Elephant & Castle Renovation - out of money?

[alpinejohn]

I came across a worrying web article suggesting that the planned new combined entrance to Northern and Bakerloo at Elephant and Castle has hit a snag.

Whilst work to create a new combined station entrance is underway by a developer - it seems that TFL will not have the money to relocate the current ticketing facilities and passenger entry/exit barriers, so that even when the new facility is ready for use, they will remain unused and LU will have to continue to staff two separate stations, with presumably twice the staffing costs.

Can this be true or is it simply media click bait?

[vincenture]

Where is the article? Curious to have a read. In the meantime, werent there also plans to realign the Bakerloo line so maybe TfL is holding that off? But not surprising if TfL does not have the budget.

[Chris L]

Many years ago a ticket hall and shaft for the original Crossrail proposed route was included in a retail/office development near the Met entrance at Moorgate.

It was a sub surface ticket hall and wasn't used in the current construction. The deep shaft has been used for ventilation. I had the dubious honour of descending all the way to the bottom on fixed ladders several years ago. The climb back up took longer.

[jimbo]

TfL agreed with the British Library that its planned development, which includes a site required by Crossrail 2 to provide a ventilation shaft, emergency and maintenance shaft and pedestrian passageway for the proposed Euston-St Pancras station, may commence with the Crossrail 2 requirements incorporated at British Library expense. If the new line proceeds, TfL will then reimburse British Library. (TfL Programmes and Investment Committee papers 20 July 2020)

I guess the developer is very keen to incorporate a new station in its complex, and will provide space for a ticket hall and access to the trains. TfL will need to provide more than mentioned, including lifts and escalators, lighting, alarm systems, etc. But that will be a few years away, and since TfL funding is uncertain beyond this weekend, has been put off until later. Access to the Bakerloo Line will require construction of the Lewisham Extension, with new platforms near the Northern Line to share the new entrance. Funding for that project is further away, with discussions continuing with the GLA and local boroughs.

Even the current Managed Decline scenario is not fully funded, and a return to a Financially Constrained scenario is not forseen for five years, with maybe the former Policy Consistent scenario returning after ten years! But who knows?

[jimbo]

Today's papers for the Programmes and Investment Committee meeting on 2 March 2022 here state that "it is anticipated that the station box and connecting tunnels will be constructed by 2027." Since TfL funding remains uncertain beyond this weekend, there are five years to arrange a funding package to finish and commission the new station entrance.

[Dstock7080]

www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/tfl-secures-deal-to-build-new-elephant-and-castle-station-entrance-52200/

TfL has agreed to a deal that will see a brand new entrance built for the Elephant and Castle station, but it will remain an empty concrete box until TfL is able to afford to complete it.

[coldplayfan18]

I go to Southbank University and I get on the Northern line there. The entrance next to my university is for the Bakerloo line but luckily I can just cross through to the Northern down that corridor rather than cross the roundabout to the Northern line entrance which is literally a death wish trying to get across there.

[jimbo]

Won't change until new Bakerloo platforms on the Lewisham extension, near the new Northern Line entrance, so should be after your time at University!

[scheduler]

I think the Elephant upgrade was part of the proposed Bakerloo extension. Since the Bakerloo extension has been put on ice, so is the Elephant upgrade.

[Chris L]

Passive provision for the extension is included in the redevelopment of the shopping centre site.

Mod edit [Antharro]: Quote removed. Please be selective about the part of a post you wish to quote rather than the whole post verbatim, particularly if you are replying to the previous post in the thread.

[coldplayfan18]

Would be good if there was a connection between the underground station to the national rail one.

[jimbo]

A paper to the TfL Programmes and Investment Committee meeting on 19 October 2022 provides an annual update on this project. A new station box is to be built by the shopping centre developer, whilst TfL have responsibility for new underground tunnel connections (using local authority funding) and for fit out of the new station entrance, currently unfunded. Fit out includes step-free access to the Northern Line, installation of new lifts and escalators, and fit-out of a new ticket hall. Provision will be made for later escalators to new Bakerloo Line platforms on the Lewisham extension, should this be constructed.

Works on the station box commenced in March 2022 and are expected to be completed by February 2025. Three years of passenger tunneling works can then commence. The current presumed continuous delivery approach requires procurement of station fit out works from September 2024, with project completion by 2030. However, a feasibility study is now being undertaken to consider a staged approach consistent with possible future incremental available funding. Perhaps this would see escalators for the Northern Line provided initially, with lifts for step-free access at a later stage?