On the 8th October 2008, we reported on the work in progress at Dalston Junction together with snatched pictures of the site taken from the top deck of the aforementioned Dalston omnibus. We also included a link to the plans for the new station complex.To be built over the former North London Railway station, the design and build contract for the new station had been awarded in 2006. In May 2010, the station opened as the initial northern terminus of the newly extended London Overground East London Line. More recently, in early 2011, a through route running alongside the North London line opened to Canonbury and Highbury and Islington enabling direct interchange with the Richmond/Clapham Junction to Stratford services.
During the construction period stuff – as they say – happened. In 2008, the electorate spoke and Mayor Johnson replaced Mayor Livingstone. Policy changes followed – the Bendy-bus became omnibus non grata and was destined to be banished from the streets of Dalston.A further change of policy took place when, as part of budget control measures, a decision was taken to curtail the expansion of overall bus mileage in London. One of the consequences of this was that planned but not implemented bus routes, such as those planned to service the new railhead at Dalston Junction, were first put on the back burner and the gas subsequently turned off. In politics, it is always easier to cut stuff that you have not started to do because that which people have never had they least miss. As the Mayor found to his cost, trying to separate commuters from an established service is another matter – hence the row over the South London Line.
Along the way, we reported on the 25th June 2010 that the design goalposts for the station complex were moved by a renewal of the route protection for Crossrail 2, the Chelsea Hackney line resulting in a re-engineering of the slab to ensure that the tower block to be built above the station did not impinge upon what was to be a full gauge rail tunnel to be built underneath as opposed to the original proposal, a tube gauge tunnel. The re-engineering of the slab to Crossrail-proof Dalston Junction had significant cost and project completion implications but the problem was addressed and from my point of view it slipped off the radar.
You can therefore imagine my surprise when I read two reports on the 5th and 6th June 2011 by our ever-readable chum Diamond Geezer on the opening of a new bus route from Bromley by Bow to Dalston Junction. It appears that instead of being a throbbing hub that the new Dalston Junction bus station services just five buses an hour operating one route use the bus station, a situation he describes as a white elephant.
His photographs the current situation can be found here.
The first picture of the new 488 pulling off from its stand is taken from Kingsland Road facing east into the bus station showing the northern exit from the bus station with the station entrance just behind it to the left.The bus is crossing road markings indicating no entry.
The second picture shows a picture taken from inside the bus station facing north towards the rail entrance. The 488 is laid up awaiting its next trip on the left next to clearly marked road markings indicating northbound (anti-clockwise) travel. Note, however, to the right are a set of bus bays which in practice only a foreign franchisee or at least a franchisee driving left hand drive vehicles would be able to use to allow passengers to board and alight.
For a regular United Kingdom bus to use those bays it would be necessary for it to gyrate clockwise through the bus station. You should also note that the barriers helpfully have no access points to these bays anyway. Whether the yellow pathways would comply with disabled access requirements is a moot point.
How has this come about? Well referring to the plans of Dalston Junction as originally submitted, they clearly show two lines of bays either side of the bus station – indeed a number of extended bays were intended to allow bendy-buses to access the station. Now at some point the idea of a bi-directional bus station has been dropped – Is it because of the reduced need for buses to terminate at Dalston Junction as a result of the Mayor’s policy? Is this another slip of the architectural measuring stick – the sort of situation that caused us, when readers of our precursor blog London Connections, so much angst when the northbound platform at the new Shepherd’s Bush West London Line station was built too narrow to meet national safety standards? Maybe the goal posts have moved with regard to street and in particular bus station furniture to comply, say, with disability access needs? Whatever the answer – TfL would indeed appear to be the proud keepers of a pale pachyderm.
Unless that is, TfL can turn the situation to their advantage. Whilst buses allow passengers to exit only on one side, taxis are conveniently fitted with doors on both sides and a taxi rank might be considered as a possibilty. The space might also be used as a park for Boris bikes or a charging area for electric cars. So there are options. Maybe the bus station will yet escape membership of the albino herd.
Our thanks and copyright acknowlegements to Diamond Geezer.
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