Where Next For The Overground?
After the launch of the Overground on the Lea Valley Lines, which has probably gone ahead with just a few minor glitches and quite a lot of enthusiasm from staff and passengers, where next will the orange spider stretch its tentacles?
Passengers will have a big effect, as going Overground has some large benefits for passengers.
1. Transport for London’s fare structure is lower than that of National Rail.
2. Freedom Passes now have no annoying restrictions and this will generate traffic for the Overground, as I reported in The Chat On The Overground.
3. Overground likes to run at least four trains an hour all day every day.
4. Overground has station staff from when the first train arrives until the last one leaves.
So passengers in places, where perhaps one line is Overground and the other is Great Northern or Abellio Greater Anglia, may well go on the more affordable line with better service. This will be an argument that the better fare and service model will win.
These lines in North London must be prime candidates for Overgrounding.
Liverpool Street to Hertford East
One line that must be at the top of the list, is the remaining Lea Valley Line to Hertford East station, that is not currently under Overground control.
As this branch, is down as becoming part of Crossrail 2, surely to make it part of the Overground first would get all the stations up to a decent standard before they are incorporated into the new line.
Operationally too, having all of the shorter distance services from Liverpool Street must make sense.
The Northern City Line
The Northern City Line from Moorgate desperately needs development and new trains.
When Govia were awarded the Great Northern franchise, there were a lot of commitments, as detailed in Wikipedia. These included new trains for the Northern City Line to replace the elderly Class 313 trains and reading the details, it sounds very much like the Great Northern services will be run on Overground lines with at least four trains an hour at all times to very much improved stations.
Personally, I would also like this line to become a full seven day a week service, as it would ease travelling to places like Alexandra Palace on a weekend. A quality service on the line would also give me better access to Thameslink.
The big question with this line, if it is taken over by the Overground or TfL Rail, is how far you take the TfL-managed service; Hadley Wood, Welwyn Garden City or Stevenage.
Thameslink
It is well-known that TfL have their eyes on taking over at least the central part of Thameslink, especially as after it starts to operate in 2018, it will work almost like an Underground Line from between numerous places in North and South London with a high-frequency service and Londoners, commuters and frequent visitors will see it as part of the Underground/Overground/Crossrail network.
The Reaction Of The Other Train Operating Companies
The TOCs may or may not like running the short distance commuter services out of London. I have read comments like they make more money on long-distance services and if they need to cancel a train because of problems, it will be a commuter service.
But whatever they think, where there is an Overground or in the future, a Crossrail, alternative, they will lose revenue, if they don’t run to the Overground rules.
The Overground is taking a big stick to the TOCs and they will have to repond positively.
The Anonymous Widower 
i’ve long believed the overground should be extended from Richmond to Twickenham. I put this in a recent email to former Twickenham MP Vincent cable (with necessary slant on benefits for his constituents):
“Currently 4 Overground services per hour terminate/start at Richmond. Extending even 2 of these to Twickenham using the existing SWT railway network, also calling at St Margarets, would provide numerous benefits for local commuters and businesses, including:
– Improved travel options for Twickenham commuters who work in parts of London not easily reached from Vauxhall/Waterloo.
– Ability to travel from Twickenham to Thameslink services & stations with just one change (at west hampstead).
– Direct rail connections from Twickenham to local West-London areas such as Kew, Gunnersbury, Acton & Hampstead for first time.
– Direct rail connections for Twickenham to the proposed hub station at Old Oak Common… allowing connection to Crossrail 1 & HS2 services.
– Add 2 more stations to the expanding London Overground network, which should please TFL,
– Free up additional platforms at Richmond for the London Underground District line and its future expansion.
– Provide direct connection between the Overground & Crossrail 2 which is scheduled to terminate at twickenham
– Increased visibility & investment in Twickenham due to inclusion on the London Underground map for the first time.
While i’m not an engineer, i believe the costs would be minimal in comparison to many transport projects:
– Purchase of one or two additional trainsets to ensure existing Overground service patterns aren’t affected. This could be done in tandem with the order of new trains for the proposed Barking Riverside extension.
– Remodelling track between Kew & Richmond to allow Overground trains to access the Richmond currently used by South West trains,
– Ensure track & platforms 1 & 2 at Twickenham are in good enough condition to be used as terminus for these services.
