Kingsway subway restoration

[orienteer]

The former tram subway under Kingsway has been used for Crossrail construction purposes, but is about to be restored:

camdennewjournal.com/article/restoration-of-kingsway-tram-tunnel-set-to-begin

The first comment is my recollection of it in use before it closed in 1952.

[norbitonflyer]

Part of it is in use as the Strand Underpass, opened to road traffic in 1964



The northern end, at Southampton Row, still has the conduit and tram tracks visible

[holborncentral]

Interesting. I wonder what they'll use it for after they've finished building Crossrail?

[Chris M]

A work site for the Holborn station works is a possibility.

[holborncentral]

Oct 24, 2017 18:14:49 GMT Chris M said:

A work site for the Holborn station works is a possibility.

I never thought of that (assuming the Holborn rebuild goes ahead of course). I wonder if they'll have to close the station completely if/when the rebuild starts?

[Chris M]

I haven't seen any plans for how the work will be done, but I would imagine that they'll do it with the minimum of closures they can, certainly weekday closures as it's a key interchange and gets very busy with commuters during the week and sometimes with tourists (Covent Garden, British Museum) at weekends.

[holborncentral]

Oct 24, 2017 20:10:47 GMT Chris M said:

I haven't seen any plans for how the work will be done, but I would imagine that they'll do it with the minimum of closures they can, certainly weekday closures as it's a key interchange and gets very busy with commuters during the week and sometimes with tourists (Covent Garden, British Museum) at weekends.

They might close it at night or during times when it's less busy. I read that they're building a new entrance and I think they'll add the lifts to the existing Kingsway entrance when the new Procter Street one is built. They probably won't need to close anything in order to convert the old Aldwych platform. It's supposed to take a few years once they get the go ahead.i had a quick read of the plans last week.

[ducatisti]

what are they going to preserve the underpass *for*? There won't be trams through it, there's not much there for a tourist attraction, a dark underpass that isn't regularly used seems to be asking for misuse and petty crime attraction.

using it as a work site sounds a better option to me

[geriatrix]

When I (and many others) explored the subway in 2009, when it was being used to house an art installation, there were the remains of old posters from when it was being used as a film or tv set.







Wonder if they're still there.

[holborncentral]

Looks creepy. I think they used it as a fictitious tube station set for a movie (can't remember which one). That old tube map looks interesting. It shows a lot of disused stations and the Northern Heights extension that never was.

[rincew1nd]

I think I've read somewhere that the "old tube maps" are all reproductions displayed for filming purposes.

[theblackferret]

Oct 25, 2017 19:48:09 GMT rincew1nd said:

I think I've read somewhere that the "old tube maps" are all reproductions displayed for filming purposes.

Back when I worked for English Heritage in 1986, I let a video production company shoot at Chiswick House for a couple of grand (the vid was never used!!) & they had access to similar then, as they stuck one on a board attached to the entrance railings.

Wasn't as good a quality as later, but definitely reproduction 1930's/40's LT.