Ickenham Station Has Gone Step-Free
I wrote West London Stations To Be Made Step-Free in January 2018.
One of the stations on the list; Ickenham station, is now step-free.
These pictures showed the station, when I visited the station in early 2018.
And these show it, after the addition of step-free access.
It is a practical rather than architectural lift installation incorporating new walkways connecting the two lifts and the main entrance to the station.
- Unlike many Underground stations, Ickenham station, does not appear to be Listed.
- The cladding for the installation, appears to be in a slate-grey steel.
- The stairs are still there for the agile.
As the pictures show the walkways are open to the elements, but there is enough headroom to use an umbrella.
Could London Overground Services To Stratford Be Extended To Meridian Water?
My arrival In Platform 11 at Stratford station has got me thinking!
And others too! Judging by the comments I’ve received.
Yesterday, I took a train from Dalston Kingsland station to Stratford station.
- The train was the 0934 from Clapham Junction, which was timed to arrive in Stratford at 1038.
- It arrived in Platform 11 at 1036.
In A London Overground Class 378 Train In Platform 11 At Stratford Station, I show pictures of the train in Platform 11 at Stratford station.
I suspected this was just a one-off occurrence, caused by a malfunction in a train or the signalling, which prevented my train from using the normal Platforms 1 or 2, that services to Stratford would use.
Although, looking at Real Time Trains, the 0938 train this morning, terminated in Platform 11. As it did on Monday and Tuesday this week.
- This train was the only train from Clapham Junction station not to use Platform 2.
- Checking days last week, it appears that this train always terminated in Platform 2.
So why did the service terminate in Platform 11?
Driver training is one possibility, so they can use the Platform 11, if there is a malfunction that stops them using Platform 2.
But is there a clue in the first picture, I took, when I arrived in Stratford?
The train in Platform 12 is the 1046 to Meridian Water, which arrived from Bishops Stortford at 1040.
Could it mean that there is to be a reorganisation of platforms at Stratford?
- Platform 12 will be exclusively used by Greater Anglia for their West Anglia Main Line services.
- Platform 11 will be used by London Overground.
In Using Platform 12 At Stratford Station, I described ending up on Platform 12, so I know it is possible, but when it happened information was bad for passengers, who didn’t know here they needed to go to continue on their way.
But why would London Overground need the extra platform?
These are my thoughts.
Do London Overground Need An Extra Platform At Stratford?
Currently London Overground services to Stratford are as follows.
- Four tph – Stratford and Richmond
- Four tph – Stratford and Clapham Junction
Note.
- tph is trains per hour.
- Both Class 378 and Class 710 trains can work the routes to Stratford.
- Eight tph can easily be handled by two platforms.
To handle more trains may need a third platform at Stratford for the London Overground.
Extra Trains Between Stratford And Canonbury
This report from Network Rail is entitled The London Rail Freight Strategy (LRFS).
It says this about creating a third platform at Camden Road station.
This proposal would reinstate a third track and platform on the northern side of Camden Road station, utilising part of the former 4-track formation through the station.
The additional capacity provided would facilitate much greater flexibility in pathing options for trains on this busy central section of the NLL, opening up new options for future service provision and bolstering performance resilience.
Reinstatement of a third platform would enable platform 2 to be used as a central turnback, with platform 3 becoming the eastbound line for through London Overground services and the majority of freight.
Transport for London modelling suggests that the eastern end of the NLL, from Canonbury to Stratford, will see some of the strongest long-term demand growth on the Overground network.
A turnback platform will allow this to be addressed with peak capacity boosting services between Stratford and Camden Road and there would also be the option to operate these through the off-peak, which could offer a means of providing additional passenger capacity where it is most needed.
The availability of an additional platform would also aid performance recovery during perturbation on
the orbital routes.
Note.
- The strongest passenger growth on the North London Line (NLL), will be between Canonbury and Stratford.
- Extra services are proposed between Stratford and Camden Road stations.
- If you travelled between Highbury & Islington and Stratford before the pandemic, the trains only had space for a few extra very small people in the Peak.
I use this section of the North London Line regularly and suspect the route needs at least twelve tph.
Twelve tph into Stratford would probably mean that the London Overground would need a third platform at Stratford.
More Trains Serving Meridian Water
In the Wikipedia entry for Meridian Water station, this is said.
