This is a great video tour of the Thameslink Core. I was hoping for more videos like this giving a detailed tour around the former Holborn Viaduct terminus. It's interesting to see what is now all office blocks and pedestrianised was once where the former viaduct and platforms once stood. Is that building where the terminus once stood still the same building and been striped down completely to make it how it looks today, or was the terminus completely demolished and that one built in it's place. I think also a NEW section of tunnel was built moving the snow hill lines over to the right, where before when there was a junction, the Now Thameslink lines dipped down more over to the left compared to today's track alignment. I still think they could put a big CITY Thameslink sign on the frontt of that building rather then just the one tucked away between the buildings architecture.
I used to use the Kings Cross Thameslink entrance back in 2016 - it was a very useful backdoor entrance to the Victoria Line during the week. I would be surprised, given its location, if the entrance is going to remain closed indefinitely as it was incredibly convenient and took some pressure away from the rest of the Kings Cross/St Panc underground complex. The building does require some work though for it to remain safe, which is why it is currently hoarded-up.
I think that if I was ever coming to London again (on a train into Euston from Manchester) I’d want to have a tour guide, as I’d get totally lost on the Tube - I really do want to see the whole of the Elizabeth Line and the DLR
Thank you for this video. While it didn't show me everything I was looking for (travel from London Gatwick to St Pancras International), it did give me a good view of the inside of the stations along the way. I also loved the detailed look at the levels of St Pancras. We will be arriving at Gatwick in 2024 to travel to Paris by Eurostar. Watching the videos give me information on schedules, prices and the amount of walking and stairs to expect ahead of time.
City Thameslink was also to be an interchange with the Fleet Line that was to continue the route onwards east from the Jubilee Line terminus at Charing Cross. As we all know, minds and plans changed as did the finances, and the JL extension eventually changed course entirely and went southeast instead via Westminster and Bermondsey. Supposedly a station box aligned west to east was built below City Thameslink for the future JLE platforms and another similar box was built at Cannon Street, both as part of the new developments there. This was to future-proof the site, something we aren't too good at in the UK, for the JL extension. As the route was safeguarded, and might still be, perhaps they are still there. I remember seeing a video about there being provision at City Thameslink for this never-built interchange, which accounts for the large expanse of the circulating area and also an apparently pointless, but very wide, area that is now blocked off but which would have been where the escalators went down to the JLE platforms.
Just a pity that when they rebuilt Blackfriars (for the second time) they went from 5 platforms to only 4. I think St Paul's Thameslink was renamed due to fire brigade complaints. On the opening day lunchtime I was on the station and overheard one doing an inspection saying "if we are called out to a fire at St paul's station we won't know if it is this one or St Pauls tube station." At the time I worked in a BT building that was demolished for the new Thameslink/Elizabeth line station.
These videos about the London area are very interesting and informative for me as an Irishman living in Manchester 21 years - the last time I was in London was on 25th June 2002 off a flight from Dublin into Heathrow, on the Tube into Piccadilly Circus, Balans Coffee Shop in Soho and a 6am peak Virgin train from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly £97 single
It's Ludgate Hill not fleet street. Carrington has a few eateries and bars. All good stuff too like Smithfield market as well. I went to St Pancras in the early 1990s and it was horrible, it was scheduled for demolition and it was totally run down and was dark and dank, and stunk of diesel. They did an amazing job on it. Now making it the beautiful swan of a station. I used to walk up to Kings Cross Thameslink from Tottenham court road at your age, it was arojnd a mile or so and you would pass the three major northern termini of Euston, St Pancras, and Kings Cross. The Kings cross area was a little run down and seedy at the time. I remember being stuck outside King's Cross Thameslink for 4 hours due to a bomb scare and the whole of London ground to a halt. Happy days.
Nothing wrong with City Thameslink. It's extremely handy for St. Paul's, Temple Church, The Old Bailey, and all the various Solicitors and Barristers you could possibly need. (Not that you want to be in a position to need them!).
