Woolwich Station: A Pain in the Arsenal

[@Illvillainy]

"obviously a lot of what went on there was secret, at least until it hit the enemy in the face" is a killer line, 'azzard

[@RichardFraser-y9t]

I'm sure they wont tell.

[@richardwatts2095]

And literally a killer for the enemy too!

[@random22026]

Capital 'E' @@richardwatts2095

[@random22026]

You mean 'live to tell' @@RichardFraser-y9t

[@smokerjim]

It killed my keyboard with the tea I spat over it (note to self: do not drink anything during a jago video until the closing pun at the end).

[@HuberttheLMS8F8375]

“You are the second entrance to my overcrowded station.” Flippin’ Hell Jago. 😂

[@simonwinter8839]

Reminds me of a Harry Enfield joke. "Is the train in Paddington Station?". "Ouch,no that's Colchester " !

[@rogerakhan74]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@jvgreendarmok]

@@simonwinter8839 Both educatitive and informatative.

[@simonwinter8839]

@@jvgreendarmok Not funny ?!!

[@jvgreendarmok]

@@simonwinter8839 The characters in the sketch don't notice the comedy value, they think they're being educational.

[@hocsll]

I was the on-site desgner during the construction of this station, I'm over the moon this has made it into Jago's channel! I think Berkeley homes actually paid for and built the station box and platforms, including the large circular central columns. Crossrail only came in for the interior fit-out (walls, slabs) and the above ground bits. The entire station was designed by hand, old school style, with pencil and paper - the design ran to about 12,000 pages of hand calculations. Regarding the singular entrance - comprehensive passenger modelling was done and it was found to be sufficient, there is a fire escape staircase opening up to the Windsor Square (though it wasn't called that at the time), towards the Tesco's.

[@stephenlee5929]

I'm not entirely sure I'm happy being your 2nd entrance, but thanx.

[@rjjcms1]

How high up is it?

[@RadioJonophone]

Well aimed, you must have rifled through the archives to take this series of shots. Bang on!

[@thomasm1964]

And didn't he just barrel through his script. I was worried for a while that Jago had gone off at half cock but - no - his aim was true. Even more impressively in this over-sensitive age, despite the contentious subject matter, no-one was triggered. Can Jago repeat this tour de force? We shell just have to wait and sight.

[@SynchroScore]

@@thomasm1964 He was certainly on target with this one.

[@edwardburek1717]

@@SynchroScore Certainly wasn't firing blanks.

[@heptanesykes]

Once again a presentation of the highest calibre.

[@TarrelScot]

Wonder if he shoots with a Canon?

[@sddsddean]

My grandmother was a munitionette at Woolwich Arsenal during WW1. She was waiting for the tram at Eltham Church to go to work when Silvertown Arsenal (on the north side of the Thames) went up! She said she never saw anything like it before or since!

[@simonwinter8839]

Your Grandmother was a war heroine. Let us never forget any of them.

[@sddsddean]

@@simonwinter8839 Thanks for that Simon.

[@rjjcms1]

I read about that cataclysmic event in a large hardback book of great disasters that had been brought out,when stopping in the local WH Smith's books department around my 12th birthday. Others included were the R101,the Great London Smog,the Coconut Grove nightclub fire,with a chapter on each and somewhere upwards of a dozen in total. I should have piped up and asked my parents to buy me it.

[@noggin73]

My Grandmother also. My Grandfather was an 'inspector armaments, royal woolwich arsenal' according to my fathers birth certificate. Dad did his apprenticeship in the foundry there. And me? 2 weeks work experience in the packaging department! (which is more interesting than it sounds). Nan & Grandad lived off Middle Park Avenue.

[@sddsddean]

@@noggin73 I used to live at Tarnwood Park, next to the Tarn on Court Rd!

[@PokhrajRoy.]

The title is the signature Jago the Journalist Wit 🔥

[@Michael_Brock]

This by 💯

[@andrewphipps8103]

7:00 A special mention for the arty shot 👏

[@HuntingCatIsBack]

I'm a long time fan of the independent cinematographer Mr. Arty Shot. His work does not get nearly as much appreciation as it deserves. Well done Mr. Hazzard for featuring his footage in your work.

