GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Describe Online

Lines Served

This is a through station on the London Underground Central and Northern Lines. It is also a terminus for the Waterloo & City Line and the Docklands Light Railway (DLR).

Note that Bank Station is part of the complex which includes Monument Station which serves the London Underground Circle and District lines.

Layout

We identify the following levels within this station:

Concourse or Ticket Hall Level

We consider this in three sections: the Bank, Central Line and Northern Line concourses.

The Bank Concourse

This is an approximately oval-shaped passage which interconnects all the stairs entrances/exits from street level, see the Environs section for details of these entrances/exits.

The entrances/exits are numbered clockwise so that exits 1, 2 and the passage to exits 8 and 9 are on the north side, Exit 3 leaves from the east, exits 4 and 5 from the south, whilst exits 6 and 7 are on the west side. An additional passage (north/south) leads between exits 2 and 4.

The passage to exits 8 and 9 leads north towards a shopping area, details of which lie beyond the scope of this survey. The turning left (west) from this passage leads to the Waterloo & City Line. Further north, the turning left (northwest) leads to Exit 8, whilst the turning right (east) leads to Exit 9.

The Central Line Concourse is reached from the north side of the main passage, with a combined entrance/exit opposite the passage to exits 8 and 9, plus an exit-only route opposite Exit 1. The Northern Line Concourse is reached via the passage leading south from the southwest corner of the main passage.

The Central Line Concourse

This is the main ticket hall in the station, note that the Northern Line concourse is closed after 21:00 Monday - Friday and at weekends.

The combined entrance/exit is divided by a pillar, we presume you're asked to keep right. You go down two steps from the Bank Concourse into this space.

Inside the gates, escalators lead down east onto the Central Line platforms 5 - 6.

The Northern Line Concourse

Although there is level access to this area from the Bank Concourse, there is stairs-only access to other parts of the station. The area inside the gates includes escalators leading down (southwest) to the Intermediate Level, the lift between here and King William Street and the four automatic lifts to the Intermediate Level. Note that, although the announcements in these lifts refers to the Northern Line Level, you're still 21 steps above the Northern Line platforms.

The Central Line, Platforms 5 - 6

This is an island platform running east/west with platform 5, serving westbound trains towards Oxford Circus and beyond lying south of platform 6, serving eastbound trains twoards Liverpool Street and beyond.

The escalators from the Central Line Concourse are near the west end, whilst the three sets of steps between here and the Intermediate Level are east of these.

The Waterloo & City Line, Platforms 7 - 8

This is an island platform running approximately west with platform 7 lying south of platform 8. These platforms can be reached via travellator or walkway from the Bank Concourse. The walkway includes several short flights of steps.

A passage from platform 7 leads generally east to the Intermediate Level

The Intermediate Level

This includes the interconnecting passages between the foot of the escalators from the Northern Line Concourse plus steps to/from the Central Line, from the north, plus the lift, steps and escalators to the DLR, the automatic lifts from the Northern Line Concourse and the steps to the Northern Line from the south. The passage to the Waterloo & City Line, mentioned above, leads west from this level.

Although not explicitly stated elsewhere, this level also includes the walkway between the two sets of escalators and steps from the DLR to the Circle and District Line platforms.

The Northern Line, Platforms 3 - 4

This is an island platform running north/south with platform 3, serving southbound trains towards Morden lying west of platform 4, serving northbound trains towards King's Cross, Euston and beyond. Note that unlike most island platforms, the doors open on your left as you face the front of the train.

The steps from the Intermediate Level are at the north end, whilst escalators towards Monument Station are at the south. The steps to/from the DLR are also towards the south end of these platforms.

The DLR, Platforms 9 - 10

This is an island platform with platform 9 (departures) lying east of platform 10(arrivals, signed "Alighting Only").

A central reservation includes escalators/steps to the Intermediate Level from the north, escalators/steps towards Monument Station from the south, plus steps towards the Northern Line towards the south end.

Accessibility

The only complete lift access through this station is between King William Street and the DLR, via three lifts. Note that the four lifts between the Northern Line Concourse and the Intermediate Level are automatic and there is no audio and little visual indication of which is the next lift to arrive. Note also that the lift to King William Street is inside the gates of the Northern Line Concourse.

There is stairs-only access between street level and the Bank Concourse.

There is escalator-only access between the Central Line Concourse and Central Line. There is escalator and lift access between the Northern Line Concourse and Intermediate Level from which there is stairs-only access to the Northern Line.

There is lift, escalator and stairs access between the Intermediate Level and the DLR. There is also step-free access between the Intermediate Level and the Waterloo & City Line.

We therefore believe the route between King William Street and the DLR, plus that between the DLR and Waterloo & City Line could be accessible to wheelchairs.

The remainder of the station could be accessible to Guide Dog users, via the Northern Line Concourse and Intermediate Level or via the Waterloo & City Line walkways.

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BANK STATION

© 2012, Terry Robinson

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