In August 2019, it was announced that funding had been approved for construction of a fourth platform and a new section of track between Tottenham Hale and Meridian Water to enable up to 8 trains per hour to serve the station at peak times.
This must be the earliest upgrade in history, after a new station has opened.
I got the impression, when the station was announced that it would have four tph to Stratford. Currently, there are just two tph.
Two tph between Stratford and Bishops Stortford also pass through without stopping.
If these called at Meridian Water in the Peak, then there would still be four tph to find.
An easy way to create four tph between Stratford and Meridian Water would be to extend four London Overground services from Stratford.
- Services would call at Lea Bridge, Tottenham Hale and Northumberland Park stations.
- Trains would pass through Platform 11 at Stratford.
- Platform 11 at Stratford would be bi-directional.
- The service could be run all day, at a frequency of four tph.
- As these trains have their own track, they won’t delay the Cambridge and Stansted trains on the West Anglia Main Line.
- A cross-London service between Meridian Water and Clapham Junction or Richmond, would be possible.
Note.
- London Overground would be responsible for the bulk of the Meridian Water service.
- London Overground’s four- or five-car trains would probably have sufficient capacity for the service.
- The main new infrastructure needed would be the fourth platform and a new section of track at Meridian Water station.
- Some improvements as specified in the London Rail Freight Strategy will be useful, as they will increase capacity on the North and West London Lines.
- My only worry would be, that can modern signalling handle four tph in both directions through Platform 11 at Stratford station.
What Will Be The Track Layout And Method of Operation?
The current track layout is simple.
A bi-directional third track has been laid between Lea Bridge junction, just to the North of Lea Bridge station and Meridian Water station.
- It is to the East of the double-track West Anglia Main Line.
- There are bi-directional platforms at Tottenham Hale and Northumberland Park stations.
- There is a single terminating Platform 2 at Meridian Water station.
A train going between Stratford and Meridian Water stations does the following.
- Leaves from Platform 11 or 12 at Stratford station.
- Calls in Platform 2 at Lea Bridge station.
- Switches at Lea Bridge junction to the bi-directional third-track.
- Calls in Platform 2 at Tottenham Hale station.
- Calls in Platform 2 at Northumberland Park station.
- Terminates in Platform 2 at Meridian Water station.
A train going between Meridian Water and Stratford stations does the following.
- Leaves from Platform 2 at Meridian Water station
- Calls in Platform 2 at Northumberland Park station.
- Calls in Platform 2 at Tottenham Hale station.
- Switches at Lea Bridge junction to the Up line of the West Anglia Main Line.
- Calls in Platform 1 at Lea Bridge station.
- Terminates in Platform 11 or 12 at Stratford station.
The track layout can probably handle a maximum of two tph.
I suspect the upgrade will build on this layout to allow a frequency of at least four tph.
The following works will be done.
- A fourth track to the East of the bi-directional third track will be built.
- The fourth track will run between Tottenham Hale and Meridian Water stations.
- I suspect the fourth track will split from the third track at a junction to the North of Tottenham Hale station. Could this be called Tottenham Hale North Junction? I will use that name, to make things simple!
- A new Platform 1 will be built in Meridian Water station.
- Trains going North between Tottenham Hale and Meridian Water will use the current bi-directional third track and will be able to terminate in either Platform 1 or 2 at Meridian Water station.
- Trains going South between Meridian Water and Tottenham Hale will use the new fourth track and will be able to start from either Platform 1 or 2 at Meridian Water station.
- I suspect, Northumberland Park station will need a new Platform 1 for Southbound trains. But the station was designed with that in mind.
A train going between Stratford and Meridian Water stations will do the following.
- Leave from Platform 11 or 12 at Stratford station.
- Call in Platform 2 at Lea Bridge station.
- Switch at Lea Bridge junction to the bi-directional third-track.
- Call in Platform 2 at Tottenham Hale station.
- Call in Platform 2 at Northumberland Park station.
- Terminate in Platform 1 or 2 at Meridian Water station.
A train going between Meridian Water and Stratford stations will do the following.
- Leave from Platform 1 or 2 at Meridian Water station.
- Use the new fourth track to come South.
- Call in Platform 1 at Northumberland Park station.
- Continue on the bi-directional third-track at Tottenham Hale North Junction.
- Call in Platform 2 at Tottenham Hale station.
- Switch at Lea Bridge junction to the Up line of the West Anglia Main Line.
- Call in Platform 1 at Lea Bridge station.