[@57bananaman]

I'm surprised that Jago didn't manage to mention that some trains from Woolwich Arsenal to London Bridge also go to Cannon Street!! 😁

[@paulsengupta971]

Boom!

[@AFCManUk]

That's actually pretty interesting - When you mentioned the platform level pillar Colours of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers, that probably ties in to why Arsenal FC often rotate their Away Kit colours between Yellow and Blue.

[@darthwiizius]

Yup, red and white are one standard and blue and yellow are the other. This year is a flipped away shirt with it being yellow and blue, as someone who owns one I can say it's bloody loud and the pattern leads people who see you to start suffering with motion sickness.

[@AFCManUk]

@@darthwiizius Same. It's so bright, it almost glows in the dark!

[@rjjcms1]

I believe the works team started off under the name Dial Square before becoming known as Woolwich Arsenal.

[@nigelcole1936]

In didn't expect a video on such a new station at Woolwich to be so interesting but it was fascinating, ferry-nough. many thanks... loved the "arty shot" 🙂

[@mattd1393]

Great video. TFL really need to add a second exit to the other end of the station where they're planning to build a tower block. Over time it will save them a lot more money (and stress!)

[@octarinehk]

There’s already an emergency exit there and cross rail works still on the surface. Would really reduce the crowds and give west Thamesmead something approaching a station

[@roseharvey2664]

Lucky, they got that station. A massive bonus for the area. Definitely love the ferry.

[@ninebangtrojan4669]

When it's running of course

[@rominaahmad5188]

It's completely changed travel in this area. Never seen any major issues myself though I understand if it does go down it's bad.

[@CJonestheSteam72]

Woolwich Woolwich Dockyard Woolwich Arsenal North Woolwich My gran lived in Abbey Wood, she preferred the 177 bus rather taking the train. Used the Elizabeth line once, so much better than the old services but the Thameslink service from StP is also excellent tbf

[@RubbishGimpy]

Thames Clipper Woolwich Woolwich Foot Tunnel Woolwich Ferry I don't think Woolwich is accessible enough.😆

[@davidsummer8631]

During the London Olympics in 2012 all shooting events took place at the Royal Arsenal.

[@LondonIrishArmy]

No they didn’t, they took part in the army barracks which is not in the royal arsenal totally separate places

[@infocuslearning]

Woolwich Common not the Royal Arsenal. Nearly a mile away.

[@ianthomson9363]

A triple first for me a week ago: I did the whole Superloop (including the 244 bus which nobody mentions but is a vital link between Woolwich & Thamesmead); I used Woolwich Elizabeth Line station; and I went on the Woolwich ferry, which I agree everyone should try- it's great!

[@frglee]

Memories of taking school trips to see the Docklands by train to North Woolwich back in the late 70s and early 80s. I think the kids enjoyed crossing on the ferry, but they enjoyed running through the tunnel screaming on the way back more. Splendid acoustics.

[@Smart1529]

It's interesting that you mentioned Superloop since SL2 and SL3 are far from each other and we all know why. It's the same reason why Woolwich is a last second decision. Poor river crossing options in East London. The ferry is nice though but only if it works.

[@keyd99]

Thanks!

[@JagoHazzard]

And thank you!

[@markfrancis5164]

The private narrow gauge railway servicing the Woolwich Arsenal was one of the most extensive in the country. It would provide an interesting study of ‘rail transport’ on its own.

[@rachyrach8286]

There is/was supposed to be a second entrance built at the other end of the platform for future use if it ever was to be over capacity

[@calmeilles]

But if Greenwich gives planning permission for Armourers Court, as has been recommended by officers, surface access from the east end of the station will be permanently blocked off.

[@grahamroffey1566]

It would be great to see a video on the Royal Arsenal railway system, standard and narrow gauge.

[@moe_1886]

Great video. Being a Gooner, it was nice to learn a little bit about Woolwich. Thank you 😎

[@paulhaynes8045]

Arsenal - the original MK Dons...

[@monoonyx]

Though I'm not averse to the standard design for the core XR stations, Woolwich is easily my favourite of the new stations, and I do kind of wish we got some variation in station design like Woolwich. Love little flourishes of the regimental colours at platform level.

