Will Camden Road Station Get A Third Platform?
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 recommendations of the report is to build a third platform at Camden Road station. It says this about the third platform.
Reinstatement of a third track and platform on the northern side of Camden Road station, utilising part of
the former 4-track formation through the station.
Camden Road station used to have four platforms, but now it just have two.
This Google Map shows the station as it is today.
Note.
- Platform 1 is on the South side of the tracks with the London Overground roundel conveniently shown on the roof.
- Platform 2 is on the North side of the tracks.
- Regular users of the station can probably pick out the lift at the Eastern end of Platform 2.
- There is a bridge to the East of the station which takes the tracks over the junction of Royal College Street and Camden Road.
To the North of this bridge, two further bridges can be seen, that used to take the former third and fourth tracks over the roads and into two additional platforms to the North of the current two.
This map from cartometro.com shows the track layout through Camden Road station.
Note.
- The tracks shown in orange are the route of the North London Line of the London Overground.
- The two orange platforms labelled 1 and 2 at Camden Road station.
- The two former lines passing behind Platform 2, used to rejoin the North London Line to the West of the station.
These pictures were taken on the current Platform 2.
And these are some pictures of the bridge, what is behind the fence and other bridges.
Note.
- Most of the pictures of Platform 2, were taken from Platform 1.
- Behind the fence on Platform 2, there appears to be a substantial urban forest.
- Renewing the bridges and updating the railway arches could improve the area significantly.
- Camden Road station is a Grade II Listed building.
I don’t think, that any of the construction would be too challenging.
How Would The Third Platform Be Used?
This is said in the Network Rail document about the 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.
That all looks fairly sensible and wouldn’t require much work to the current station.
Note.
- Platform 2 is currently a fully-accessible platform with a lift and will become a spacious fully-accessible island platform with two faces 2 and 3, both serving London Overground services going East.
- There must surely be space on the island platform to build a substantial shelter, where passengers can sit, when long freight trains are passing through.
- There could even be space for a coffee kiosk.
The former Platform 3 appeared to be a Westbound platform, but the proposed new one appears to be an Eastbound one.
The Track Layout Immediately To The East Of Camden Road Station
These are my thoughts on the track layout to the East of Camden Road station.
This map from cartometro.com shows the track layout between Camden Road and Highbury & Islington stations.
Much of the route through Caledonian Road and Barnsbury station is four tracks. These tracks are named from North to South as follows.
- Down North London Reversible
- Down North London
- Up North London Reversible
- Up North London
Note.
- Eastbound London Overground services use the Down North London track.
- Eastbound freight services use the Down North London Reversible track.
- Eastbound freight services are sometimes held by signallers on the Down North London Reversible track.
- Westbound London Overground services use the Up North London Reversible track, before crossing over to the Up North London track at Camden Road East Junction.
- London Overground services only use the central island platform at Caledonian Road and Barnsbury station.
- Westbound freight services use both of the Up North London tracks.
- The London Borough of Camden have stated that they would like to see the reopening of Maiden Lane station.
These pictures show the former trackbed between the former Maiden Lane station and Camden Road station.
Looking at these pictures, I can deduce the following.
- There is very little constructuction of the former trackbed.
- There would be some signalling equipment to move.
- Some of the steel bridges would have to be replaced.
I feel, that a single track could definitely be created between the new Platform 3 at Camden Road station to connect with both Down North London tracks before the site of the former Maiden Line station.
It may even be possible to squeeze in two tracks.
A new track or tracks would enable the following.
- Eastbound London Overground services to go from Platform 3 at Camden Road station to Platform 3 at Caledonian Road and Barnsbury station.
- Eastbound freight services to go from Platform 3 at Camden Road station to either the Down North London Reversible or the Down North London tracks through Caledonian Road and Barnsbury station.
Note.
- Westbound services going through Camden Road station would be unaffected.
- Westbound London Overground services terminating in Platform 2 at Camden Road station would cross over to the current Up North London Reversible at the current Camden Road Central junction.
- Eastbound London Overground services starting in Platform 2 at Camden Road station would cross over to the new track or tracks to proceed to the East.
These are my answers to a few questions.
Will There Be One Or Two Extra Tracks?
Consider.
- It could probably be organised that the extra track or tracks start perhaps fifty metres or so to the East of Camden Road station.
- The distance between this point and Westbourne Road Junction is around a mile.
- Network Rail allows freight trains up to a length of 775 metres.
I am drawn to the conclusion, that if two tracks were to be built, then signallers would be able to hold the longest freight trains on the extended Down North London Reversible track, without interrupting London Overground passenger services.
How Will The Extra Tracks Affect The Camden Highline?
If two new tracks are built, I would expect that it will be impossible to build the Camden Highline.
But if only one is built, I suspect that a narrower Camden Highline might be able to be squeezed in.
Could Provision Be Made So A New Maiden Lane Station Could Be Built?
This map from cartometro.com shows the track layout around the former Maiden Lane station.
Consider.
- Eastbound London Overground services use the Down North London track and call in Platform 3 at Caledonian Road and Barnsbury station.