- Terminate in Platform 11 or 12 at Stratford station.
The track layout is effectively two double-track sections linked by a bi-directional single track between Lea Bridge Junction and Tottenham Hale North Junction.
- On the double-track sections of the route trains can pass each other, as they are on different tracks.
- Lea Bridge and Tottenham Hale stations are 1.9 miles apart.
- Trains take three or four minutes between Lea Bridge and Tottenham Hale stations. Including the stop at Tottenham Hale on the single track section.
If trains could alternate through the single-track section, this would give a capacity of well over four tph in both directions.
- A train going North would wait in Platform 2 at Lea Bridge station until the previous Southbound train had cleared Lea Bridge junction, before proceeding North.
- A train going South would wait at Tottenham Hale North Junction until the previous Northbound had safely passed, before proceeded South.
I suspect that the trains need full digital signalling with a degree of Automatic Train Control.
But I suspect we could see six tph in both directions.
- This would fit nicely, with London Overground’s ambition of six tph on all routes.
- It could be increased to eight tph in the Peak, by arranging for an appropriate number of Greater Anglia services to and from Liverpool Street at Meridian Water.
I feel that a service that meets all objectives will be possible.
Proposals From The London Rail Freight Strategy That Might Help
These proposals from the London Rail Freight Strategy might help.
- NLL, GOB And WLL Headway Reductions – See Headway Reductions On The Gospel Oak To Barking, North London and West London Lines
- Kensal Green Junction Improvement
- Moving The West London Line AC/DC Switchover To Kensington Olympia
- Stratford Regulating Point Extension
- Camden Road Platform 3 – See Will Camden Road Station Get A Third Platform?
- Clapham Junction Platform 0 – See Will Clapham Junction Station Get A Platform 0?
It does look to me, that the London Rail Freight Strategy was designed with one eye on improving the passenger train service between North-East and South-West London.
Taking The Pressure Off The Victoria Line
Consider.
- If you’re going between Walthamstow and the West End or the major stations of Euston, Kings Cross, St. Pancras and Victoria, you will use the Victoria Line.
- If you live in the new housing, being built at Meridian Water, currently you will be likely to hop to Tottenham Hale station and take the Victoria Line.
Consequently, Northern end of the line can get busy! And not just in the Peak!
But a four tph service between Meridian Water and Stratford, will encourage passengers to go to Stratford to take advantage of the Central and Jubilee Lines and Crossrail.
Hence there will be less passengers, who need to use the Victoria Line.
A Better Interchange Between Camden Road And Camden Town Stations
The essential upgrade of Camden Town station has been put on indefinite hold due to TfL’s financial position.
This is a big mistake.
- Camden Town station gets dangerously full!
- It would allow the splitting of the Northern Line into two independent lines, which would increase capacity of the current system.
- Camden Town station is not step-free but Camden Road station has lifts.
Hopefully, it would result, in a better route between the two stations, rather than the polluted route on a narrow pavement.
I very much believe that the rebuilding of Camden Town station is the most important project to improve London’s Underground and Overground network.
But it won’t get built with the current Mayor, as he’s a South Londoner.
Could A Meridian Water and Clapham Junction Service Be An Affordable Crossrail 2?
Consider.
- Crossrail 2 will link Clapham Junction and Meridian Water via Central London and Dalston.
- A Meridian Water and Clapham Junction service would link the two stations via Shepherd’s Bush, Old Oak Common, West Hampstead, Camden Road, Dalston and Stratford.
Each route has their connectivity advantages.
- Both have good connections to Crossrail, Thameslink and the Bakerloo, Central and Jubilee Lines.
- The London Overground route has good connections to the Victoria Line and High Speed Two at Old Oak Common.
- Crossrail 2 serves important stations in Central London.
A Meridian Water and Clapham Junction service could be a valuable addition to London’s rail infrastructure without too much new expensive infrastructure.
Conclusion
An extension of some London Overground services from Stratford to Meridian Water would be worthwhile.
Implementation of this is made easier by the recommendations of the London Rail Freight Strategy.
I
GWR To Test Battery Train On Branch Line
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Business UK.
This is the first paragraph.
Great Western Railway has invited expressions of interest in trialling a battery powered train on the 4 km non-electrified branch line from West Ealing to Greenford in west London.
The article says that Vivarail have made a previous proposal, but other companies are also likely to declare their interest.