[@mikehebdentrains]

It's probably worth adding that, in addition to the shared Regimental Colours, both the RA and the RE have the motto "UBIQUE" in lieu of Battle Honours. In each Regiment, this is translated as "Everywhere" - and the meaning for the other Regiment is generally held to be "All Over the Place..."

[@roberthuron9160]

There was an extensive tram car network,in and about Woolwich,that had interesting track layouts,and routings! Jago,the surface lines had quite a history too! Mayhaps,a video on them??? Thank you 😇😊! Happy Easter 🐣 😊!!

[@iamsamarg]

I’ve followed your channel for a number of years now and I love watching your style evolve. This one I really enjoyed you hiring a photographer to accompany your videography. Can’t wait to see what you and Arty Shot produce for upcoming station videos

[@markendicott6874]

Your point about not building a station - an asset thats going to be used pretty much from now to forever - on the cheap is ALWAYS a bad idea (that costs more in future) but at least they got the Station. 11 M journeys is all the proof needed that it was necessary and vitally so for the area. Take note TfL Planners currently swerving Crossrail 2 plans away from Earlsfield/Tooting having stations on the mad premise that they don't need them because of existing stations - all of which have a hard time coping with post-pandemic traffic as is.

[@hairyairey]

And this is why the HS2 station for Euston still needs to be built in full!

[@gsygsy]

Excellent. Thank you. Loved the last line 😂

[@lighthouse620]

Will never forget the Woolwich ferry doing donuts during the pandemic

[@richardeyers322]

and its free and always will be,i think when it was built it was so charter,that send it was going to be free for always.

[@simonwinter8839]

​@richardeyers322 Free until it's completely withdrawn. When you're 67 you can be as cynical as me !! And no I don't vote Tory !!

[@richardeyers322]

@@simonwinter8839 not that far behind

[@simonwinter8839]

@richardeyers322 Which reminds me .l was chatting this rather gorgeous 20 year old the other day and I asked her if she'd like to make an old man happy ? And she bought me a copy of the Daily mail !!

[@peabody1976]

My biggest concern was indeed noted: it does not have direct connections to either the DLR or National Rail stations, which would help with crowding (not capacity, but crowding). If they end up having to retrofit a second exit, I can only hope they pony up the money to maybe do something about the first issue too.

[@derekantill3721]

My farther was in The Royal Artillery based at Woolwich Arsenal during WW2 before going to N E India to fight the Japanese when they were trying to take over the jewel in the crown of the British Empire. A good and somewhat witty video Jago.

[@alexivanov5433]

As we live in Charlton, Woolwich Arsenal and Lizzy line are really helpful when we need to go to Heathrow airport!

[@birdbrain4445]

Hopefully this key, important station in the Elizabeth Line holds up. Great video!

[@johnanthony825]

Thanks for showing three of the buildings I worked in.They were part of the British Library.

[@Txkato]

in a hundred years this will be a tale from the tube for the future's equivalant of jago

[@nomadMik]

I didn't realise that Berkeley in London is pronounced differently from Berkeley in Wollongong and Berkeley in the San Francisco Bay Area. I learn more than just about British transport from this channel. 🙂

[@tardismole]

This is a gems episode. So many great lines. Most excellent, sir. Most excellent.

[@dodgydruid]

My own family have a lot of links to Woolwich, Shooters Hill and Greenwich, my great grandfather Cecil Watson after being invalidated as an officer off a Dreadnought battleship took up station at Greenwich West nick and left the police service with zero arrests on his record but also incredibly low crime rate on his "patch" as he invariably sorted out the domestics, kept the local kids under control and it was quite a calm zone he patrolled daily starting from his nick, wandering down to the Prince of Orange pub where he would have his pre-lunch "livener" or two, then up to Point Hill to get his lunch from his missus and a scolding for smelling of the devils brew then he would wander over Blackheath down into the village mumping free beers and teas along the way, then down to the Royal Standard pub for a ready check to ensure no one had stolen that pub... Onwards he would wander down to Shooters Hill then aim towards Woolwich ensuring no public house larceny of had occurred, then parallel to the Thames towards Charlton by this time quite wobbly to sign off about 6 in the evening to go home and dinner and another telling off about the devils brew etc etc. Can you imagine that sort of policing today? His legacy does live on as NO pubs or cafes have been stolen in the following years so he did something right heheheh :P I don't go back to south London because its changed so horribly to my mind, remembering the days of jumping on the 124 bus at Grove Park to wander down to Woolwich indoor market to buy my Dr Martens and flight jackets, going there with me mum for Xmas shopping or later me being a long range sniper at Woolwich barracks, was a nice place now all glass and stuck up their own bums pretty much :( My father worked the Woolwich signal boxes in the sixties when he was relief at Charlton/Charlton Lane Crossing.

