Don't close our community off at the weekends, please

Okay - I featured the building of the West Hampstead Thameslink rail-bridge the other day and that progresses along quite visibly.

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2009/08/heres-access-weve-been-waiting-for.html

However, whilst the massive investment in the transport network in London continues (much of it driven by a desire to get the service up to scratch ready for the 2012 Olympics) there is a series of knock-on effects.

One of these has been to cut off transport access to the North London Overground Line and also the Jubilee Line virtually every weekend in this part of north west London.

It has become something of a regular feature with vast legions of rail replacement buses being laid on and no station services. The consequence has been that for where I live in West hampstead and Kilburn we have been increasingly cut off. Well, there has been a lot of unhappiness and chuntering and last night local traders decided to act. They called a meeting and resolved to try and get some attention for the effect these sustained closures are having.

Now I can't help but think there are a range of issues here:
- the communications from TfL about what is happening is dreadful: up goes the notice and across come the gates.
- the staff placed there at weekend and the bus drivers included often don't have a full brief in quite difficult circumstances
- more and more the extent to which West hampstead and Kilburn in particular have been hit businesses and shops are seeing a very real drop in trade and they are very very worried for their livelihood.

So here's the petition http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/jubilee-overground-closures/index.html

And I thought I would start the conversation on here:

1. could some of the closures move into the week rather than being all forced to the weekend?It's having the effect of cutting us off from the rest of London.
2. Do we as Oyster Card holders have rights as shareholders to quiz and questions and get some answers to our concerns and make sure our voices are heard. Does TfL have the capacity to hear what we are saying?
3. Are the closure entirely necessary? More and more we are all hearing stories that in fact the whole of the line is being shut when in fact work is only happening on a small stretch and that semi-permanent closure at weekend has become the operational norm. This was part illustrated by the fact that the Jubilee was miraculously opened for the U2 concert last weekend...
4. is there another way of this work being handled, are the councillors and Council fully in the loop, and what is the consequence for all of the other developments - Iverson Road, West End Lane and the constant talk of development and housing...

Last year I brought Lib Dem campaigner and MP, Transport Spokesman, Norman Baker to West Hampstead and we had a very good meeting with the incredibly constructive Peter Field from TfL - picture above right - Norman, myself and Peter). Now we hope to turn to Peter again for some help, answers and movement... watch this space.

Ed

Here's the access we've been waiting for...

Usually I concentrate this blog on historical things that have hung around and survived or on things that happened and can stillbe traced back or seen today. A couple of times I have captured everyday scenes to find them changed the following week or month.

This is a scene (or three) that I passed and thought would be of interest. Already a few weeks later the site has moved on in development so here goes the pictures I got...

It's the construction of the lift and bridge at West Hampstead Thameslink station - this will give access to the station for those with physical disabilities and also direct from Iverson Road.

This should also have the effect of easing the pedestrian access along the incredibly tight bit of pavement along the bridge on West End Lane. It does of course come with the building of the flats along Iverson Road and thereby probably some tree felling... more of that in the local planning process.

But for most people the crucial element is enhancements to West Hampstead Thameslink - considering the crucial nature of the station for the City and Brighton and also to Luton Airport Parkway this should make it easier for those with cases.

I wonder if these enhancements will also see the end of the really trciky issue of the early morning trains saying they are coming in on one platform (on which you can be waiting) t find it comes in on a completely different one and you don't have time to cross the platforms and so miss your train... has happened to me once an several others a lot. Bit of an old carnard a frustrating example of 'it's early so it doesn't matter'.

Come on TfL, you know you want to talk to us...

Is this discreet little building on Finchley Road the answer?

For months, indeed years now, a group of local users of the North London Line (Overground) have been trying to get a Users Group together.

We've made the offer to TfL, to Silverlink historically, now to LOROL and a range of associated officers.

The response is a warm enthusiasm and then silence. Put simply there is no sustained commitment or support for such a venture from those who appears to be responsible for the line.

The result is a culture that is distant and hand-to-mouth. The whole operation works on a 'surprises only' basis.

For example, we have the signs being re-done at all the stations without a conversation on improvements, the benches at Kensal Rise being moved, the clock at West Hampstead being moved, a bike rack at Hampstead Heath in the daftest of locations, a coffee bar in Hampstead Heath, a cash point at Brondesbury - all unannounced and all could have been done better.

None of these need be problematic but the fact is all of them could have been done better, smarter, cheaper, to greater effect, if there had been the most cursory conversation with users.

So the challenges to Tfl, LOROL and the asociated arms of transport agencies are very simple:

1. Decide if you really (really) want a Users Group and if you don't then be honest and say so.
2. Provide a written commitment to working with that Users Group on a no-surprises principle (ie. we won't arrive at the station one morning to find closures, changes and additions that have not ben consulted on or notified in advance).
3. Make a geneuine effort to be far more joined up - it's no longer credible to be consulting on access arrangements for Brondesbury, at the same time as making the installation of a ash point, at the same time as consulting on Phase Three - all of which should be joined up.
4. Provide an up-to-date real contact sheet for the stations from Hampstead Heath to Kensal Rise and the associated staff responsibilities in order to remove the excuse culture of 'sorry not my department/scheme/section'.
5. Include the British Transport Police and the local residents and amenity groups and stop playing one off against the other but committing to public meetings and regular information briefings (that can also be issued at stations).

So there it is a pretty simple five point challenge to TfL, LOROL and the associated agencies. I won't hold my breath... (but hope to be proved wrong)...

Any letters for the railway staff?

I've passed this virtually every day but it was taken me a little while to do so with the camera...

It's the on-station post-box - now sealed up - for staff letters!