I feel some unexpected proposals could turn up.
The reason would be commercial,.
This is the last paragraph of the article, which says this.
The challenge on Great Western is we’ve got branches like Greenford, Windsor, Marlow and Henley along the Thames valley, and then in the West Country we’ve got St Ives, Falmouth, Newquay, Looe, Gunnislake and so on’, said Hopwood. ‘If we don’t electrify those could we fit the trains with a battery?’ The ideal solution may be a train that fast charges either at one end of the route or possibly at both ends, or on a route like Marlow, Gunnislake or Looe, where the trains reverse during their journey, could the charge point even be on that part of the branch?’
Note.
- Mark Hopwood is now the Managing Director of GWR.
- Nine branches are mentioned, so with spare trains and maintenance, it could be a good-sized order.
But this project could be even bigger.
South Western Railway are a sister company of Great Western Railway and in August 2020, I wrote Special Train Offers A Strong Case For Reopening Fawley Line about the plans to open the Fawley Line.
This was a section, I wrote about trains that might work the line.
South Western Railway’s Innovative Train Plan
This is another quote from the article.
However, SWR’s Mark Hopwood favours a much bolder plan. “We’d have to take a decision, once we knew the line was going ahead. But my personal belief is that we should be looking for a modern environmentally-friendly train that can use third-rail electricity between Southampton and Totton and maybe operate on batteries down the branch line.”
Pressed on whether that would mean Vivarail-converted former-London Underground stock, Hopwood ads. “It could be. Or it could be a conversion of our own Class 456, which will be replaced by new rolling stock very shortly. But I don’t think this is the time to use old diesels.
This is the same Mark Hopwood, who is now Managing Director of GWR.
These pictures show the current status of one of the twenty-four Class 456 train.
In Converting Class 456 Trains Into Two-Car Battery Electric Trains I discuss this conversion in detail.
Conclusion
Twenty-four battery-electric Class 456 trains would probably go a long way to satisfy GWR’s needs.
Nunhead Junction Improvement
London has a rail capacity problem, for both freight and passenger trains.
This report from Network Rail is entitled The London Rail Freight Strategy (LRFS).
One of the secondary recommendations of the report is to improve Nunhead junction.
The report explains it like this.
Rail freight stakeholders have consistently highlighted Nunhead as a priority location for improving the flow of freight around the London orbital routes. The junction to the immediate east of the station is a flat crossing where two lines of route and multiple passenger and freight services groups converge into the South London Line, creating a pinch point for capacity.
Freight train drivers, when consulted for input into this strategy, flagged the route eastbound from Peckham Rye through Nunhead and towards Lewisham as a challenging section on which to keep heavier trains moving. This is primarily a consequence of the relatively slow permissible speed of 25mph over Nunhead Junction when routed towards Lewisham,
which follows a steadily rising gradient from Peckham Rye.The option proposed by this strategy is for changes to the track alignment in order to increase the speed of the turnout towards Lewisham, as far as can be achieved without affecting the speed of the main route towards Catford. This option would primarily benefit the performance of eastbound freight flowing from the South London Line towards the North Kent lines, one of the key rail freight corridors in the South East, enabling freight trains to run at faster and more consistent speeds towards Lewisham.
This would most likely increase right time presentation at the critical flat junction at Lewisham, as well as assisting the flow of passenger and freight trains to the Catford Loop by ensuring preceding Lewisham-bound traffic can clear Nunhead Junction as quickly as possible.
Addressing the existing constraints to freight traffic through Nunhead, which by their nature most affect the heavier bulk traffic that characterises the North Kent corridor, would also support industry aspirations to maximise the payloads that trains can haul.
This map from cartometro.com shows the route between Nunhead and Lewisham stations.
And this Google Map shows Nunhead station and the junction.
Note.
- Nunhead junction is towards the right of the map.
- The lines going to the East go to Lewisham.
- The lines going to the South East go to Crofton Park and Catford.
- I have counted the freight trains through Nunhead junction on real time trains and there can be as main as six trains per hour (tph), through the junction at times, using both Lewisham and Crofton Park routes.
But there would also appear to be plenty of space around the junction to realign the tracks.
As many trains need to go East from Lewisham and there are two flat junctions on the route; Nunhead and Lewisham, anything that improves keeping to schedule is to be welcomed.
The Use Of Electric Haulage
All routes through Nunhead junction have 750 VDC third-rail electrification, but I suspect all freight trains through the junction are diesel hauled.
