New Bank Station Entrance Opens

The final part of the Bank Capacity Upgrade works is complete, with the new accessible entrance on Cannon Street opening up. We went for a look around on the morning of its opening ...
CORRECTION: There are of course moving walkways at Waterloo as well - so that’s three sets, in total!
Read more on Ian Visits : www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/...
And Diamond Geezer : diamondgeezer.blogspot.com/20...
Music : Joakim Karud - Windmill

[@mjbesant]

'Oh, sorry' for merely being at a door is the most British moment ever.

[@ValleyBoySE7]

Everybody else: Gets to the bottom of an escalator, carries on walking. Geoff Marshall: Gets to the bottom of an escalator, goes back up again. Never change, Geoff.

I was surprised he didn't get down again to use the 3rd one

[@prime1971]

Coming soon, "All the Escalators"

[@grassytramtracks]

I like escalators, and sometimes if I have a while to wait for a flight or something I just go up and down.

[@reececollison5101]

With how close Monument and that new Bank entrance are, it’ll probably be quicker to walk between those entrances at street level than through all bank’s corridors😆

[@blindwheels]

so chuffed to see that its now a step-free entrance! as a power wheelchair user, this is absolutely exciting to me.

[@Ibis117]

As a crutch user some years back, Bank has been a step free station since the DLR arrived (but, I think, ONLY to the DLR), but by crikey it was convoluted (and quite well hidden).

[@rjcurl]

Excellent!

[@Farleigh1050]

The thing is though, I’m no wheelchair user so I can’t comfirm this, but one step-free entrance isn’t much. It must still be annoying to go all the way around to one entrance just for step-free access whole others just go through other closer entrances.

[@blindwheels]

@@Ibis117 yes & God forbid if you were also legally blind!

[@blindwheels]

@@Farleigh1050 hell yeah. I HATE the attitude that ppl with physical disabilities need to be reminded daily that we aren't equal importance to abled.

[@peteristvanfi5454]

This video gave me an idea for a new challenge: what is the farthest distance you can walk underground (trough underpasses, walkways, platforms, etc,) without going up to street level?

[@gormster]

Without going through the same corridor twice, presumably. Or do you mean the furthest distance as the crow flies between the two entrances?

[@Farleigh1050]

It could be from the exit closest to W&C to this new entrance, or maybe even Liv St to Moorgate

[@johnserocold1797]

Re: travelators: four at Bank (two to the Drain and two new) and at least two at Waterloo (connecting the Jubilee line to the rest of the Underground station. Keep up the good work and stay away from pub quiz questions. Would love to see a 3D drawing of the whole thing; I bet the programme manager you interviewed could lay his hands on some cool assets that deserve a wider audience.

[@lewisaviation7552]

Was at Heathrow yesterday, and there are a couple which connect the Heathrow Central stations.. Not sure if they count though

[@FJF987]

I came here to comment on the Waterloo ones!

[@AndrewLumsden]

Could do with them at Green Park.

[@matthewsmatters]

Was also going to comment Waterloo!! Glad not to be alone in this 😁 Now Geoff needs to film himself lying down in surrender to and travelling along these (forgotten) Waterloo travelators I say 😂

[@SamSitar]

they need more walking moveways.

[@alexdavis5766]

Love that Bank is now accessible for wheelchair users and step free on the northern line. With monument and Cannon Street not being accessible, it opens up that area of London. Slowly making London more and more accessible for those of us on wheels.

[@GamingMasher]

There's also travelators at Waterloo! You may remember that an engineer sadly died while doing maintenance on one of them a few years ago 😥

[@Farleigh1050]

Died? Thats so sad 😢

[@Dean256]

I remember the first time I went to head office in London of the company I work for and someone said to me don’t worry the office is near bank station, what they didn’t say is bank has lots of exits and if you get the wrong one it’s a long walk. I spent 20 mins walking around the station trying to find the correct way out. Great Video.

[@TomNook.]

haha I did the same for a job interview. Luckily I was 30 minutes early!

