the great wen
edith's streets
spitalfields life
linkmachinego
round the island
wanstead meteo
christopher fowler
the greenwich wire
bus and train user
ruth's coastal walk
round the rails we go
london reconnections
from the murky depths

quick reference features
Things to do in Outer London
Things to do outside London
Inner London toilet map
20 years of blog series
The DG Tour of Britain
London's most...

read the archive
Mar24  Feb24  Jan24
Dec23  Nov23  Oct23  Sep23
Aug23  Jul23  Jun23  May23
Apr23  Mar23  Feb23  Jan23
Dec22  Nov22  Oct22  Sep22
Aug22  Jul22  Jun22  May22
Apr22  Mar22  Feb22  Jan22
Dec21  Nov21  Oct21  Sep21
Aug21  Jul21  Jun21  May21
Apr21  Mar21  Feb21  Jan21
Dec20  Nov20  Oct20  Sep20
Aug20  Jul20  Jun20  May20
Apr20  Mar20  Feb20  Jan20
Dec19  Nov19  Oct19  Sep19
Aug19  Jul19  Jun19  May19
Apr19  Mar19  Feb19  Jan19
Dec18  Nov18  Oct18  Sep18
Aug18  Jul18  Jun18  May18
Apr18  Mar18  Feb18  Jan18
Dec17  Nov17  Oct17  Sep17
Aug17  Jul17  Jun17  May17
Apr17  Mar17  Feb17  Jan17
Dec16  Nov16  Oct16  Sep16
Aug16  Jul16  Jun16  May16
Apr16  Mar16  Feb16  Jan16
Dec15  Nov15  Oct15  Sep15
Aug15  Jul15  Jun15  May15
Apr15  Mar15  Feb15  Jan15
Dec14  Nov14  Oct14  Sep14
Aug14  Jul14  Jun14  May14
Apr14  Mar14  Feb14  Jan14
Dec13  Nov13  Oct13  Sep13
Aug13  Jul13  Jun13  May13
Apr13  Mar13  Feb13  Jan13
Dec12  Nov12  Oct12  Sep12
Aug12  Jul12  Jun12  May12
Apr12  Mar12  Feb12  Jan12
Dec11  Nov11  Oct11  Sep11
Aug11  Jul11  Jun11  May11
Apr11  Mar11  Feb11  Jan11
Dec10  Nov10  Oct10  Sep10
Aug10  Jul10  Jun10  May10
Apr10  Mar10  Feb10  Jan10
Dec09  Nov09  Oct09  Sep09
Aug09  Jul09  Jun09  May09
Apr09  Mar09  Feb09  Jan09
Dec08  Nov08  Oct08  Sep08
Aug08  Jul08  Jun08  May08
Apr08  Mar08  Feb08  Jan08
Dec07  Nov07  Oct07  Sep07
Aug07  Jul07  Jun07  May07
Apr07  Mar07  Feb07  Jan07
Dec06  Nov06  Oct06  Sep06
Aug06  Jul06  Jun06  May06
Apr06  Mar06  Feb06  Jan06
Dec05  Nov05  Oct05  Sep05
Aug05  Jul05  Jun05  May05
Apr05  Mar05  Feb05  Jan05
Dec04  Nov04  Oct04  Sep04
Aug04  Jul04  Jun04  May04
Apr04  Mar04  Feb04  Jan04
Dec03  Nov03  Oct03  Sep03
Aug03  Jul03  Jun03  May03
Apr03  Mar03  Feb03  Jan03
Dec02  Nov02  Oct02  Sep02
back to main page

the diamond geezer index
2023 2022
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
2016 2015 2014 2013 2012
2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
2006 2005 2004 2003 2002

my special London features
a-z of london museums
E3 - local history month
greenwich meridian (N)
greenwich meridian (S)
the real eastenders
london's lost rivers
olympic park 2007
great british roads
oranges & lemons
random boroughs
bow road station
high street 2012
river westbourne
trafalgar square
capital numbers
east london line
lea valley walk
olympics 2005
regent's canal
square routes
silver jubilee
unlost rivers
cube routes
Herbert Dip
metro-land
capital ring
river fleet
piccadilly
bakerloo

ten of my favourite posts
the seven ages of blog
my new Z470xi mobile
five equations of blog
the dome of doom
chemical attraction
quality & risk
london 2102
single life
boredom
april fool

ten sets of lovely photos
my "most interesting" photos
london 2012 olympic zone
harris and the hebrides
betjeman's metro-land
marking the meridian
tracing the river fleet
london's lost rivers
inside the gherkin
seven sisters
iceland

just surfed in?
here's where to find...
diamond geezers
flash mob #1  #2  #3  #4
ben schott's miscellany
london underground
watch with mother
cigarette warnings
digital time delay
wheelie suitcases
war of the worlds
transit of venus
top of the pops
old buckenham
ladybird books
acorn antiques
digital watches
outer hebrides
olympics 2012
school dinners
pet shop boys
west wycombe
bletchley park
george orwell
big breakfast
clapton pond
san francisco
thunderbirds
routemaster
children's tv
east enders
trunk roads
amsterdam
little britain
credit cards
jury service
big brother
jubilee line
number 1s
titan arum
typewriters
doctor who
coronation
comments
blue peter
matchgirls
hurricanes
buzzwords
brookside
monopoly
peter pan
starbucks
feng shui
leap year
manbags
bbc three
vision on
piccadilly
meridian
concorde
wembley
islington
ID cards
bedtime
freeview
beckton
blogads
eclipses
letraset
arsenal
sitcoms
gherkin
calories
everest
muffins
sudoku
camilla
london
ceefax
robbie
becks
dome
BBC2
paris
lotto
118
itv