[@ninebangtrojan4669]

Most of the nicks he'd have known are closed now. Eltham, Shooters hill, Woolwich, Westcombe hill, Royal hill all sold off for housing Plumsted & an operational base are all that's left until you hit the big one in Lewisham

[@jakeandrews-iz4wf]

Your video is the chocolate egg to my boring Easter Sunday 🐣

[@michellebell5092]

Yes, definitely will need a second exit in due course. When I visited WA on the opening day of the linenAbbey Wood to Paddington, on exiting into the lovely grassy square, a jazz band were playing Take The A Train. Perfect , ( although the Elizabeth Line doesn’t extend to Harlem via Sugar Hill, yet !)

[@lawrencegt2229]

Nice to see a piece of creative camera work by reknowned locomotive photographer Arty Shot.

[@ClaudiaOfTheWorld]

fascinating! can tfl really have imagined a London council had any money to give?! i’d love to know more about that part

[@roderickmain9697]

Woolwich had an enormous arsenal.Quite a cheeky statement and I wouldnt want to be behind that... at the bottom of the piles. you might say. Yes, I might actually say they've shot themselves in the foot - although they wouldnt have wanted it to be a flash in the pan. You do wonder if they had underwear made from ovine products that that might have been where they got their Wool itch. (bummer) Nice work Jago.

[@gregessex1851]

07:00 I am one of those passengers. When visiting London from Australia, I had a day to kill before heading back to LHR for a 30hr torture flight home. Woolwich was just somewhere to catch the Elizabeth Line to. It was a great destination that I would never at visited otherwise. I even got to witness a lunchtime brawl at the Dial Arch and see some of London’s mop it up.

[@esjay2011]

Thanks

[@JagoHazzard]

And thank you!

[@GeorgeChoy]

Wonderful history lesson, please do Reading station

[@TheEulerID]

Well worthwhile. It feels like a different planet, let alone station compared to the old one. It is an epic transformation, but I think it cost something like £600m, so I guess that it ought to have been. nb. I believe Reading holds the record for the greatest number of times that an application for city status has been turned down.

[@TheOracle65]

Agreed, Reading has a long and interesting history and it’s recent development as the terminus for the Elizabeth line makes it an distant outlier for London commuting.

[@TheEulerID]

@@TheOracle65 It's long been a commuter town for London. There are a lot of direct Intercity trains from Reading to Paddington, the fastest of which, operated by GWR, takes just 23 minutes, whilst the Elizabeth line trains take around 54 minutes. Thus it was generally faster from Reading to London than significantly closer towns like Maidenhead. Of course the Elizabeth line gets you into the centre of London or Docklands, but even then it's usually quicker to change at Paddington than take the Elizabeth line the whole way.

[@TheHoveHeretic]

The erstwhile Reading General? There were two others, one closed, leaving today's three active stations including 'Reading' in their names, which doesn't count Earley, or Tilehust which still claim to be not-suburbs of the not-a-city, or Calcot which also denies it's position and doesn't even warrant a station, but DOES count Reading Green Park, opened last year on the Basingstoke line This major rail junction is one of few places where the discering gricer can nerd out on four regular flavours of traction (25kvac OHLE, 750vdc 3rd rail, diesel-electric and diesel hydraulic), with the odd fleeting visit from steam

[@TheOracle65]

@@TheEulerID Yes totally agree with what you said and have experienced journeys to/from/through Reading regularly from the West Country where I live now. I was born and raised in Reading and my dad worked there for BR. My comment on the Elizebeth Line was that it extended a traditionally London-centric commuter network to Reading, but yes it is quicker by GWR into Paddington for sure!