- Westbound London Overground services use the Up North London Reversible track and call in Platform 2 at Caledonian Road and Barnsbury station.
- To connect Platform 3 at Camden Road station to the Down North London Reversible and Down North London tracks, I suspect that Camden Road East junction will have to be remodelled.
I wonder if by the application of Network Rail’s latest track layout software, space could found for an island platform between the Up North London Reversible and Down North London tracks.
In Is Caledonian Road And Barnsbury An Ideal Four-Track Station?, I discuss the design of Caledonian Road and Barnsbury station,
I think it is a distinct possibility, that provision could be made for a future Maiden Lane station.
Will There Be Changes At Camden Road West Junction?
This map from cartometro.com shows the track layout to the West of Camden Road station.
Note.
- Platforms 1 and 2 of Camden Road station at the Eastern end of the map.
- Camden Road West junction to the West of the platforms.
- The dotted lines of old tracks leading to the former Platform 3 and 4 at Camden Road station.
Two double tracks lead away to the West from Camden Road West junction.
- The orange tracks are the North London Line to Willesden Junction and Acton.
- The black and orange tracks are an extension of the Watford DC Line, that links Camden Road station to the West Coast Main Line via Primrose Hill station.
Will both pairs of tracks be connected to the North London Line at Camden Road West junction, as they are now?
- Currently, a few freight trains per day, use the Primrose Hill route.
- There have been plans in the past, for the London Overground to use this route.
- They have also been known to run a Rail Replacement Train between Willesden Junction and Camden Road stations during engineering works, as I wrote about in The Future Of The Watford DC Line.
So I suspect Network Rail will design a comprehensive junction, that is all things to all operators and trains.
Through Running Between The East London Line and Willesden Junction Station
This was originally talked about in the original plans for the London Overground.
If you travel on the Overground to Barking, Blackhorse Road, Canada Water, Highbury & Islington, West Brompton, Hampstead, Whitechapel or Willesden Junction in the Peak, the interchanges are very busy, as passengers are transferring to the Underground.
Was this why through running was originally proposed between the East and North London Lines at Highbury & Islington station, as it would allow direct connection to extra Underground lines?
But one of the aims of the Overground was to enable journeys around London without going via Central London.
Platform 3 at Camden Road station, seems to increase the capacity on the North London Line, so perhaps this upgrade would give extra paths to allow some services to terminate to the West of Highbury & Islington.
This map from cartometro.com shows the track layout to the West of Highbury & Islington station.
I’m sure if Network Rail’s engineers can sort out King’s Cross, then they can come up with a track and signalling system that can handle this,
Could Platform 2 At Camden Road Be Used As An Alternative Terminus For Watford DC Line Services?
Euston station is being rebuilt and Network Rail might like to kick Watford DC Line services out of the station either temporarily or even permanently.
There are two routes that the Watford DC Line could take to get between Harlesden and Camden Road stations.
- They can use the route, I took one Sunday, when the London Overground was running a Rail Replacement Train, via Willesden Junction Low Level, Kensal Green, Queens Park, Kilburn High Road and South Hampstead.
- They might also be able to join the North London Line an improved Kensal Green junction.
The first route works and the second may need some extra work at Harlesden junction.
I estimate that Platform 2 at Camden Road station is presently as long as 120 metres.
I also estimate that it could be lengthened at both ends, during the building of a new platform 3 alongside.
Could a platform be built long enough to be able to handle two trains simultaneously?
- A four-car Class 710 train at the Western end.
- A five-car Class 378 train at the Eastern end.
A 200 metre long platform would probably suffice!
I think the concept has possibilities.
- Willesden Junction station has connections to the Bakerloo Line.
- West Hampstead station has connections to Thameslink and the Jubilee and further connections could be developed,
- Camden Road station could be connected to Camden Town station, which is on both branches of the Northern Line.
- A reopened Primrose Hill station could be connected to Chalk Farm station on the Northern Line.
- The Northern Line connects to Crossrail at Moorgate and Tottenham Court Road stations.
I suspect, if Camden Town station were to be expanded and rebuilt, that the connection between the two Camden stations would be more likely.
Either route could be taken between Willesden Junction and Camden Road stations.
But I feel, it might be less costly to take the North London Line route, especially, as this connects to West Hampstead station.
Could The Track Layout Be Further Simplified?
I’m no track expert, but it strikes me that a four-track layout could be built between just East of Camden Road station and Westbourne Road junction. From North to South these tracks would be.
- Eastbound Freight line – Connecting at the Western end to Platform 3 at Camden Road station and following the existing Down North London Reversible track to Westbourne Road junction.
- Eastbound Overground line – Connecting at the Western end to Platforms 2 and 3 at Camden Road station and following the existing Down North London track through Caledonian Road and Barnsbury station to Westbourne Road junction.
- Westbound Overground line – Connecting at the Western end to Platforms 1 and 2 at Camden Road station and following the existing Up North London Reversible track through Caledonian Road and Barnsbury station to Westbourne Road junction.
- Westbound Freight line – Connecting at the Western end to Platform 1 at Camden Road station and following the existing Up North London track to Westbourne Road junction.
Note.
