The Anonymous Widower

Electrification Of The GOBlin

I have just found this article on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line on the Railfuture web site.

It explains the way the line will be electrified and other issues very well.

One thing it says is that the line will be electrified in two parts, so that whilst the overhead wires are erected on one part and passengers will be put on the bus, the other part can be used by four-car trains. Provided of course they lengthen the platforms.

The Railfuture article is an interesting read, as it talks about  this short stretch of electrification.

1. The Line Connects Electrified Lines

It is joined to electrified lines at each end and several along its route, which will enable through electric passenger and more importantly freight trains to use the route.

It also means that getting electric power to the line shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

2. A Freight By-Pass For The North London Line

At present electric freight trains have to use the North London Line, but using an electrified GOBlin would avoid congested junctions at Stratford, Forest Gate and Camden Road.

3. More Passenger Capacity

Replacing two-car Class 172 diesel trains with new four-car Aventra electric trains, won’t just double the passenger capacity, but because electric trains have faster acceleration, they will do better than that.

4. Extended Passenger Routes

The extension of the GOBlin to a new Barking Riverside station was announced in the 2014 Budget, but the Railfuture article talks about extending services the other way to Willesden Junction, Clapham Junction or even Ealing, which probably means Ealing Broadway.

You can understand why Transport for London might want to do this, but it would need new platforms at Gospel Oak. This Google Map shows the station.

Note that there is a Class 172 in the platform and it looks like accommodating a train, twice that length might need a platform extension.

I suspect that Transport for London will look at other options, depending on where passengers go from Gospel Oak and the number of freight trains that have to be pathed through the area.

On a personal view, I’d like to see trains on the GOBlin terminating in Ealing, as that would give me an easy route to the area, by getting a 141 bus from outside my house to Harringay Green Lanes.

But I don’t think that is likely. After all when Crossrail opens, I can just take a 141 bus the other way to Liverpool Street/Moorgate and get Crossrail to Ealing.

Greater Electric Freight Capacity and Flexibility

Railfuture reckon that up to thirty freight trains a day will leave London Gateway and many will be electric hauled and need to make their way up the West Coast Main Line. An electrified GOBlin gives them two routes across London.

The second route will also enable services to be maintained, when say one line is blockaded.

Limited passenger services could also be run via Stratford and South Tottenham to Gospel Oak, when work is being undertaken on the North London Line.

Harringay Park Junction

Railfuture also says that this vital junction will be electrified.

The GOBlin runs across the image, with the junction under the bridge on the left.

It will allow eastbound freight trains to go north on the East Coast Main Line.

Carlton Road Junction

 

Another junction, that Railfuture believes will be electrified.

 

It will allow westbound trains to go north on the Midland Main Line, which runs across the bottom of this image

A lot will be freight going up towards the Radlett Freight Terminal or the Midlands, but a proportion will take the Dudding Hill Line to go west.

Dudding Hill Line

I think that it will not be long before the Dudding Hill Line is electrified to allow both electrified freight and passenger services to go west, by bypassing the North London Line.

Certainly Transport for London have identified this route as a possible GOBlin extension.

 

August 17, 2015 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Electrification, Gospel Oak And Barking Line