[@beachman8106]

Nice video. My late father was a dyed in the wool Arsenal supporter. 👍👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️ from 🇦🇺

[@harrymcandrew1447]

love how you per video come out with wacky endings such as ''you are the 2nd entrance to me overcrowded station''

[@leylandlynxvlog]

Excellent video as usual. I must say TfL did something right, building one central platform. I hate when you have to climb stairs and cross bridges to change directions, as it can often mean missing a train (of course sometimes it's necessary but when it's only 2 lines - one for each direction, I think a central or island platform is best).

[@barvdw]

For stations with lots of connections, sure, but those platforms can get crowded, and at least one side doesn't end in a precipitous fall onto the tracks.

[@morrion00]

Very interesting (as always). Thanks Jago.

[@markwalker5723]

Some great walking to be had around the area!

[@MrGreatplum]

Another excellent video - I have not yet ventured to Woolwich; I will have to one day.

[@corleth2868]

They should really change the name of the stations as Woolwich Station is more Woolwich Arsenal than the Woolwich Arsenal station... and the Woolwich Arsenal station is in the middle of Woolwich.

[@homeonegreen9]

It is a tradition of the English language to have descriptive location names backwards.

[@simonwinter8839]

Don't get me started on Clapham Junction !!

[@Smart1529]

Willesden Junction is worse. That's Harlesden

[@johncbayliss]

Can someone explain why they didn't opt for the Bond Street approach and just build the Elizabeth Line station directly underneath the Woolwich Arsenal DLR platform?

[@a1white]

I live in Charlton and more often than not get the bus to Woolwich to get the Elizabeth line (or bus to North Greenwich to get Jubilee line) rather than get the more expensive, slower and slightly dilapidated option of Sourheastern trains. The fact that they are all slow stopping trains that only go to London Bridge (as appose to Charing Cross) is also a factor. If TfL were allowed to take over the Southeastern metro services and have them as part of the Overground network, with the service improvements this would see, I’m sure more people would be willing to use that and this would take some of the pressure off the Elizabeth line.

[@paulhaynes8045]

Excellent point.

[@JayJay-nc7pr]

TfL won’t restore Charing Cross services though if they took over which is annoying

[@a1white]

@@JayJay-nc7pr you’re right probably not. I know people say, just change at London Bridge, but it adds up to 10 mins to the journey by the time you’ve got of the train gone up and down the escalators, walked through the station and waited for next train. At least if it was overground the service would be cheaper and the stations manned.

[@ccityplanner1217]

Woolwich station has a ventilation shaft & emergency exit at the back that could be converted into an interchange to buses to Thamesmead.

[@caroleligat5565]

I have often used the routes through Woolwich since I live in East Anglia, while my brother lives in Thamesmead. Often by car. Anathema to GLC. Last was via Thameslink to Blackfriars thence to Woolwich and Abbey Wood

[@EdgyNumber1]

3:42 Hong Kong MTR did this a default. In fact, the MTR owns the land and air rights within the immediate area and uses its stations as a driver of growth. Something TfL and all other transport executives need to be doing.

[@dodgydruid]

Back in 95, for Thamesmead the housing association I fired a blank charge from one of the many many cannons they dug up over the years with many in pristine condition so being someone who was able to fire cannon they arranged for a small charge and I using some of the powder set up a quill and sadly it made quite a damp bang rather than what everyone expected but not allowed to put in a tamper or ball meant it was more a fizz than anything.

[@paulhaynes8045]

These old canons that get dug up in places like this are only there because they were dumped when something went wrong in the casting - thus making them unusable or unsafe to use. So I certainly wouldn't want to put anything in them that might go bang!

[@simonwinter8839]

​@@paulhaynes8045More of a damp squib,eh ? !!😊😊😊

[@isashax]

Thanks for the video, Jago! This is an area that I need to explore.

