Yesterday, quietly, another bit of the Bank station upgrade opened.
It's a new bank of escalators between the Northern line and the DLR. Previously the direct connection was via a set of narrow twisty stairs, or a sightseeing tour of the catacombs if a one-way system was in operation. Now you just walk into a side passage, reaching the escalators in seconds, and up or down you go. It's transformational. The sign's enormous too.
It's a very clean connection, all white walls and with no adverts trying to sell you something. It's also very quiet, if you're used to the normal rattly escalators down to the DLR (which are still there, these new escalators are extras). They're numbered 20, 21 and 22, because 22 is indeed the current number of escalators amid the Bank-Monument station complex. Expect more soon.
If you remember the previous set-up at DLR level, a concourse ran between the two platforms with escalators at both ends leading to either Bank or Monument. That central concourse is still there, except one end's been widened and the middle has been blocked off to give the new escalators a landing space. If you're not heading up to the Northern line you may need to walk to the end of the platform to exit.
Part 1 of this transformation was back in May when the new southbound Northern line platform opened. The new escalators lead off one of the side passages and have been shielded by blue hoardings since then. They face more blue hoardings behind which will be a moving walkway(!) up to the Central line, because there's a lot more uncovering to go. This big reveal will also include step-free access to the Northern line and DLR, and is very likely to occur on Sunday 27th November because the entire station is mysteriously closed to passengers on that day.
Yesterday's unveiling was of course accompanied by a TfL press release, and one which kicked off with a very surprising claim.
...but at no point was it explained how, why or under what circumstances these escalators might lead to a nine minute time saving. I confess I'm baffled.
The stairs connecting the Northern line and DLR take one minute to negotiate, maybe two if you're slow, so there's no way of making a nine minute saving there. Things can get a bit shuffly heading off the DLR platforms at peak times, and until yesterday some semi-tortuous connections existed, but still nowhere near nine minutes worth. Even the underground switchback from Bank to Monument - the fabled escalator link - can be done in five minutes. There isn't a nine minute journey to be had within the station.
The press release actually refers to saving journey time, so perhaps there's an alternative interpretation. For example, a quicker connection from the Northern line to the DLR could mean you catch your Beckton train rather than just missing it, and that'd definitely get you home faster. But it'd be a 10 minute saving, not nine, so I guess that can't be what TfL mean either. It's baffling.
It appears to have baffled Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport, because in the press release he's quoted as saying...
None of the 'up to 9' minutes there, Seb is claiming nine minutes for everyone, and that's plainly not even slightly true.
But it's a claim that the media, who devour TfL press releases, have leapt on with some glee.
• New route at Bank station saves nine minutes off Tube journey, says TfL (Evening Standard)
• New route opens at London's 'worst tube station' cutting 9 minutes off tube journey times, TfL says (ITV News)
• TfL confirms new route will save 9 minutes off your journey at city's 'worst' and 'most confusing' station (MyLondon)
• Changing To The DLR From The Northern Line At Bank Is Now Up To Nine Minutes Faster (Londonist)
• Your Change From DLR To Northern Line At Bank Station Is Now Nine Minutes Faster (Secret London)
The first three at least had the nous to attribute the claim to TfL rather than state it as fact. Only Londonist were careful enough to say "up to" nine minutes, everyone else over-simplified. Meanwhile Secret London went with the full-on 'nine minutes for everyone' claim because accuracy is not an intrinsic part of their offering. Also see how MyLondon deliberately didn't name the station, because that's how clickbait works. Ian Visits had the wisest approach and stuck to facts...
• Bank station’s new escalators between DLR and Northern lines has opened (Ian Visits)
It's a great new connection. But it's not nine minutes of great.
