How long does it take to walk from St.Pancras platform A to King's Cross platform 2?
Searching at National Rail enquiries and many other websites - they all say it takes you about 15 minutes!!!
Thxs for further information
-
Certainly not 15 minutes; they are practically right next to each other!– Michael HamptonCommented Apr 16, 2015 at 18:21
-
8It may be a conservative estimate, but if the platforms are crowded or blocked for a spot ticket check, then 15 minutes is not an unreasonable amount of time to allocate.– Gayot FowCommented Apr 16, 2015 at 19:20
-
1They might be right next to each other, but that doesn't mean there is a direct route. Whilst it is possible to make the transfer quickly if you know where you are going it can take a surprisingly long time if you don't.– PhilCommented Apr 16, 2015 at 20:23
-
1Evening Thameslink services are often a bit late, so part of that 15 minutes could well be padding to cope with slightly late arrivals– GagravarrCommented Apr 17, 2015 at 20:58
Add a comment
|
2 Answers
Platform choice is key here. A and 2 are at opposite ends of their respective stations.
Platform A is in a basement level of St Pancras. Here's an interactive map of St Pancras: you're in the top right corner (you might need to scroll right to find it).
You need to come up two levels, go through the ticket barriers, turn left and walk through the building, then cross the road. It's not unreasonable to allow five minutes to get from the door of the train to the door of King's Cross.
Once you've entered King's Cross, you're standing by platforms 9-11. Here's an interactive map of King's Cross - it's oriented the same way as the St Pancras map, and you're at the entrance of the new concourse right by Platform 11b, top right. Platforms 0-8 are in the other concourse, depicted at the bottom of the map, with platform 2 at the further end of it.
You have a choice of two routes: either (1) turn right just past the coffee stand, head up the escalator, turn left and follow the walkway round through the ticket gates and to the far end, where there's an escalator (and a lift) to take you down to the platform; or (2) walk diagonally across the concourse to the ground-floor ticket gates to the right of the ticket office, through the gates and to the far end. It's usually less crowded to take the upstairs route. Either way though, it's not unreasonable to allow five minutes. Also, bear in mind that train doors are usually locked a little before departure, and that you might need to allow time to find an allocated seat on the train from King's Cross.
As someone very familiar with both stations, I'd expect to make it from B to 2 in well under fifteen minutes - but I'd probably feel a bit nervous with a connection of less than ten.
The two stations are on opposite sides of the same road. 15 minutes is a pessimistic estimate to get from a platform in one to a platform in the other, allowing for someone who doesn't know their way around, walks slowly, gets held up by crowds throughout, etc.
-
1I think if you add from platform A at St. Pancras to platform B at King's Cross, it will be a bit longer than just across the road, so 15 minutes may be about right, taking into account the need to exit the platform into the station lobby, then out, cross the street, into the other lobby, find which way to go to your platform and actually get there.– Aleks GCommented Apr 16, 2015 at 22:27
-
The stations are just across the road from each other, I agree that crossing the road is only a small part of getting from platform to platform, I have expanded the answer to make this clearer.– djrCommented Apr 17, 2015 at 9:19
-
1You don't have to cross the road if you don't want to - there's an underground walkway with escalators and lifts to get you between the two. Handy if it's raining! Commented Apr 17, 2015 at 20:57