This Friday, Moorgate station will close to Thameslink trains forever as the track approaching it will be cut off thanks to the Thameslink 2000 – I mean, Thameslink Programme – of network upgrades.

Hinted at in this week’s issue of Railway Herald, I have just had an email to confirm that there will be a “final rites” event for the very final train to leave the station.

Being a bit of a train geek, I suspect I might be heading over to try and squeeze onto the train – probably the only time ever that we will exclaim that the more people on board the better!

The official message from Thameslink is thus:

The final scheduled service from Moorgate leaves on Friday, March 20, at 19:06. A countdown clock at the head of platforms 5 and 6 at Moorgate station is ticking away to this moment in hours, minutes and seconds.

A further service is timetabled to run into Moorgate, arriving at 19:41. This should then run empty to Kentish Town at 19:54 but First Capital Connect has responded to the requests of rail enthusiasts to operate this in passenger service, as a final celebratory run. It will call at Farringdon, St Pancras and then Kentish Town.

Places on the eight-carriage service will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis at the head of platforms 5 & 6 at Moorgate. FCC will issue special free commemorative tickets for the journey and invite donations to the Railway Children in exchange.

See you there if you care to try it as well.

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2 comments
  1. Mr Thant says:
    18 March 2009 at 9:41 pm

    Worth noting that the tracks aren’t actually going to be cut off until maybe as late as the end of the year. The withdrawal of the Moorgate service now is to allow the service changes that in turn let the rebuilding of Blackfriars begin.

    A couple of trains a day are even scheduled to use the branch (running empty) in the new timetable. I wouldn’t be shocked if more passengers get carried down there, either deliberately or accidentally.

  2. Train Ignorer says:
    23 March 2009 at 3:25 pm

    A shame, in particular for all the Home Counties based City commuters who will find they’re no longer able to bypass the rush hour tube.

    Personally I will miss the large, red fonted, backlit signs advising passengers: “Do Not Alight Here” between Barbican and Moorgate stations most of all

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