[@katarinajanoskova]

Ohhh nooo, I always tell any visitors to avoid Bank at all costs (and changing at Earl's Court) 😁

[@Dean256]

@@katarinajanoskova I wish I was given that advise. I genially use Aldgate now at least I understand it. Maybe a little further but at least it’s simple. I live on the east coast so going to London is on a have to bases lol.

[@jeff__w]

Too bad it’s not like Hong Kong’s MTR where each individual exit has its own designation (e.g., Tsuen Wan station has A, A₁, A₂, A₃, A₄, B, B₁, B₂, B₃, C, D and E). That makes it _very_ easy to know exactly _which_ exit to go to.

[@PrograError]

@@jeff__w I think all transport agencies should really number the exits... tho right now Singapore's a mess with the exits numbered with numbers (New and TEL interchanges) and alphabets (old) but they are resignaging slowly for all stations...

[@brendankeyport5332]

The actual savings on a given escalator will depend on how often the unit is idle, estimates state installing variable-speed drives on all the region’s escalators could reduce total electricity use by about 28 percent. There's also likely motor torque matching hardware (adjusting the motor torque depending on how much weight is on it) in use, which would take another 25 to 35 percent energy use off. Pretty cool tech.

[@HarryLovesRuth]

Wouldn't it also gain a good bit of savings on general wear and tear on the mechanisms? The slower it goes, the longer it would take for bearings and what not to wear out.

[@chrish7590]

Question, are those savings lost when it starts to speed up again, getting all that weight back to full speed must use quite a bit of energy too.. Wonders - with no people on it, with it still running at full speed and the weight of the falling back down bit - would it equal out and be balanced and so minimal energy used anyway to keep it turning?

[@bogdanconstantin5911]

@@chrish7590 Accelerating for 2-3 seconds should definitely be less work than going full speed all the time.

[@davidaarthur]

In Scandinavia, some escalators stop completely when not at use, though presumably that would be excessive at a tube station.

[@LunaDragofelis]

@@davidaarthur In Munich, Germany, many of the more peripheral metro stations have bi-directional escalators that are stopped when idle, go up when someone gets on at the bottom and go down when someone gets on at the top. So there's only one escalator for both ways.

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Geoff doing his thing feeling like a “rebel” is why we love this content 👏👏👍😀

[@avinashbhunjun5429]

Defo, screw talking to the seniors, he goes and explores the station, looking for shortcuts via lifts, which is what we want to see!!

[@maestro_oz]

Hugh Pham so good to hear an Aussie accent!

[@clangerbasher]

There is a theory that one day we will all have access to Bank even out here in the provinces.

[@LUtrainwizard]

4:03 4:11 5:06 The legendary Marshall Lift Button Triple Tap™ is back!

[@Inno94709]

Thanks!

[@peter5486]

Always good fun hopping over a beam on an eco escalator. Did this all the time in an old workplace to make sure it took forever for me to get anywhere 😁

[@extrastuff9463]

Would be even more fun to have figured out what wavelength is being emitted and have a remotely switched light source aimed at the sensor so you can prevent it from going on normal speed. Could be great fun to mess with some people always slowing it down for certain individuals.

[@lzh4950]

My country instead programs its new train station escalators to run slower at off-peak hours after the elderly feedbacked that they were more scared/found it more difficult to step on & off faster escalators. Previously the gov't would've told the elderly to use the lifts instead (all our stations have them)

[@rachelwalker7091]

I almost expected Geoff to discover a secret Bond villain’s lair down there. Great video

[@andy8017]

As well as eco, the slower moving escalators might save on maintenance. Slower moving parts might not wear down as quickly as faster moving.

[@LAGoodz]

Wow I used Bank in the 90s and 00s every working day, it’s literally unrecognisable now. Gonna pay a visit! Thanks for the review, as always! Miss working in The City.

