A rather shabby footbridge that acts as the entrance to Harringay station is about to be repaired and upgraded. Anyone who uses it will know that it’s hardly a welcoming entrance to the station, being narrow and run-down.
The 300-foot long bridge, which currently has the ticket office on it, was built in 1885, and some of the original structure is still in place today. A rather grand looking ticket office used to sit on the footbridge, but was badly damaged in a fire in the 1960s and torn down in 1969, to be replaced by the small wooden shed that is still acting as a ticket office today.
There are photos of the old ticket hall and the fire here – and the empty space where the ticket hall used to sit can be seen in the photo below, with the current shed occupying about a third of the space.
Harringay Station – Google satellite view
The footbridge doesn’t just give access to the platforms, but also acts as the only public path across the railways in the area, without a one-mile diversion over the nearest road to the south.
Later next week, Network Rail will start building a new ticket office for GTR staff on platform 1. As well as bringing more modern facilities, this part of the project will allow the existing ticket office on the footbridge to close, before work takes place to remove it.
Network Rail teams will then carry out inspections of the footbridge, to determine the extent of work and the best options to strengthen it.
This part of the project at Harringay station is expected to be completed in June. The second stage of work, to strengthen the footbridge, is planned to take place in winter 2021.
The station, as it now, is a bit like breaking down on the central reservation of the M1.
The ticket office at Harringay is already closed.
I don’t see any lifts in the photo nor is there any mention of Network Rail installing them so I guess wheelchair passengers won’t be able to use the station, I thought the plan is for more stations to have disabled access but I suppose this won’t happen at this station due to the high cost.
Ian, Network Rail’s communications to locals (like me) on works at Harringay over the past 18 months or so have been ambiguous verging on the disingenuous over ‘ticket office replacement’ – which was their term used until a consultation in July 2020 on closing said ticket office. Even now, their press release uses ‘office’ [to be read as ‘ticket office’ I feel] when what they mean is ‘GTR staff accommodation’.
And the Harringay OnLine admins appreciate your linking to their post about the station’s history.
Dan, it’s still open with no date of closure posted today as I walked past.
Jason, the local terrain, especially the steeply sloping footbridge, make lifts plus access to them a very expensive proposition.
I hope NR don’t build one of their ‘shipping container’ like sheds for the ‘GTR staff accommodation, especially since NR’s been talking up the need for good design (https://nla.london/news/design-deemed-crucial-for-new-public-transport-infrastructure)…
Maybe a new footbridge and with lifts perhaps at Harringay. And at Hornsey.
Yes, Hornsey station is about as bad – IMO a god-forsaken wasteland. Also, I believe a victim of fire on booking halls above the track on that line, along with New Southgate and New Barnet. A bit of a theme here…
I think Oakleigh Park and Alexandra Palace station may be the only stations along of that part of the line inside the M25 anything like original!
Pity they can’t build a new station at ‘Harringay’ at the intersection with the Goblin Line, to allow direct interchange.
Has the bridge strengthening actually taken place? Seems just us unsafe.