Through The Acton Dive-Under
As I left Ealing Broadway station to return to Paddington, it rather caught me by surprise and I only just got the camera out in time.
Hence the quality of the pictures.
Track Layout At West Ealing For The Greenford Branch Line
These pictures show the track layout, where the Greenford Branch Line leaves the Great Western Main Line.
The basic track layout is simple.
The track from the bay platform 5 in West Ealing station and a track that joins to the Up Slow Line through platform 4 come together in a short length of single track, that then splits again to form the double track of the Greenford Branch Line.
Whilst I was waiting on West Ealing station, a freight train came down the Down Slow Line and then through Platform 3 of the station, before going down the branch line. So there must be another crossover to allow trains to change tracks.
The pictures are described in detail as follows.
- The Greenford Branch Splits/Joins Outside West Ealing Station – The track to the left, goes to the bay platform 5.
- The Greenford Branch Changes From Single To Double Track At The Start Of The Branch – The branch is double-track until outside Greenford station.
- West Ealing Sidings To The Top-Left And The Greenford Branch To The Right – The Plasser site is in the middle.
- The Greenford Branch Joins The Great Western Main Line – The bay platform 5 is straight ahead.
I suspect that when the timetable changes in May, the track layout will be in its final form.
Changing At West Ealing Station
This morning I changed at West Ealing station onto the Greenford Branch Line, after taking one of the new Class 387 trains from Paddington, which now run at a frequency of two trains per hour (tph).
It was not the best of experiences.
My train arrived and I assumed that they would be a few minutes to allow me to get across from Platform 3 to Platform 5.
But by the time I got there, the train had long since left, so I had a twenty-seven minute wait on a draughty and cold platform.
GWR could do one of three things.
- Arrange the schedules, so that transferring passengers have time to catch the shuttle train.
- Put up a temporary shelter, until the new station is built.
- Run four tph on the Greenford Branch.
I wasn’t the only passenger, who was a bit fed up.
Drayton Green Station
Drayton Green station is the first station on the Greenford Branch Line.
I took these pictures of the station and the nearby bridge, this morning.
Note.
- The station is a tidy station, with shelters and information.
- There are gentle steps up and down from the nearby road bridge to access the two platforms.
- The station fits the current two-car Class 156 train, that works the branch.
I’ve seen far worse stations on my travels around the UK.
The Current Service
The current two trains per hour (tph) service is provided by a single two-car Class 156 train, that shuttles between bay platforms at West Ealing and Greenford stations.
Two trains could provide a four tph service.
Electrification
In an ideal world, the branch would be electrified.
- There is occasional freight traffic.
- It might serve as a diversion route.
- It might be a way of serving Old Oak Common station and the nearby depots.
- Crossrail will increase the number of passengers on the branch.
But to electrify the area around Drayton Green station could be expensive.
I’m no expert, but it does strike me, that not only is the bridge rather low, but also the parapets of the bridge certainly are.
So I suspect that electrification of the branch meeting all the regulations, would need an expensive new bridge, which would need several months of closure, with the resulting inconvenience to passengers.
But there is an alternative for passengers and that is to use electric trains with onboard energy storage to work the line.
Consider.
- Greenford station is electrified with 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
- West Ealing station is electrified with 25 KVAC electrification.
- Out and back is only 5.4 miles.
Or the current Class 156 train could continue until it fell to pieces.
As the branch is not busy, two two-car trains delivering a 4 tph service could be sufficient for some years.
But I very much feel that the operator and the passengers would prefer an modern electric train.
A Timelapse Video Of Ordsall Bridge Replacement Over Christmas 2016
I have created a post of this video, to make it easy to find.
I was pointed to the video from this page from Place North West.
The Anonymous Widower 