Real time trains also shows that many of the trains through Nunhead junction also use the West London Line through Shepherd’s Bush.
In Decarbonisation Of London’s Freight Routes, I proposed a dual-voltage battery-electric locomotive to handle freight trains.
Perhaps more capable battery-electric freight locomotives with their better acceleration, are part of the solution at Nunhead junction.
Conclusion
This appears to be a well-thought out solution to one of the problems for freight trains in London.
I also believe that dual-voltage battery-electric locomotives could be part of the solution at Nunhead junction and would also help in many other places on the UK rail network.
Related Posts
These are related posts about the London Rail Freight Strategy (LRFS).
Decarbonisation Of London’s Freight Routes
East Coast Main Line South Bi-Directional Capability
Gauge Improvements Across London
Headway Reductions On The Gospel Oak To Barking, North London and West London Lines
Heavy Axle Weight Restrictions
Kensal Green Junction Improvement
Longhedge Junction Speed Increases
Moving The West London Line AC/DC Switchover To Kensington Olympia
Moving The West London Line AC/DC Switchover To Shepherd’s Bush
Stratford Regulating Point Extension
A London Overground Class 378 Train In Platform 11 At Stratford Station
Trains on the North London Line to Stratford station normally terminate in Platform 1 or 2.
The train I got today terminated in Platform 11.
This platform is usually used for services up the Lea Valley.
My First Ride In A Hydrogen-Powered Double-Deck Bus
Today, I had my first ride in a hydrogen double-deck bus.
I took these pictures.
Note.
- I took the No 7 bus in London between Ladbroke Grove tube station and Oxford Circus.
- There were still some of the older Volvo hybrid buses on the route.
- The current fleet is around twenty buses.
This article on edie.net, is entitled England’s First Hydrogen Double-Decker Buses Hit The Road In London.
I note this paragraph in the article with interest.
Hydrogen used to fuel the new London buses is being produced at Air Liquide’s facility in Runcorn, Cheshire, which processes waste hydrogen from the industrial chemical industry. From 2023, the facility will be converted to produce only green hydrogen – a term used to describe hydrogen produced using electrolysis powered by renewable electricity.
It sounds, that at present the hydrogen could be coming from the old Castner-Kellner plant at ICI’s Runcorn complex. where I had my first job after leaving Liverpool University in the late 1960s.
These are my thoughts.
Refuelling
The edie article says the buses are refuelled once a day, at a facility at Perivale in Ealing.
Interior Design
Londoners will feel at home in these buses, as they have the same look and feel as London’s other double-deck buses.
But they do have some features, borrowed from other means of transport.
- They have a set of four family seats.
- Are those two yellow bars in front of where I sat a foot rest?
- There were a lot of USB- charger sockets.
It is certainly a well-designed interior.
Battery Or Hydrogen?
In A Trip On An Electric Double Deck Bus On Route 212 Between Chingford And St. James Street Stations, I described a trip on an electric double-deck bus.
I would go for the hydrogen, rather than electric.
A friend who runs a bus company in London, says fleets of battery buses are a nightmare to recharge.
The Edie article says once a day is fine.
The battery bus has a higher environmental footprint.
Hydrogen can fuel trucks, cars, vans and semblances, at the same charging station.
But the big problem is most battery buses are Chinese and Transport for London’s hydrogen buses have been built in Northern Ireland.
Performance
\\\thr performance of the bus was spritely!
Conclusion
This was a good bus!
Stratford Regulating Point Extension
London has a rail capacity problem, for both freight and passenger trains.
This report from Network Rail is entitled The London Rail Freight Strategy (LRFS).
One of the secondary recommendations of the report is what Network Rail call the Stratford Regulating Point Extension.
The report explains it like this.
Capacity analysis for this study emphasised in its conclusions that the key to making the timetable work is the ability to hold trains in strategic locations in order to match capacity between the orbital lines and the radial routes in and out of London.
It therefore noted that holding capacity at Stratford for the longest freight trains (up to 775m) is essential, recommending that consideration is given to lengthening the Up Channelsea Loop at Lea Junction in particular.
The purpose of this scheme would be to provide a regulating point offering 775m standage for freight trains passing through Stratford towards the NLL, fully segregated from other traffic.
This would be achieved by extending the existing Up Channelsea Loop to the North-West, so that it can accommodate a 775m train clear of Stratford Central Junction.