[@lizardlordlordoflizards5096]

Thanks, Geoff. Your vids really highlight the amount of - often underappreciated -work that is being done to keep London functioning for the 21st C. These 'small' projects often go kind of unnoticed, what with the Liz Line and so on grabbing the headlines, but they make a huge difference to the travel experience in the capital.Keep em coming:)

[@cujoyyc4453]

FTR on my first (and still only) visit to Munich in 1975, the escalators in the S-Bahn and U-Bahn stations stopped when not in use and restarted when pedestrians stepped on the mat (like old style automatic doors at old grocery stores). I thought it was brilliant and a great way to save energy. No doubt they've since replaced the mats with optical triggers as you pointed out. Slowing down rather than restarting from an off state is probably easier on the equipment and motors and may even save more energy than constantly starting and stopping.

[@johnplampin7274]

And some single escalators go up if you step on the bottom mat or if you are at the top they take you down saves having to have two escalators. But if course only in lightly used places

[@LunaDragofelis]

At least in 2021, there were still mechanical mats in use at Georg-Brauchle-Ring station.

[@ondrejkratochvil4589]

Two speed escalators are pretty common here - either there's a beam, or, more often, there is a pressure pad, slightly longer that one normal step - so you have to jump if you want to have slow ride :)

[@UnmayoGaming]

Wow! Finally after ages it opens 🤣Thanks geoff for awesome videos as usual 😃. Funny when you're at the Northern Line platforms you can hear the ugly tunnel noises so loudly down the platform!

[@hreader]

All very splendid and reminiscent of the Elizabeth Line! One of my minor fantasies of a sci-fi type is that traversing a wormhole would be rather like walking through one of these interconnecting passages - complete with ads for a remake of Stanley Kubrick's '2001' perhaps (which I think must involve wormhole travel right at the very end - the bit I always call 'the ultimate trip in all senses of that word'!). Just imagine being able to walk to the possibly habitable planet circling Proxima Centauri, or even to a planet circling a star in the Andromeda Galaxy!

[@Veni_Vidi_Vortice]

Variable speed escalators would be a lot of fun, especially at rush hour.

[@lzh4950]

Would be cool if the escalators ran faster but could be slowed down momentarily by pressing a button at their entrance & exit, if say you're less mobile & more worried about tripping when getting on/off the escalator

[@YoRocky_YT]

Hey Geoff I love your videos ever since secrets of the underground when I was young I couldn’t stop watching none stop Untill now I still watch you your my childhood nice video and Finally the Bank Station is finally open

[@LisaSargent03]

I still miss that Mcdonald's outlet. Considering my dog used to wait there for me to get my food and we put him to sleep at the beginning of the month.

[@joermnyc]

Slow mode could also save on wear and tear, meaning less need for maintenance works. In New York, Queens Plaza used to have 2 travelators between the E line side of the station and the G and 7 lines, but they were in a row with a break in the middle for a station exit. Someone would have to stop them and reverse them at certain points of the day to accommodate peak travel direction. Eventually something expensive failed and they removed both to save money.

[@KINNOHA]

Worked on King William Street 2020-2022, construction on this was taking place the whole time, glad to see it's finally open!

[@CloudmasterGaming]

I've been hearing this so much and FINALLY! It has opened

[@philipbrailey]

Great video. I really enjoyed the journey. Always educational.

[@damian-transport-enthusiast]

Amazing video, as always! 😃

[@aphexHQ]

Geoff, we've been waiting for your visit - and you did not disappoint!

[@deez_nu1s]

That is indeed brilliant, Geoff

[@MrGreatplum]

Great stuff, Geoff. I saw the entrance nearly completed just before Christmas and it’s great to see it open - and step free too!

[@PokhrajRoy.]

1:37 It’s just a moment but it’s so profound. It’s a commentary in itself.

[@MikolajCzyta]

That was a very nice video Geoff. I cannot wait to see the new entrance☺️

[@lawrencespinelli7850]

Another great video that made me feel like I was there! Thanks Geoff!

[@roberthatcher2773]

As always, great stuff Geoff!

[@jayfielding1333]

It's a very elegant and sophisticated design.

[@travellingjourneys7840]

Living out in the sticks as I do, your videos along with Joolz Guides make my visits to London so much more interesting and I take a proper look round at everything now. Loving your enthusiasm. Thanks

[@PetertheRock.]

A superb video, Geoff! This new entrance is almost a tourist attractions now, thanks to you!