Love this video. With Farringdon having the London roundel on Thameslink platformms....at least, originally, Thameslink platforms mostly had the sign/font/logos of the "owner" of the station, with a "Thameslink" added on top. So for Farringdon, and the now-gone Moorgate and Barbican platforms, it was the London Underground roundel, with "Thameslink" added on top. Then again, Farringdon, King's Cross Thameslink (now gone), and the now gone Barbican and Moorgate section were originally owned by the Metropolitan Railway. As part of the "Widened Lines", built by the Metropolitan for the bnefit of other railways who ran services onto Metropolitan (surprised they didn't extend this to Liverpool Street, or maybe they were barred from doing so) Between 1926 and 1935, there was a link to the Widened lines just west of King's Cross Thameslink (which also had the Underground platforms until 1941), and there was 4-rail on one of the "Widened" tracks all the way to Moorgate (bare in mind the modern overhead wires were only put in in the 80's when the decision was made to bring the Widened Lines back into use, they were originally "unplugged" other than that brief period I mentioned, and BR service to Moorgate this way ended in 1976 when the Great Northern City line was opened under BR, but then ressurected, electrified, in the 80's, and the 3rd rail was added at Farringdon to go south when the Thameslink project was done. Originally ALL trains going south/coming from the south had to switch power at Farringdon, looks like it's now possible to also do it at City Thameslink. Saint Pancras did what King's Cross Thameslink used to do, in so much as the Thameslink platforms are "numbered" with letters A and B. I think the only other place in London to do that is New Cross at one end of the East London Line.
The length of the platforms seems to be something of a trend - the last time I was back home last year, Irish Rail had carried out a major refurbishment of Dublin Pearse and other Dublin stations with super long DART trains all along the DART line from Malahide/Howth to Greystones via Dublin Connolly and Tara St
Don't call NeworkSoutheast ancient. Makes me feel ancient. Great Video.did you know when Thameslink started they Made a Advert for TV. And a Major Postor campaign.. Keep up the great work!!!!
If I’m coming from Heathrow on the Piccadilly Line, and transfer to the District Line (maybe at Earl’s Court), what Thameslink Core (or Underground station) do you recommend for catching a National Rail train to Brighton?
Earls Court is the best place to change from the Piccadilly as it is a cross-platform interchange, Take any District line train from EC going east via Victoria and change at Blackfriars. That is the best option with the shortest distance between the DL and the NR platforms for Thameslink to Gatwick, plus there's plenty of space and step-free access.
Awesome video!!! I do love the TL Core. Also, thank you for using my ThamesLink map at 0:27... I'm glad it's getting some recognition! 😃😃😃
This is a great video tour of the Thameslink Core.
I was hoping for more videos like this giving a detailed tour around the former Holborn Viaduct terminus.
It's interesting to see what is now all office blocks and pedestrianised was once where the former viaduct and platforms once stood.
Is that building where the terminus once stood still the same building and been striped down completely to make it how it looks today, or was the terminus completely demolished and that one built in it's place.
I think also a NEW section of tunnel was built moving the snow hill lines over to the right, where before when there was a junction, the Now Thameslink lines dipped down more over to the left compared to today's track alignment.
I still think they could put a big CITY Thameslink sign on the frontt of that building rather then just the one tucked away between the buildings architecture.
I used to use the Kings Cross Thameslink entrance back in 2016 - it was a very useful backdoor entrance to the Victoria Line during the week. I would be surprised, given its location, if the entrance is going to remain closed indefinitely as it was incredibly convenient and took some pressure away from the rest of the Kings Cross/St Panc underground complex. The building does require some work though for it to remain safe, which is why it is currently hoarded-up.
I think that if I was ever coming to London again (on a train into Euston from Manchester) I’d want to have a tour guide, as I’d get totally lost on the Tube - I really do want to see the whole of the Elizabeth Line and the DLR
23:19 if you turned left and then turned right heading to the EMR platforms the Sir John Betjeman is around there. Great video
Thank you for this video. While it didn't show me everything I was looking for (travel from London Gatwick to St Pancras International), it did give me a good view of the inside of the stations along the way. I also loved the detailed look at the levels of St Pancras. We will be arriving at Gatwick in 2024 to travel to Paris by Eurostar. Watching the videos give me information on schedules, prices and the amount of walking and stairs to expect ahead of time.
City Thameslink was also to be an interchange with the Fleet Line that was to continue the route onwards east from the Jubilee Line terminus at Charing Cross.
As we all know, minds and plans changed as did the finances, and the JL extension eventually changed course entirely and went southeast instead via Westminster and Bermondsey.
Supposedly a station box aligned west to east was built below City Thameslink for the future JLE platforms and another similar box was built at Cannon Street, both as part of the new developments there. This was to future-proof the site, something we aren't too good at in the UK, for the JL extension.
As the route was safeguarded, and might still be, perhaps they are still there.
I remember seeing a video about there being provision at City Thameslink for this never-built interchange, which accounts for the large expanse of the circulating area and also an apparently pointless, but very wide, area that is now blocked off but which would have been where the escalators went down to the JLE platforms.
Just a pity that when they rebuilt Blackfriars (for the second time) they went from 5 platforms to only 4. I think St Paul's Thameslink was renamed due to fire brigade complaints. On the opening day lunchtime I was on the station and overheard one doing an inspection saying "if we are called out to a fire at St paul's station we won't know if it is this one or St Pauls tube station." At the time I worked in a BT building that was demolished for the new Thameslink/Elizabeth line station.