[@adiggle5022]

So it's a big improvement that could have done with being even bigger. I certainly appreciated it when I stayed with friends in Woolwich on a visit from Australia, but I guess I wasn't fighting rush hour crowds.

[@OtakuXP2]

@4:29 the architects that designed the station are called Weston Williamson + partners (not Western) - it's the names of the 2 gentlemen that set the company up

[@RubbishGimpy]

He said Weston

[@OtakuXP2]

Not in the transcript

[@vincenthuying98]

Dear Jago, it’s like you so very well proverbially put; the Woolwich municipality shot themselves in the foot. Or, as for military comparison, provided a too narrow cannon for the available ammunition. The single entrance and exit the Woolwich bottleneck. Cheerio

[@slowerthinker]

Every should ride the ferry at least once so they can realise just how incredible it is that even in the *21st century* in the _capital_ of the United Kingdom people still have to rely on a muthaflippin boat to get across the river between north and south London. "Cosmic", as Rodney Trotter would say.

[@petermarksteiner7754]

Don't keep us in suspense, Jago! So where was the Woolwich system of rifling invented? I like the introduction: "I prefer stations with a lot of history" - and then follows a long - and fascinating - history of the Royal Arsenal. Whatever its shortcomings may be, I think Woolwich is a good-looking station.

[@simonwinter8839]

It was Japan.

[@lb9147]

Im surprised by the 1964 date quoted, - the arsenal was a logistics hub into and beyond the falklands war too!

[@danielboulton98]

My local station

[@richardsingh5827]

Interesting video, I might try the ferry one day.

[@robinjones6999]

My friends father was a paint technologist at the Arsenal - interesting job

[@norbitonflyer5625]

My grandfather was seconded from the Royal Engineers to the Woolwich Arsenal in 1917, and stayed there until he retired in 1961. And there is a railway connection - before he joined up in 1914, he worked for the North Staffordshire Railway.

[@highpath4776]

any colour as long as bronze green ?

[@robinjones6999]

@@highpath4776 I seem to remember (and it was a LONG time ago) he was testing paint for tanks at the time -jeez this was over 50 years ago!!

[@p1mason]

Another banger of a video!

[@jadeboswell-rz2ly]

You are my Lee and Enfield to my kybher pass. That they wanderlust

[@rudigerbruss1163]

I use the station a lot when traveling to and from City Airport - our offices are at Liverpool Street and that means changing at either Woolwich or Stratford because some genius didn’t put an Elizabeth Line stop at LCY. So far, overcrowding has not been an issue and while I would like a direct connection to the DLR, the walk is not that bad.

[@zeddeka]

All kinds of other routes you may find quicker: 1/ Either walk or get central line from Liverpool street to bank and get DLR straight to London city airport 2/ Get Elizabeth line to custom house and then the 474 bus to London city airport (8 minutes bus ride) 3 / Hammersmith & City line from Liverpool street to West Ham, then get DLR straight to London City Airport

[@rudigerbruss1163]

@@zeddeka 1) Usually not keen on the walk to Bank, esp. with a suitcase; and the distances in the station are also considerable. 2) Not keen on the bus, either. But I will give it a go. 3) Sounds interesting; will try that next time. It is just infuriating that you can see the airport from the Elizabeth line and they never bothered to consider a station there.

[@simonwinter8839]

Any idea as to why a station wasn't built at the airport ?

[@RichardFelstead1949]

Love the title. Greetings from Australia.

[@simonwinter8839]

G'day,oh come on I'm trying !!

[@andrewberry6194]

Arty shot! Love it.

[@peteregan3862]

As you will understand from my comment on the stations considered for the HS2 terminal, railway networks should have grid structure to serve everybody, and be a part of a suite of modes providing access (connection) to work, goods and services. London city airport will transition to be the hub for electric aviation in London. For aviation connections in London, the Elizabeth Line needs a station at London City Airport - it is just 200 metres from the terminal building which is far better than the Gatwick station and terminal buildings. There should be a tunnel from the LCA terminal to the Elizabeth Line. Could build two side platforms, or be more interventionist and build an island platform to use less land. While a little bit of land would be needed from the Tate and Lyle sugar factory, the new station would be a good base for a town CBD as there is nothing much nearby. The nearest Elizabeth Line station is 2km away. So a good place for a station on several levels.