[@TheKlink]

often wondered if it would make sense to just replicate the existing network one level down and let people walk/cycle along those

[@kenbakie4590]

Great vlog Geoff. I can remember stopping off at the site of the entrance when it was a McDonalds and picking up a Mcmuffin in the morning on my way from Cannon Street Station to my office at Tower Hill. I didn't see any signs, but does anyone know if Ronald McDonald has any plans for a return to the site within the station? I am now retired, but it could be useful information for others.

[@joffdorling3562]

Great video as always mate I really enjoyed watching this one yes it must save energy on the esulater😊👍👍💜💜

[@HuggyBob62]

Nice that TfL are catching up with the Brussels Metro, when it comes to variable speed escalators. I think it was at Merode station where I found an escalator that would burst into life as I approached it.

[@SiVlog1989]

I wonder if they'll put a connector blob between Cannon Street and Bank for an OSI, given the short distance between the new entrance to Bank on Cannon Street itself and the Circle and District line station at Cannon Street

[@stevewalsh1987]

Thanks to this video Geoff I was able to help guide and elderly couple to the DLR with ease today. Thank you.

[@LtKernelPanic]

Looks amazing. I was there in 2019 right when some of the work was starting and it was a mess. Can't wait to see the finished product in a couple months hen I'm back in London again.

[@michelemcgarvey7517]

What a fun video! With stations close together it’s easier to get in during bad weather.

[@eimantas314-rblx]

Been agesss! Finally!!

[@bbgorb]

great video and info, love ur camera angle~

[@cadetlimbo]

8:27 if I'm not mistaken I believe there are also a pair of travelators at waterloo? if not then another station on the jubilee line possibly

[@JamesofQPR]

Interesting...thanks!

[@cathellis6015]

Looks like this entrance is now the quickest route from Cannon St main line station to the Northern line at Bank. It would be useful to know whether it is also the quickest route to get to the Central line platforms.

[@danielboulton98]

probably very similar to central but the new route avoids the cold and rain lol

[@11nitrox]

Now there's the moving walkway you can go from Cannon St to the new entrance, down to the Northern line concourse and then onto that and the escalator at the other end direct to the Central line platforms. Just one road to cross. BUT - from cannon Street, walk up Walbrook, past the W&C entrance and use the stairs down to the Central line ticket hall at the opposite end. Probably simplest? If you wanted to be fancy: Cannon St - Walbrook, then lift or escalator down and W&C moving walkway up, then escalators down to the Central. There's a world of possibilities, but the least interaction with ticket gates and escalators/stations from point A to B is probably still the fastest!

[@max-beckett]

Love this Geoff, thank you ❤ tho at 8:33 is there not also a set of travelators at Waterloo as well??

[@max-beckett]

Never doubted you for a second xxx

[@highpath4776]

@@geofftech2 are the bank pair at w and c though the only ones that are inclined ?

[@SteveInskip]

Eco mode uses less energy. If you stopped the escalator altogether there would be an energy spike on starting.

[@raakone]

Love this! Yes, a total of three sets of moving walkways, the newest at Bank and the ones at Waterloo are flat, whereas the original set at Bank are on a slope. Also, interesting that the escalators at Bank, or at least the newest ones, have that beam to change speeds. Firstly, the Tube experimented with two-speed escalators, mostly for ones going up (because passengers came in batches when trains came, as opposed to the steady downwards trickle from above) back in 1934 but stopped in 1974 for being uneconomic, but things must have improved. Actually, where I live, Montreal, all the newest escalators (made by CNIM) have the same two-speed setup, and I often try to step over the beam. If you want something more extreme, at some places in South Korea, you have escalators that are OFF when not in use, and a beam that will either start up the escalator when you approach, or, if you try going the wrong way, it will sound a buzzer, and a message in both Korean and English will tell you off for going the wrong way. Also of interest, our Metro has a station that copies Bank in a way. Beaudry kzbin.info/www/bejne/nHyrd6drlLGioLM has a sloped passageway with a pair of moving walkways, except the sloped stairs are on either side, in the same passage, as opposed to Bank. But like Bank, it was originally a pair of Otis Travolators ("Travolator" still belongs to Otis, "Escalator" originally did, too, and other companies had to come up with other names, would you ride an "Electric Stairway"?), "belt-type", and in the early 2000s at both Beaudry and Bank, they were replaced with CNIM machines that used metal plates instead.

