London Bridge Status Late August 2016

The London Bridge project took a huge leap forward over the August Bank Holiday weekend (27th-29th), with new platforms 7 - 9 opening for Charing Cross trains to call at (for the first time since January 2015) and the closure of the last of the old platforms, platforms 1 - 3. In addition two thirds of the completely new under station concourse opened on Bank Holiday Monday. The general opinion is that it is quite impressive. There were no trains into Cannon Street until Friday 2nd September. The Cannon Street lines have been slewed over, and upon re-opening control of the signalling passed to Three Bridges ROC.

Colin Price visited on Monday 29th August to inspect and photograph the changes.

(above) The new street level concourse from the St. Thomas Street entrance looking north. The coloured hoarding in the far distance is under platform 7. The wooden slat structures in places in the ceiling are cladding over the new concrete bridge spans that take the track.

(left) Looking from the new street level concourse up towards platform 7. If there is a late platform change from platform 7 to 8, it is a long way down and back up again!

(above) One of the very substantial concrete columns supporting the bridge spans.

(below) Now up to platform level. 66164 is on an engineers' train on what will become the Up Cannon Street line from Friday 2nd September. The 376 and 465 in the distance are on the Down and Up Charing Cross lines which currently slew over outside London Bridge station while the Bermondsey dive under construction continues further down.

(above) An On Track Machine (OTM) on what will eventually, in the final status, become platform 5, the northbound Thameslink line. However, for the foreseeable future it will actually be the Down Cannon Street line.

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