[@1258-Eckhart]

Danke! Und Frohe Ostern! I think we all know why Greenwich Council is pecuniarily embarrassed, for no reason of its own, but there we are, maybe change is afoot. Your title is genius.

[@JagoHazzard]

And thank you!

[@Andrewjg_89]

Woolwich Elizabeth Line station and Woolwich Arsenal station are quite close to each other and serve Woolwich Town Centre. Maybe Woolwich on the Elizabeth Line should have been called Woolwich Central.

[@joshuaW5621]

Happy Easter Jago.

[@PlanetoftheDeaf]

It was ridiculous that Woolwich wasn't in the plans for Crossrail from the start, and that it needed developers and a broke council to cough up to get a relatively basic structure added. Too late to change, but the 2 main stations in Woolwich have misleading names. Woolwich on the Elizabeth line is the one serving the Arsenal area so ideally would be "Woolwich Arsenal", whereas the existing station should be "Woolwich Central" as it serves the town centre!

[@paulusthegrey]

Totally on target!

[@HuggyBob62]

You did pretty well, considering you didn't think there was much to say about this new station!

[@andrewlong6438]

My late Grandfather worked at Woolwich Arsenal as a Chemist from about 1917 to his retirement. There used to be a museum on-site but I believe it’s now closed unless someone knows different.

[@norbitonflyer5625]

So did mine, although not as a chemist (he had a degree in engineering). seconmded from the Royal Engineers in 1917, worked at the Arsenal until he retired in 1961. My grandmother also worked there - that's how they met in 1922.

[@CplBurdenR]

"Arty shot" whilst pointed at the column with the Royal Artillery colours on it. I see what you did there :P

[@johnledingham852]

A pain in the Arsenal indeed, dear Jago. As haemorroids are a pain in the neck!

[@pn112upfast]

Excellent 👍

[@GeorgeChoy]

Good evening from mainland China

[@simonwinter8839]

It would be impolite not to say good evening to you in return to you.

[@petitkruger2175]

on Google maps there’s a separate ventilation building on the other side of the platforms. They could add an build a 2nd entrance there?

[@thegreatdel]

There is going to be a couple of Residential towers built over that Eastern end of the station box, and there are local calls for that construction to include building a second entrance to help ease the pressure.

[@simonwinter8839]

​@@thegreatdelI'm impressed by how clued up you are.Well done.

[@iankemp1131]

I wondered initially if this was going to be about the lack of connectivity with Woolwich Arsenal/DLR. A lot of recent stations (and airports) seem to involve long walks, designers assume everyone is young. fit and no luggage! Canary Wharf is probably the worst (all 3 stations!) but Kings Cross and Tottenham Hale involve longer walks than before. I guess though that Woolwich doesn't really need to be an interchange as there are alternatives on all routes. Interesting how quickly it has been successful .

[@princecharon]

Depending on where exactly the trains are relative to the main entrance and existing buildings, it ought to be possible to tunnel out a bit, and add a second entrance/exit below the street, with just the stairs and some safety-rail & signage aboveground. The biggest barrier to that is likely to be cost.

[@simonwinter8839]

It's okay, Greenwich Council will cough up - NOT !!😅😅

[@MichaelfromtheGraves]

Newer stations may have less material to cover but I love hearing about them. There's so much hype leading up to a project's opening but we rarely hear about the successes and failures of the project. The excitement just dies off and we start looking forward to the next thing without being happy with what we just got.

[@TheHoveHeretic]

Amazing that anyone actively considered residential Abbey Wood more important a station site than the busy market town of Woolwich. Did the Crossrail promoters not consider putting down their crayons and going out to actually look at the area they proppsed serving? Planning needs to be more than a frustratingly amusing oxymoron.

[@Gfynbcyiokbg8710]

Abbey Wood is almost as busy as Woolwich. It actually might be even more busy than Woolwich

[@TheHoveHeretic]

​@@Gfynbcyiokbg8710That'd certainly be a seriously big change over the years since I left SE18. even now though, Woolwich seems a far more significant transport hub and shopping area. Of interest, where would you put 'the centre' of Abbey Wood? Years back, it was the shopping area twixt level crossing and bus (ex-tram) depot ..... both now long gone.