These videos about the London area are very interesting and informative for me as an Irishman living in Manchester 21 years - the last time I was in London was on 25th June 2002 off a flight from Dublin into Heathrow, on the Tube into Piccadilly Circus, Balans Coffee Shop in Soho and a 6am peak Virgin train from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly £97 single
The chances for me to visit St. Pancras is quite big actually. If I ever come to London it will be by train and I live in Germany.
It's Ludgate Hill not fleet street. Carrington has a few eateries and bars. All good stuff too like Smithfield market as well. I went to St Pancras in the early 1990s and it was horrible, it was scheduled for demolition and it was totally run down and was dark and dank, and stunk of diesel. They did an amazing job on it. Now making it the beautiful swan of a station. I used to walk up to Kings Cross Thameslink from Tottenham court road at your age, it was arojnd a mile or so and you would pass the three major northern termini of Euston, St Pancras, and Kings Cross. The Kings cross area was a little run down and seedy at the time. I remember being stuck outside King's Cross Thameslink for 4 hours due to a bomb scare and the whole of London ground to a halt. Happy days.
17:39 lol the way the guy behind you is looking
Great video!
The thameslink used to down towards moorgate up until 2008 i believe. You can still see the old platforms at barbican and moorgate.
Interesting. I'm from the south east but never really used Blackfriars
Nothing wrong with City Thameslink.
It's extremely handy for St. Paul's, Temple Church, The Old Bailey, and all the various Solicitors and Barristers you could possibly need. (Not that you want to be in a position to need them!).
I haven't really been on Thameslink, I'm going down to London sometime in the summer holiday so I'm defiantly going to see it when I go down.
Love this video. With Farringdon having the London roundel on Thameslink platformms....at least, originally, Thameslink platforms mostly had the sign/font/logos of the "owner" of the station, with a "Thameslink" added on top. So for Farringdon, and the now-gone Moorgate and Barbican platforms, it was the London Underground roundel, with "Thameslink" added on top. Then again, Farringdon, King's Cross Thameslink (now gone), and the now gone Barbican and Moorgate section were originally owned by the Metropolitan Railway. As part of the "Widened Lines", built by the Metropolitan for the bnefit of other railways who ran services onto Metropolitan (surprised they didn't extend this to Liverpool Street, or maybe they were barred from doing so) Between 1926 and 1935, there was a link to the Widened lines just west of King's Cross Thameslink (which also had the Underground platforms until 1941), and there was 4-rail on one of the "Widened" tracks all the way to Moorgate (bare in mind the modern overhead wires were only put in in the 80's when the decision was made to bring the Widened Lines back into use, they were originally "unplugged" other than that brief period I mentioned, and BR service to Moorgate this way ended in 1976 when the Great Northern City line was opened under BR, but then ressurected, electrified, in the 80's, and the 3rd rail was added at Farringdon to go south when the Thameslink project was done. Originally ALL trains going south/coming from the south had to switch power at Farringdon, looks like it's now possible to also do it at City Thameslink.
Saint Pancras did what King's Cross Thameslink used to do, in so much as the Thameslink platforms are "numbered" with letters A and B. I think the only other place in London to do that is New Cross at one end of the East London Line.
The length of the platforms seems to be something of a trend - the last time I was back home last year, Irish Rail had carried out a major refurbishment of Dublin Pearse and other Dublin stations with super long DART trains all along the DART line from Malahide/Howth to Greystones via Dublin Connolly and Tara St
City Thameslink station is actually on a slope
What camera are you using?
Superb vid 👍👍👍
Agreed. Well, apart from calling a terminus (single) a 'termini' (plural - twice!)
Don't call NeworkSoutheast ancient. Makes me feel ancient. Great Video.did you know when Thameslink started they Made a Advert for TV. And a Major Postor campaign..
Keep up the great work!!!!
If I’m coming from Heathrow on the Piccadilly Line, and transfer to the District Line (maybe at Earl’s Court), what Thameslink Core (or Underground station) do you recommend for catching a National Rail train to Brighton?
Blackfriars, defo (have to do that for business reasons to see my colleagues)~ Hugh
Earls Court is the best place to change from the Piccadilly as it is a cross-platform interchange,
Take any District line train from EC going east via Victoria and change at Blackfriars. That is the best option with the shortest distance between the DL and the NR platforms for Thameslink to Gatwick, plus there's plenty of space and step-free access.
@@adrianbaron4994 not earl's court, hammersmith or baron's court
Nice 👍