[@tubemapper]

Love the escalator music, very soothing!

[@herenow6953]

I've got to be honest, only Geoff Marshall can make the underground interesting! I'm hooked lol! I have to say that the Bank upgrade is pretty awesome looking - I'll check it out next time I'm in town - thanks for the enthusiastic update on it!

[@criispereyra]

Great video! Greetings from Argentina 🇦🇷🇬🇧😊

[@Davehearne43]

Keep up the good work

[@grahambaker7563]

It all looks pretty amazing there now, Geoff! And really huge, too! Great video, btw!

[@cherokee4151]

Amo muito seu canal!

[@Mark-eq9nw]

@Geoff Marshall I think there are some travellators at Waterloo station

[@toast99bubbles]

I'm heading into London tomorrow. Exciting that it'll be straight after the new entrance has opened. I'll get to see it in all its glory.

[@BlueJazzBoyNZ]

Hopefully there will be a Banksy there sometime soon...

[@squidgame2021]

The eco escalators with the light beams are interesting! In Hong Kong they are activated via weight on the landing area so it's definitely more of a challenge here. Korea also uses infrared beams but they usually span at hip height.

[@TransportofPerth]

Yeah they're like that in Australia too, and almost all escalators are like that, I was surprised it was considered a new thing for London.

[@NorthernMonkeeUK]

@@TransportofPerth It's only a new thing on the Tube (mainly because most of the escalators date to before "eco" was a thing) - the rest of the UK has has multi-speed escalators for years.

[@lzh4950]

SIngapore has added this energy-saving feature to its older escalators too by cutting a hole at the base of the metal panels where the handrails are fed into/out of the base of the ballustrude at both ends of the escalator, & installing proximity sensors there

[@Farleigh1050]

Yeah, it would make sense to have a higher beam or pressure pads

[@Farleigh1050]

There are actually 4 travelators, some at Waterloo for a jubilee line connecting corridor. Now, every station on the W’loo and City Line has travelators. Good to know.

[@timothyleberl1202]

Another solid 5 star video Geoff, keep it up mate. This new entrance looks amazing. I'll need to try this that's for sure. So am I right in thinking Bonk/Manument (jokes 😅) has 31 escalators in total? Someone do let me know.

[@adamtoms761]

Those multi speed escalators may be one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

I feel a race the tube episode coming on with how close Monument/Cannon Street/Bank all are

[@theresabradley4716]

Great to see Luke!

[@torspedia]

When I saw an article on this earlier, I thought there was going to be a GM video on it... glad I wasn't wrong. 🙂

[@briiree]

Geoff, how about a map of the bank/monument/cannon Street Station and how to get from one line to the other? Also, keep up the good work!

[@markherzog9484]

The eco mode will also reduce wear & tear on the mechanicals of the escalator, so we’ll done LU

[@motorcyclerefurbishment8162]

We need tons more moving walkways especially if you have dodgy knees...

[@hampshirewanderer5078]

Shouldn't the lift floors go down to around -15? Or do they follow a different logic to the steps?

[@PokhrajRoy.]

9:49 Geoff goes full ‘spy tries not to cross laser beam’ 🔥

[@isunlloaoll]

The guys in the security room watching Geoff: keep an eye on this man, he's dangerous.

[@DanTheGamerAndTrains]

9:46 It does that at heathrow aswell when i change there for the Elizabeth line

[@waifong23]

Thanks so much for your videos Geoff. Especially this one, means I don't have to face the long downward trek and avoiding the never ending stairs when changing from Circle or District at Monument to DLR at Bank. But instead coming out at Cannon Street with fewer steps, then heading towards the new station for the DLR That lift is a TOP TIP 🌟 THANK YOU

[@waifong23]

Especially right now when the second escalator is out of action.

