The Tanners Hill Flydown
With Thameslink, Network Rail, are trying to remove bottlenecks all over the place. The Tanners Hill Flydown, is an extra track in the area of St. John’s station, which is described like this in Wikipedia.
To improve capacity on the line between London Bridge and Lewisham, a new stretch of single track has been built alongside the original bi-directional single track between Tanners Hill Junction (near St John’s Station) and Lewisham Vale Junction. Before the new track was laid, St John’s Vale Road Bridge was partially demolished and reconstructed with a concrete pier, as well as a new south span over the new track; the existing embankment along the fly-down was also widened. This work was completed in April 2013, and the new track is being used for some services to/from Charing Cross via Lewisham.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr, shows the flydown and St. Johns and Lewisham stations.
Tanners Hill Flydown And St. Johns Station
This map shows how the flydown allows trains from London terminals to take various routes to the South East, either through Lewisham station or on the South Eastern Main Line.
The Google Map shows the flydown.
The Tanners Hill Flydown
The flydown is the double-track line that is on the opposite site of the tracks to the station. It starts to the London side of the bridge taking St. Johns Vale Road over the railway and then connects to the Nunhead to Lewisham Link Line.
As Wikipedia says the flydown is now being used for some Charing Cross services via Lewisham.
These pictures were taken from St. Johns station and show the various lines that pass through and by the station.
Note that the high pictures were taken from the station footbridge and others from passing trains, on the many routes, on or crossing the main lines in the area.
This junction illustrates both the complication and the possibilities created by South London’s intensive rail network.
Will we be seeing more lines, junctions and crossing giving a sound sorting?
More On The Tanners Hill Flydown
London Recconnections has two excellent articles on the Tanners Hill Flydown.
The first article gives an insight into why some of the problems with our railways occur, due to a lack of future-proofing in the 1970s, when the original Tanners Hill Flydown was built, with it seems much annoyance to local residents.
Bermondsey Dive-Under – 8th August 2016
On my way to Tulse Hill, I took these pictures of the Bermondsey Dive-Under.
According to the Wikipedia entry for the Bermondsey Dive-Under, it will open in Spring 2017.
Blackfriars staion, London Bridge station and the Borough Market viaduct, may have got all the publicity and infuture the plaudits of critics, but I have a feeling that engineers and those that worked on it, will rate the untying of the railway lines, by creating the Bermondsey Dive-Under to be a greater achievement.
Liverpool University Strikes Again!
In the latest alumni newsletter from my old University, there is a link to this page on the University web site, which is entitled Cancer Drug Trial Success.
This is said.
The University of Liverpool has led a successful trial of a drug trial aimed at developing new therapeutic approaches to cancer.
The trial (APR-246) aimed to test the effects of a novel compound on a specific protein, p53, found to be mutated in more than 50% of all cancers.
The p53 gene is from a class of genes called tumour suppressors which are mutated in all cases of one form of ovarian cancer (high grade serous), but have proved difficult to target in the past.
This research was also done in the Institute of Translational Medicine, where the pancreatic cancer research I wrote about in There’s More To Liverpool Than Football And The Beatles! was carried out.
It certainly would appear that something is being done correctly!
The Composite Platform 1 At Tulse Hill Station
Tulse Hill station is a typical South London station, that has been upgraded several times and probably if money was no object, would be knocked down and rebuilt.
But that would be expensive, so they have replaced Platform 1 with a composite one.
This page from the Dura Composites web site, says more about the installation. Reading about the platforms, the following advantages are mentioned.
- The platform doesn’t suffer from compaction issues.
- The surface is very passenger-friendly, with less likelihood of slips and falls.
- The yellow edge line is build into the platform.
- The stepping distance can be reduced.
- Installation of the platform is faster and needs less line closures.
- There are plans to install LED lights in the these platforms for safety reasons.
Overall the platform has a lower lifetime cost.
This to me is a classic innovation, that makes life easier and better for passengers, train companies and station builders.
Have The RMT Seen The Writing On The Wall?
This morning the RMT are on strike on Southern, in the longest strike seen on UK railways for decades.
This report has recently appeared on the Rail Magazine web site, and is entitled Network Rail tests ETCS on Class 700 on ‘Core’ Thameslink route.
The report goes on to say how this successful test will allow Automatic Train Operation (ATO) from 2018.
In other words, the Thameslink trains and eventually, there will only be Class 700 trains operating through the central core, will be driven by computer, with the driver monitoring what is happening.
In a leader, The Times today described the rail unions as Luddites.
Surely, any hint of computers driving trains will invoke the resistance of the unions.
But as with Driver Only Operation DOO), ATO is the way that passengers, train operators and progressive governments will want to go. And if it is unsafe, just look at the Victoria Line which now runs thirty trains per hour using both DOO and ATO. And it has been using this method of operation for fifty years.
So have the unions looked at this and decided that with a big push they can get the whole lot thrown out.
The Times called them Luddites. The Times was right.
As an aside, when did you last see a woman driving a train on the National Rail Network?
A Good Start To A Day
Yesterday morning, I went to IKEA and ordered the last set of cabinets for my kitchen. Remember, that for some reason, their computer has banned me from buying anything on-line.
What I needed is scheduled for two deliveries this week, as one item isn’t available for home delivery from their Tottenham store, as it has to come centrally.
So imagine my surprise, when the first delivery happened at 08:15 this morning.
But at least, it means I don’t have to wait in all day for a delivery.
Tim Vickery On The Rio Olympics
I’ve just listened on Radio 5 Live to Tim Vickery, a Rio-based English football journalist on why the Olympic venues are so empty.
He puts it mainly down to the fact that Brazilians only are really interested, when one of their athletes has a chance of winning.
He also says that, the events are for Portuguese speaking people and everything is not very well-organised.
If you can catch it, it is definitely a must-listen.
After what he said, I’m glad I took the decision of not going.
The Anonymous Widower 