Yep, that's right - on West Hampstead (jubilee line) station platform there is a room currently used as the waiting room (pic left below) and in the wall is a brass letter box - nice patination! - for STAFF LETTERS.

I noticed another since which if I recall correctly was on either Finchley Road or Kilburn platforms too.

It just struck me as quite quaint really - I guess it dates from the 30's (possibly 50's) but also might post to a level of knowledge and contact between travellers and staff that we would dream of now...

Supermarkets went through a phase of notice boards saying who was who and for a time it looked like public transport might follow suit. But that fad has now passed and it's hard enough to get the name of the station manager these days - but they will prosecute if you assault them...


Perhaps this little sealed letter box points to a happier age and interaction from which TfL could take a pointer or two?

Lets get on our bikes this coming year

It's simple and it should epitomise London yet somehow the joy of cycling has not been embraced here yet.

This picture is from West End Lane of a bike scheme little rolled out across London. When I was in Spain(Valencia) and France (Paris) it's obvious that cycle schemes are supported and encouraged and they are not just tourist playthings.

The fact is this should be a cultural shift and I hope that this coming year will see Camden moving forward.

There has been a sudden rush of cycle lock up point across the boroughs of Brent and Camden - many of them in slightly illogical locations - but nevertheless welcome. It would be good if this process of making the committment to cycling can now be followed by an overt desire to engage with residents over this.

What could be done?
- public multi bike storage areas at all railway and tube stations (working with TfL and all user groups)
- all residents blocks to be offered bike lock-up points (eve of that means it effectively is located on private property)
- all area committees and public forums con-ordinated by the council to be on a constant hunt for suitable locations for cycle rack and bike lane facilities

There simple steps that would help instill a culture that encourages cycling...

Things can only get better...

As loads of you know the Overground North London Line has been undergoing some changes to the track - improvements to cope with heavier freight as well as wider enhancements to the line.

This has led to the line being closed for weeks now - but the end is in sight.

I wanted to share this picture - which I suspect will be quite a rare one in years to come - it's taken from the foot of South Hill Park / Parliament Hill over the fence by the peace garden in Hampstead and shows the sleeper concrete blocks stacked up ready for the Hampstead/Frognal tunnel.

Now I have been pretty critical of the arrangements for the refurbishment, motivated by a frustration with the old regime and pushed by a desire to see real service improvements for customers. So this is a chance for me to eat a little humble pie: the team at Lorol/Tfl and Overground have been in touch on the forthcoming station improvements.

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/04/13th-train-line-colour-for-london.html

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/07/our-railways-have-great-tradition-its.html

A number of us have wanted to interact with the service providers to make the stations better and now are being offered the chance to do so - I'm told a letter is on the way and I will share that with readers of this blog and others. But I wanted to take this first chance to acknowledge the sometimes unfair harshness of my commentary in this respect and flag up the 'wind of change' that will hopefully replace that, as we see the realisation of millions of pounds of investments in the line and the restoration of the service.

The 13th train line colour for London

When does a bench mean more than just the bench itself...?

Well here at Hampstead Heath Station (now in zone 2 - hurrah!) the benches have been repainted this orange (ish) colour for the new Overground livery colours.

It got me thinking about the other colours of the map and a bit of research (not tricky research you understand) yielded that the London Underground map has twleve colour coded lines and this makes a 13th on the famous TfL map of London:

• Bakerloo Line (Brown)
• Central Line (Red)
• Circle Line (Yellow)
• District Line (Green)
• East London Line* (Orange)
• Hammersmith & City Line (Pink)
• Jubilee Line (Silver)
• Metropolitan Line (Purple)
• Northern Line (Black)
• Piccadilly Line (Dark Blue)
• Victoria Line (Light Blue)
• Waterloo & City Line (Pale Blue)

Harry Beck famously takes the credit for the first meaningful diagramtic map of the transport system in 1933. There are all sorts of little features that might go un-noticed at first glance. For example the Thames is either a straight line or at 45 degrees. There is a direct differentiation between stops and interchanges. The map itself at concept was very controversial and within London Transport management structures quite political and laden with personal relationships.

The reality however is the impressive map we have today and one of the results is that the benches at Hampstead Heath station have been repainted as part of the livery coding that started with Harry Beck working in his spare time to design a better map...

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/communityandeducation/2443.aspx

http://www.design-technology.info/alevelsubsite/page5.htm

http://www.harrybeck.co.uk/

A Users Group for the North London Line?

For too long the North London Line has sat neglected and tatty. It is without a doubt one of the most useful lines of transport in London - for starters it goes across London (east west) rather than the perennial north south, second it stops in places people live in rather than just shopping centres (such as Brondesbury Park) and third it goes to really useful places (connecting at Willesden Junction, down to both Stratford and Kew).

However, for a long time now it has felt low grade - unstaffed at night, poorly lit, subject to a lot of graffiti - a general air of neglect.

The North London Line is now being transformed in reputation as part of Overground - there are staff (albeit a bit security led - there's some need for some customer service training in places) and ticket barriers and with these elements the re-paint jobs.

The effect is to restore some confidence and tackle the back-log of works.

With that end in mind there has been an ongoing conversation with the regional station manager about setting up a users group for the 6 stattions along the bit of the line that runs from Kensal Rise to Hampstead Heath (Kensal Rise, Brondesbury Park, Brondesbury, West Hampstead, Finchley Road & Frognal, Hampstead Heath). If you're intersted and up for this then please do drop me a line ed.fordham@hampsteadandkilburn.org.uk - it's hoped to have a a meeting in the next few weeks to get a group going - it's not rocket science, we don't want to to make it too onerous, but just a chance to be the eyes and ears on the line, making things better, giving suggestions and where useful working with TfL and Overground to push forward enhancements.

Please do get in touch.