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Read icehawk's comment below regarding infrastructure. It's not the lack of works of art, architectural details, or coffee shops that's the issue. As an occ

Read icehawk's comment below regarding infrastructure. It's not the lack of works of art, architectural details, or coffee shops that's the issue. As an occasional rider you don't know, but the station hasn't scaled its ridership over the years. Coming up from the tracks or down to there, during rush hour or even a typical weekend, is a slow nightmare. Frequently commuters coming up and down colide and cause a deadlock, as there are no designated up and down areas. The layout is old. The station is large and poorly organized. I was in a very busy station with a bad rap in London a few weeks ago, called Victoria, and while the British complain about everything this station handles multiple commuter lines and several Tube lines with sophisticated aplomb. It's wide and open, like I see the new Penn design is intended to be. It's not an issue of beauty, it's an issue of efficiency and scale. The infrastructure hasn't scaled.

Symbiote 10y ago
I think it just proves your point: Victoria Underground Station is considered overcrowded, and is being upgraded at the moment with the construction of additional entrances. It looks like everything new will be underground, so there's not so much room for beauty. Unlike my memories of NYC, it will at least be very well lit and kept clean. https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-projects/victoria https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-proje... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Victoria_station#Current_upgrade https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Victoria_station#Curren...
- mancerayder 10y ago
  You make me jealous of my time in London. My main complaints when I lived in London (in East-Central London, in E1W): a) long east-west travel times b) no overnight Tube options c) (though less important) no A/C on the Tube, are ALL being addressed. It's depressing and sad that a city with three times the GDP (per the last time I checked), NYC, my now-home, has a shoddy and corrupt, slow-moving infrastructure upgrade plan. Every infrastructure plan costs smaller-country-budget levels of spend, takes longer than expected, and after the ribbon is cut is still behind its competition (because let's face it, international cities compete) in Europe and Asia.

Symbiote 10y ago

I think it just proves your point: Victoria Underground Station is considered overcrowded, and is being upgraded at the moment with the construction of additional entrances. It looks like everything new will be underground, so there's not so much room for beauty. Unlike my memories of NYC, it will at least be very well lit and kept clean. https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-projects/victoria https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-proje... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Victoria_station#Current_upgrade https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Victoria_station#Curren...

mancerayder 10y ago
You make me jealous of my time in London. My main complaints when I lived in London (in East-Central London, in E1W): a) long east-west travel times b) no overnight Tube options c) (though less important) no A/C on the Tube, are ALL being addressed. It's depressing and sad that a city with three times the GDP (per the last time I checked), NYC, my now-home, has a shoddy and corrupt, slow-moving infrastructure upgrade plan. Every infrastructure plan costs smaller-country-budget levels of spend, takes longer than expected, and after the ribbon is cut is still behind its competition (because let's face it, international cities compete) in Europe and Asia.