(I know this news is a fortnight old but it's still the subject of TfL's most recent press release)
It's pretty impressive.
A giant laminated timber shed has been constructed above the platforms, appealingly curved, whereas the previous entrance was a squat box with insufficient capacity. This has a huge gateline to ease the passage of thousands of new residents living in stacky flats, also no ticket office because TfL don't bother with those any more, also sustainable drainage, also occasional gold shiny surfaces, also the original brass clock from the southbound platform raised into pride of place, also a great big window looking down onto the tracks, also an unfinished unit awaiting full fit-out as a cafe, also a lift giving access from street to platform. The lift is rightly what TfL crowed about most, enabling Colindale to become the 94th step-free tube station, although with only one more due to become step-free this year it could be a very long time before we hit 100.
Ian Visits has all the background detail and more photos than my mere four, plus he published all this a fortnight ago when it was still current.
Meanwhile Southgate station closed yesterday until mid-March so that one of its escalators can be repaired.
Potential passengers were very cross.
(This message has not been the focus of a TfL press release because they only do good news these days)
The escalator on the left needs emergency repairs and has already been sealed off with blue hoardings. The escalator on the right is still operational but can only be used by passengers exiting the station. Normally what they do in these situations is use the staircase inbetween for passengers walking down but they haven't taken that option so Southgate has become exit-only. This is particularly annoying in the morning when most of the traffic would be commuters departing, but a kindness in the evening when most people want to exit anyway.
It's especially annoying because there are no other stations within a mile of Southgate, also the buses that go there aren't especially fast or frequent. TfL could have put on a special tube replacement service but not this time. Despite a lengthy publicity campaign several people turned up yesterday unawares and were halted by the posters, interrogated the gateline staff, then resigned themselves to a bus. I won't repeat what a man in a black jacket said to me when the penny dropped but it wasn't polite, indeed he wandered off furious and open-mouthed. Also the 'no entry' message is so strong that I hope nobody fails to twig that Southgate is still open for exits so gets off one station early to catch an unnecessary bus home.