This option offers combined capacity and train lengthening benefits, as the ability to regulate the longest trains at key interface points on the network increases the chances of finding them a compliant path through successive timetable structures as they pass from route to route.
Note.
- 775 metres is the longest train allowed on UK railways.
- Longer trains are an efficient way of moving freight and often mean less trains in total.
- It is extremely handy to have a place to park a train, to aid in keeping to the timetable.
This map from cartometro.com shows the Eastern end of the North London Line and the Up Channelsea Loop.
Note.
- The orange tracks are the North London Line and are used by the London Overground and freight trains.
- The Up Channelsea Loop to the South-West of the North London Line.
- The Up Channelsea Loop has connections to both directions of the Great Eastern Main Line at its South-Eastern end.
- Carpenters Road North junction would appear to connect Liverpool Street station to the High Meads curve, so that empty stock can be moved to and from the sidings at Orient Way.
- I would expect that any train waiting in the Up Channelsea Loop can’t overhang Carpenters Road North junction, as this would block the empty stock movements between Liverpool Street and Orient Way sidings.
This Google Map shows the South-Eastern end of the Up Channelsea Loop.
Note.
- The bridge over the tracks is the main access to the Olympic Park.
- I have arranged that the Up Channelsea Loop runs between the North-West and South-East corners of the map.
- The two tracks to access the Up Channelsea Loop join in the South-East corner of the map.
- The crossover to the North of the bridge is part of Carpenters Road North junction.
I would estimate that freight trains waiting in the Up Channelsea Loop can’t be closer than about thirty metres from the bridge.
This second Google Map shows what I suspect is the usable section of the Up Channelsea Loop.
Note.
- I have arranged the North-Western corner of the map over the buffer stops at the end of the Up Channelsea Loop.
- The South-Eastern corner is at the lower limit of the Up Channelsea Loop.
- I estimate that the usable length of the current Up Channelsea Loop is six hundred metres at most.
This third Google Map shows the Northern end of the Up Channelsea Loop.
Note.
- The crossover so trains can leave the Up Channelsea Loop in the South-East corner of the map.
- There is a red buffer stop on the end of the loop.
I feel they will certainly have to bridge the River Lea, if the Up Channelsea Loop is going to be lengthened to the North-West.
Perhaps this fourth Google Map, that shows a 3D view of the area from the West.
Note.
- Is there a tunnel under Marshgate Lane that can take three tracks.
- There could be space to extend the Up Channelsea Loop over the River Lea and alongside the long building, which is the Energy Centre for the site.
- There might even be a bit more space to create a fast exit from the Up Channelsea Loop.
If the Up Channelsea Loop is going to extend this far, then it looks like it has been planned for some time.
I took these pictures as I approached Stratford station.
Note.
- The Up Channelsea Loop is the track furthest away to the right.
- The red buffer stop can be picked out.
- I started taking pictures alongside the Energy Centre.
- I think that the short tunnel between the Energy Centre and the River Leacan handle three tracks.
It looks to me, that provision was made for lengthening the Up Channelsea Loop, when these tracks were laid.
Conclusion
I think it is going to be a tight fit to extend the Up Channelsea Loop by sufficient length to handle the longest freight trains.
But it should be possible.
Related Posts
These are related posts about the London Rail Freight Strategy (LRFS).
Decarbonisation Of London’s Freight Routes
East Coast Main Line South Bi-Directional Capability
Gauge Improvements Across London
Headway Reductions On The Gospel Oak To Barking, North London and West London Lines
Heavy Axle Weight Restrictions
Kensal Green Junction Improvement
Longhedge Junction Speed Increases
Moving The West London Line AC/DC Switchover To Kensington Olympia
Moving The West London Line AC/DC Switchover To Shepherd’s Bush
Doubling Harlesden Junction
London has a rail capacity problem, for both freight and passenger trains.
This report from Network Rail is entitled The London Rail Freight Strategy (LRFS).
One of the secondary recommendations of the report is to double Harlesden Junction. It says this about the doubling.
At present, several Goods lines from the direction of Wembley Yard converge into a single lead through Harlesden Junction, the connection to the City lines, from which the North London Line is accessed. This represents a bottleneck where trains are unable to pass in each direction simultaneously. Conceptual design work for the LRFS has identified that the bridge span immediately above the junction, which the two West Coast Main Line Slow lines also pass under, formerly accommodated four tracks in total.