These costs could be partly funded by contributions from future housing developments in the area and the expansion of Harlequins’ Stoop stadium.”
No increase in SWT trains on the line from Waterloo via Richmond and Twickenham is possible due largely to the number of level crossings. This extension would cover a section of track where there are no level crossings.
Mr cable was supportive and noted that every possible avenue for improving rail services in SW london should be explored. He also raised the idea with SWT boss Tim Shoveller, who sent the following response:
“Further to our meeting and your note here, the answer to the question is simply that the railway is already operating at full capacity with the existing Waterloo services.
In order to provide the capacity from the Gunnersbury lines towards Twickenham, would require a significant infrastructure enhancement, at Richmond and the capability of the railway, including additional power supplies, signalling and platform capacity at the new terminating point of the extended services to turn back towards Gunnersbury.
Whilst of course anything is possible, the capital expenditure required would be very significant.
The increase to all trains to 10 car formation on Waterloo services will be complete by December 2017 and is will provide the fastest and most efficient way to increase capacity.
Regards
Tim Shoveller”
As I mentioned, I’m no engineer but my reading of this is ‘I don’t want TFL playing with even a part of my SWT trainset.’ Clearly it’ll need a major reason to make this extension, such as extra need to terminate district line services at Richmond, desire to link as many stations as possible to old oak common directly, or a major political campaign, and it might be more likely if the overground was extended further to Shepperton, Kingston or feltham (and heathrow!), but it’s certainly something I belive TFL should keep on their radar or safeguard!
Comment by james | June 5, 2015 |
What you write is interesting and it fits with things I’ve heard.I shall write a full reply to this as another post over the weekend.
Here in the East Abellio Greater Anglia were doing a bad job of managing the Lea Valley Lines and the Shenfield Metro. No-one is sorry they’ve lost the routes to TfL.
Comment by AnonW | June 5, 2015 |
[…] my post entitled Where Next For The Overground?, I received a comment suggesting that some services on the North London Line be extended to […]
Pingback by A Circular Tour Round Richmond, Twickenham And Vauxhall « The Anonymous Widower | June 6, 2015 |
I’m pleased to say the Northern City line will be getting an evening and weekend service from December 2015, apparently. Will be well used, I’m sure, what with the usefulness of Highbury and Islington and the growing nightspot around Old Street. Given their current infrequent (often 3-car) off-peak service, I wouldn’t expect TFL style service, but it’s an improvement.
An annoying thing at the moment is the downwards escalator at Moorgate to the Northern Line being closed, for Crossrail works. It was meant to reopen last month, but that has now been changed to “late 2015”. As a daily commuter from Alexandra Palace, I now changed at Old Street to the Northern Line (longer walk) to avoid the spiral staircase.
As a 25 year old, who moved to London last year, I have to say, I enjoy your blog (particuarly the transport stuff). Keep it up!
Comment by Kafuffle | June 17, 2015 |
Thanks for your kind comments.
I have a feeling that Great Northern will see how the passengers have responded on the Enfield Town line and that the extra services they provide from December 2015 will be a TfL frequency, otherwise I suspect TfL will move in for a takeover.
At least Great Northern seem to be doing a good job upgrading Alexandra Park station.
Comment by AnonW | June 17, 2015 |
Well, hopefully. I hope for the best for the service. I’ve not doubt with better frequencies and a presence on the tube map, they could massively increase usage. It parallels the northern part of the Piccadilly line, but gets less than a 1/4 of the numbers. (I don’t mind this too much, as it means I can get usually get a seat to and from work)
Alexandra Palace is already a fairly nice station, with secure free bike parking (which I use) and they’ve just given it a lick of paint. They’re apparently putting lifts in soon.
Comment by Kafuffle | June 17, 2015
It’s also got a nice cafe, that I use occasionally! I sometimes go up to Ally Pally or down the hill past my father’s old print works in Station Road. I have a lot of memories in the area.
Comment by AnonW | June 17, 2015 |
Yeah. The cakes in there are sometimes irresistible! It’s a nice area, with proximity to shops in Wood Green and the park + palace..
Comment by Kafuffle | June 17, 2015 |