[@simonwinter8839]

I'm afraid their crayon may have been stuck up the second entrance !!😊😊😊😊

[@steady_94]

Actually took a ride on the Woolwich ferry for the first time on Tuesday

[@simonwinter8839]

Great,isn't it !

[@steady_94]

@@simonwinter8839 Especially since its free!

[@simonwinter8839]

@@steady_94 Yes ,not much for nothing in London. Except for my medical prescriptions and travel coz I'm old !!

[@steady_94]

@@simonwinter8839 I think its like that most places now 😄 But any reason to be out is a good one to me 😁

[@simonbennett9687]

Strictly, it was a late 're-addition'. The first versions of Crossrail we took to consultation in 2001 included a station, but when the SRA leadership changed the requirements of the project were tweaked to allow the option for freight through the Thames Tunnel which would have precluded a station. Given that the DLR extension to Woolwich was about to open it was decided not to include it in the scheme which went into the Crossrail Bill. The Royal Borough of Greenwich petitioned to put it back and the Commons Committee agreed.

[@simonbennett9687]

I should also have mentioned that the reason why there isn’t a below ground connection to the other Woolwich stations, or indeed the south side of Plumstead Road, is that the Southern Outfall Sewer is in the way. We originally thought of having an entrance on the site of Woolwich market with a pedestrian subway, but it would have to go very deep to get under the sewer. The vertical alignment of Crossrail was raised when the station was deleted and the cost of putting it back down would have added much more to the deal that was done with RBG and Berkeley and wouldn’t have made it viable.

[@Jimyjames73]

Nice modern Station 🙂🚂🚂🚂

[@NapoleonRook]

Nick Raynsford, the ex MP and Minister, played such an important role in getting the Abbey Wood branch and stations delivered. He was great at getting the politics of this project to work. Would have been shocking waste of the Crossrail opportunity otherwise. Jago - I once took a All Party Group of MPs on a tour of the agreed Crossrail central London stations in 2010! E.g. we took a private coach and drove through London traffic for each station, the tour took forever, which was probably helpful to the case! 😂

[@simonwinter8839]

Indeed ! Fascinating post.

[@kierandansey7293]

OBE for J-Haz!

[@alanwilton6806]

I live in Greenwich, and public transport in my area is not that good sometimes. The Greenwich Line runs 4 trains an hour, 2 at 10 minute intervals, then a 20 minute gap. When there’s a cancellation, which happens too often, that becomes a 30 minute gap.

[@joschamayer6066]

Having lived in the Royal Arsenal for half a year I always found it to be a fantastic station and I never noticed any unusual sort of overcrowding. The lack of direct interchange with the DLR station is the only annoyance but if you're being realistic it is hardly a longer walk then between the Northern and Elizabeth line platforms at Liverpool Street😅

[@norbitonflyer5625]

If you are in Woolwich, why do you need an interchange? If you want the DLR, you go to the DLR stationb, if you want the Elizabeth Line, you go to the Elizabeth Line station you. And if you are coming from further afield you can change at Custom House.

[@joschamayer6066]

@@norbitonflyer5625 If you live on the Woolwich Arsenal Branch of the DLR between Woolwich and Canning Town you can come from central with the Elizabeth line and take the DLR back a couple of stops. You can't change at Custom House because it's on the Beckton branch.

[@Ro99]

One thing I wish was that daylight reached platforms at at least one station because that would give it an open feel but anyway

[@liquidatedrice5274]

The next stop Custom House and previous Abbey Wood are above ground on the Elizabeth line.

[@Ro99]

@@liquidatedrice5274 I know but I feel an underground station with a little daylight trickling through would be really nice

[@TheHorrorDevotee]

The real question is, when are they gonna finish the works on the square outside of the DLR station?

[@PokhrajRoy.]

It’s all about location, location, location

[@mfr58]

My mother and auntie were lab assistants to the scientists in the Arsenal. Let's just say that health and safety were rather novel ideas back in the day...some of the stories I heard would make your hair stand on end (which it literally did for those involved!).