[@icecranberry2148]

When that woman overtook you on the travelator (strangely no one has done it on the escalator to you, I was mostly overtaken on them), I had to laugh. Happened to me in London the last time I was there too. I live in a country where that normally doesn't happen but I guess Londoners are used to a faster pace.

[@mrkangaroo83]

Indeed Londoner's move to a different pace! Always feel that way when transiting between Euston and Waterloo on the tube with a wheely bag in tow, getting tickets out/putting them away and tackling the escalators that I always feel like I'm going to take a wrong step on and end up going down them face first, all whilst the Londoners are going at lightspeed haha! Although I suppose in our respective hometowns/cities it would be the other way round!

[@anderslarsen6009]

In Copenhagen you are supposed to stand on your right and walk on the left. So its not only a London thing :-)

[@Professor_sckinnctn]

Oh my goodness, I can't wait to try the dual speed escalators!!!!

[@LiftsAndElevatorsInScandinavia]

Bank looks so much better now and it may reduce congestion :) Great to see that the station is now step-free and 9 Basements is certainly a lot. I think this is now also one of only 3 stations on the Underground to have travalators unless the ones in the corridors to Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 don't count

[@lzh4950]

Those lifts also look faster than those in my country's stations, where probably to save money by maximizing parts standardization, those in our 40m+ deep stations use the same slow 1m/s motors as those in our more common ~10m deep stations

[@david_rocky_road]

Ahha when he’s tapping the button in the lift at 5:05, it’s Morse code for OSI (out of station interchange). Funny coincidence.

[@chipyliyp]

Regularly do the Central Line to DLR interchange (and back), when the walkway and new escalators appeared, daughter and I had to investigate where the old route was and it’s all still there, hiding underneath, not sure you save much time on the new route but good to avoid the steps.

[@redriverraider]

I'm from Dallas, TX and always in awe of London's mass transit. Maybe Dallas will have a good transit system in 100 years. Mind the gap and carry on!

[@Same_1888]

I might go and see the new entrance

[@neilbain8736]

If you see the escalator moving slowly and step on, does the sudden speed up catch you unawares? I'd imagine your feet would psychologically going to match the speed you saw.

[@posha1001]

I was at Bank Station last week

[@sara.othman]

I love that escalator shot Geoff 10/10

[@kevinlynch8614]

I love the childlike joy with which you discovered and played with the escalator eco mode! 😂 I wonder, would it be practical for them to develop a 'sports' mode so the escalators move extra fast during peak hours, or when they detect extra loading, to clear passengers off the platform areas even quicker? And I also wonder, at this point it's surely time to consider just placing the entire Bank/Monument complex under the single name of 'Bank' station? Especially since one of the new entrances is so close to a Monument Station entrance, there seems no point to them being separate stations any more... 🤔

[@tomgough1704]

Love the bank station entrance definitely something to add to my bucket list

[@ashwinkumart]

Hi Geoff, all your train videos are excellent. My 9 years old son Aadith loves your video and he's your big fan. Every day he watches it. Like you, he is also fond of trains, railway tracks, tunnels, etc. If you get a chance, please take him for a railway tour once. Thank you..

[@Jimyjames73]

That 'Eco Laser beam escalator' thingy looks fun 😉🚂🚂🚂

[@gerardharrison262]

Regarding the pib quiz question concerning travelators, there are also travelators at Waterloo leading to the Jubilee line.

[@hublanderuk]

I delivered there when the firm I was working for was building it during COVID-19

[@lewismassie]

I wonder if the escalator speed thing is about wear on the mecahnism as much as about energy saving. Escalators are pretty efficient when empty since there's no net weight moving up or down

[@Luwiigi]

I've been walking past the construction for the last year on the way to work (my office is at the end of st martin's lane opposite the new entrance) thinking when is Geoff coming haha

[@marthaanderson2656]

I totally ran into the Bank/ Monument/DLR conundrum on Sunday morning . Wanted true Bank, got dumped out at Monument

[@SamsVlogstrainsmore]

Great to see Bank Station improvements completed 👍