It's all change at London Blackfriars!

Tube station closed - National Rail station open

Blackfriars Tube station is closed until late 2011. That's because much of the foundation work for the railway station being rebuilt above is at the Underground station level. Blackfriars National Rail station is still open.

You can connect with the Underground at Temple and Mansion House Tube stations just a short walk away or interchange at other Thameslink stations.

You might also be better off walking from neighbouring City Thameslink station instead, which is only a couple of hundred yards away, doesn't cost any more to reach and is enclosed, warmer and spacious.

Find out your alternative routes.

Railway station works

Bird's eye view

Building work is firmly under way at Blackfriars National Rail station above. The station is still open, of course, and ALL services will continue to call there, apart from a period of several weeks in the second half of 2010 when trains will run through without stopping.

(The only difference now is that there are no cross-London trains weekday nights and most weekends which affect services that would have run to Blackfriars.)

Platforms 1-3 at Blackfriars have closed for building work. All services now operate from the 'through' platforms 4 and 5. This makes the station a lot more congested and you could be delayed leaving or entering the station.

To help you get out of the station more easily in the morning, Network Rail has opened a new exit from platform 5 (northbound) to Paul’s Walk footpath beside the river below. You can also enter the station this way but only if you have a ticket - local byelaws prohibit the sale of tickets on the riverside walk. However, there will be other changes to the way you gain access to the station...

The next few months

Here's what's happening:

Platform 4 is narrower because the hoarding line has been moved. Please consider walking further down the platform to make space for other passengers - more canopies are being put up to give you shelter;
Existing roof panels over platforms 4 and 5 at Blackfriars station are being taken down in stages at weekends between February and March. Some panels have already gone from the south end of the concourse.
There's simply no other way that the building work can progress. We're doing everything we can to protect you from the elements with extra canopies being erected on platform 4.
However, platform 5 can't support additional canopies; limited shelter is afforded in the staircase entrance to Paul's Walk.
A section of the station concourse will be closed off in coming weeks. It will be bridged by an extension to the linkway to platform 4;
Piling has started on the South Bank for another tower crane (this will not affect passengers).

With all this work going on, you're miles better off using City Thameslink station.

The story so far... work to date

Station entrance moved

Network Rail contractors have closed the main north-west entrance, stairs and escalators and opened a more direct route from the station concourse via a new temporary covered staircase off Queen Victoria Street nearby.

Link between platforms 4 and 5

A new footbridge has opened between platforms 4 and 5. The subway route has also closed. Posters and signs have been put up to help you find your way.

Platform 4 extended south

Platform 4 has been extended and moved south with platform canopies, public address systems and CCTV.

This means trains are now stopping 90m further away from the main concourse giving you a slightly longer walk to your southbound train. Please allow more time and help yourself (and us!) by moving down the platform to use its full length.

Why you may be kept waiting

If platform 4 does become overcrowded, station staff may be forced to temporarily close or restrict the concourse ticket gate entrance. This decision will not be taken lightly and will be in the interests of your own safety.

Pavements closed

The pavement to the west of the station is closed for Network Rail construction works. This also shuts off the pedestrian subway entrance outside Blackfriars station (entry/exit points 2 and 3).

Further pavement closures

Transport for London (TfL) has also closed the pavement on the eastern side of Blackfriars road bridge (see map above).

TfL made this decision in the interests of pedestrian safety and after consultation with Network Rail, the City of London and the London Borough of Southwark.

The safety concern is that pedestrians could become stranded at the edge of the Blackfriars redevelopment work site on the eastern side of the north end of the bridge where the station building work temporarily requires the suspension of the road crossing between the east and west pavements.

To reach the station from south of the river, people without tickets should use the western side of the bridge, enter the subway at point 5, exit at point 1, then cross the road at the crossing outside Blackfriars and dog-leg back to the station entrance. This is also the case for anyone approaching from the west along the north river bank.

Customers with tickets have a shorter route. They can walk down to the riverside path (Paul's Walk) at point 5, go under the road bridge and climb the new staircase to platform 5 of the station.

Thames Path diversion

Work has also started on the new South Bank station entrance, closing a 100m section of the Thames Path until late 2011. More details.

City Thameslink’s so much better

With all the building work going on at Blackfriars and changes to the walking routes outside the station, you are definitely better off using City Thameslink station instead. It doesn't cost you any more to reach, it’s enclosed, warmer and actually only a couple of hundred yards away. And ALL northbound trains now call there – including the services from Kent and south-east London that previously terminated at Blackfriars (see ‘New services...’ below). That means, if you’re heading south to get home, you’re more likely to get a seat from City Thameslink too!

See how close City Thameslink is to your destination (click to enlarge):