Because the City lines extend for a relatively short distance between Harlesden Junction and Kensal Green Junction, a speed increase at Harlesden Junction is necessary in order to align with the uplifted speeds proposed for Kensal Green Junction (see Core Interventions). Upgrading Harlesden Junction is therefore required in order to realise the benefits of the core intervention at Kensal Green Junction. Doubling the junction would further ease the flow of freight trains through this critical connection between the West Coast Main Line and the orbital routes.
This map from cartometro.com shows Harlesden Junction.
This Google map shows the area.
Note.
- The six tracks across the bottom of both maps are the West Coast Main Line.
- The double track rail line going North-South over the West Coast Main Line is the Dudding Hill Line.
- The Northernmost tracks, that go East-West under the Dudding Hill Lines are the combined Watford DC and Bakerloo Lines, which explains their colour in the first map.
- South of these tracks are the City Lines and Harlesden Junction, which connects it to the West Coast Main Line.
This 3D image shows the Harlesden Junction with the Dudding Hill Line over the top, looking from the South-East.
Note that Harlesden station can be seen in the North-East of the map.
There is certainly space in the area to improve the junction.
Conclusion
It strikes me that if you improve Kensal Green Junction, then doubling of Harlesden Junction is needed, to make the most of the investment at Kensal Green.
Related Posts
These are related posts about the London Rail Freight Strategy (LRFS).
Decarbonisation Of London’s Freight Routes
East Coast Main Line South Bi-Directional Capability
Gauge Improvements Across London
Headway Reductions On The Gospel Oak To Barking, North London and West London Lines
Heavy Axle Weight Restrictions
Kensal Green Junction Improvement
Longhedge Junction Speed Increases
Moving The West London Line AC/DC Switchover To Kensington Olympia
Moving The West London Line AC/DC Switchover To Shepherd’s Bush
Stratford Regulating Point Extension
Moving The West London Line AC/DC Switchover To Kensington Olympia
London has a rail capacity problem, for both freight and passenger trains.
This report from Network Rail is entitled The London Rail Freight Strategy (LRFS).
One of the secondary recommendations of the report is to move the switchover between AC and DC power on the West London Line to Kensington Olympia station. It says this about the switchover.
Although moving the changeover to Shepherd’s Bush would eliminate the need for passenger trains to slow down or stop at North Pole Junction, electrically hauled freight trains will still need to switch power supply modes whilst moving, wherever the AC/DC interface is located.
Due to the substantial incline facing trains running northward on the WLL, which increases in severity towards the Willesden end of the route, it would be preferable for the changeover to be made as far south as possible. This would enable freight trains to slow down to switch traction before reaching the worst of the gradient, giving them a much better chance of regaining line speed once drawing power from the OLE.
Although Kensington Olympia is less than a mile to the south of Shepherd’s Bush, the intervening route section is almost entirely level, with the incline commencing just before Shepherd’s Bush station and continuing to rise sharply along the rest of the WLL. The capacity and performance benefits of relocating the changeover are therefore likely to be greater if the overhead wires are extended to Kensington Olympia, removing the risk to traffic flow that would remain if freight trains were forced to switch whilst running uphill.
This would prepare the West London Line for the transition to electric freight that will be necessary as part of the decarbonisation of the railway over the next thirty years.
Resolving the current traction changeover issues for freight as well as passenger trains would support this transition by encouraging freight operators to invest in electric locomotives to run on the orbital routes, in the confidence that this constraint has been addressed.
I covered this recommendation in Moving The West London Line AC/DC Switchover To Shepherd’s Bush, as so many arguments are the same about the two stations.
This was my conclusion in the related post.
I believe, as probably do Network Rail, that Kensington Olympia station should be the station, where the switchover occurs.
I did add a caveat, that it is probably all down to money.
Related Posts
These are related posts about the London Rail Freight Strategy (LRFS).
Decarbonisation Of London’s Freight Routes
East Coast Main Line South Bi-Directional Capability
Gauge Improvements Across London
Headway Reductions On The Gospel Oak To Barking, North London and West London Lines
Heavy Axle Weight Restrictions
Kensal Green Junction Improvement
Longhedge Junction Speed Increases
Moving The West London Line AC/DC Switchover To Shepherd’s Bush
Stratford Regulating Point Extension
The Anonymous Widower 