Those working in the City will know how easy it can be to get lost in the maze of Bank Station. So many exits, no main entrance, and somehow you always find yourself ending up at its interlinked station, Monument (?!)
Let’s just say there are reasons mentioning Bank station to anyone can start a long tirade from friends and colleagues, but what else can be said about London’s largest concrete maze?
Let’s check out 10 random facts on Bank.
1. The Exits
Are you taking the wrong exit every single time you visit this enormous station? We’re not surprised: with no less than 12, Bank counts more exits than any other London station.
2. The DLR
Another reason to get lost at Bank is the station’s DLR concourse, which, with a whopping 41.4 meters underground, is the city’s deepest station below street level.
3. The Steps
And what about all the steps? 128 to be precise. And that’s without counting the silly amount of escalators: 15.
4. The walkways
Just to illustrate its gigantic size: Bank owns not one, but two moving walkways (you know, those things you only really see on airports?). The only other station owning these is Waterloo.
5. The Monument
Another way to envision its immensity: together with interlinked station Monument, Bank forms a public transport complex that takes up the entire length of King William Street.
6. The hidden entrances
Just like Regent’s Park, Piccadilly Circus, and Hyde Park Corner, Bank Station doesn’t have any entrance buildings above the ground, making it incredibly hard to find its main entrance (there isn’t one).
7. The tunnel
While only 45% of the overall tube network is actually tunnel-based, the City runs few overground trains: the longest continuous tunnel is the Northern line running from East Finchley to Morden (17.3 miles in total!).
8. The people
Although last estimated in 2010, on average, Bank is used by 298,335 people every single day. In case you’re having trouble visualizing this shocking number: that is three times the capacity of Wembley Stadium.
9. The tragedy
During the Blitz in 1941, a bomb hit Bank Station, killing an estimated 51 people. It also left a huge crater outside the Bank of England.
10. The spirit
Ever noticed Sarah Whitehead on your morning commute? This sinister spirit dressed in black, also called ‘the Black Nun,’ is said to have haunted Bank for many years. Since 1811, to be exact, which is when her brother Paul was charged with and executed for forgery.
Practical Info
If you want to explore the area, you can visit our Directory to see what the area has to offer.