- Both freight lines would be long enough for signallers to hold freight trains, so that other services could overtake.
- East of Caledonian Road and Barnsbury station, Overground and freight service would share the two tracks, as they do now!
- West of Camden Road station, Overground and freight service would share the two tracks, as they do now!
It strikes me that by good design, the capacity and speed through this section of the busy North London Line can be increased.
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
Will Clapham Junction Station Get A Platform 0?
Access To The Western End Of The Camden High Line
I took between Camden Road and Camden Town stations on Sunday.
I was investigating two questions.
- How would you provide access to the Western end of the Camden High Line?
- How would you improve interchange between the North London Line and Northern Line stations?
These are some of the pictures that I took.
I can see a few strengths and problems.
Architectural Quality
Camden Gardens has several Listed buildings, but the viaduct appears not to be Listed.
The brick viaduct is a substantial one and like most of this type of structure in the UK, Network Rail seem to keep it in good condition.
You have to remember that there was a derailment on the bridge, which I wrote about in Fall Out From A Train Crash. So I suspect, it has had a detailed check-up since.
The only eyesore is the steel bridge over Camden Street. But Network Rail have ways of making them look better. A good coat of paint would help.
Camden Gardens
To my mind, Camden Gardens needs development. Not in any negative sense, but it is surrounded by pedestrian traffic generators.
- Camden Road station to the East
- The Regents Canal to the South
- Camden Town station to the South, which will have a new step-free Northern entrance, about a hundred metres from the Gardens.
- |A large mixed development on the other side of Kentish Town Road.
- It is on the direct route between Camden Road station and the tourist attractions around Camden Lock.
It could be developed into a convenient oasis for those walking in the area.
Perhaps there needs to be a cafe in one of the arches.
Camden Interchange
In Boris Johnson’s Transport Infrastructure Plan for 2050, the Appendix mentioned that there will be an interchange between Camden Town and Camden Road stations. Unfortunately, a copy of the report is not available on the Internet.
But it can’t be deleted from my memory.
I feel strongly, that as after the expansion of Camden Town station, the two stations will be physically closer, that a Western entrance to Camden Road station, should be built, if the sums added up.
Consider.
- It would create a convenient interchange between the two rail services.
- It would improve access from Camden Lock and the new developments on the North side of the Regent’s Canal.
But it could also create access to the Camden High Line.
The Height Of The Viaduct
The viaduct is high, as the last-but-one picture in the gallery shows.
Because of the railway tracks, between the two platforms, which means the only way to cross is to walk to the other end of the platforms and go down and up again, design of affordable and practical access, will be challenging.
A Station Entrance On The Camden High Line
The first picture in the gallery, shows the shrubbery on the two disused tracks, that could become the Camden High Line, behind a fence.
It would surely be possible to create a ticket gate in a small building on the wide platform.
Conclusion
With clever design it would be possible to provide access to the Camden High Line and the station in a single development.
Thoughts On The Camden High Line
Last night, I was made aware of the Camden High Line proposal.
On their web site, they say this is their mission.
Our mission is to transform the disused railway into a sustainable green space and transport link that is open for and used by everyone.
Here are my thoughts.
The Railway Line In Question
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the disused railway tracks.
Note.
- The line shown in orange is the North London Line of the London Overground.
- Camden Road is a two-platform station, with full step-free access.
- Maiden Lane is a disused station, that closed a hundred years ago.
I would assume that the two dotted lines between the two stations, will be converted into the Camden High Line.
This Google Map shows the North London Line between Camden Road and Maiden Lane stations.
One of the most striking features visible from this map, is the large amount of development going on to the South of the North London Line.
The new residents and workers could probably do with a good walking and cycling route between Camden Town and Kings Cross.
Plans For The North London Line
The North London Line is a heavily-used passenger and freight route and it is unlikely, that traffic levels will drop.
Freight Traffic
There are now two electrified rail routes across North London; the North London Line and the Gospel Oak to Barking Line.
As two of the UK’s main container ports; Felixstowe and London Gateway, are not served by electrified railways, this still means that large numbers of diesel-hauled freight trains have to pass through North London to get to the Midlands, North and Scotland, despite the routes from Ipswich and Tilbury being fully-electrified.
These diesel-freight trains are boosted because the alternative route via Ipswich, Ely and Peterborough is not electrified.
The following needs to be done to seriously cut the number of diesel-hauled freight trains through North London.
- Electrify Ipswich to Felixstowe.
- Electrify to London Gateway.
- Electrify Ipswich to Peterborough.
- Replace a large fleet of polluting diesel Class 66 locomotives with modern electric units.
In some ways, the replacement of the locomotives by private freight companies is the largest stumbling block.
However, I think that the two shorter lengths of electrification will happen, which will mean that less diesel-hauled freight trains will pass through London, as they will go via Peterborough.
On the other hand, the need for freight trains will increase.
- More traffic to and from the ports.
- Freight to and from the Channel Tunnel, which must go through London.
- Trains carrying vehicles seem to be becoming more numerous.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see calls from the rail freight industry for improvements to the two freight routes through London.
One thing that will help freight trains, would be extra passing loops, where freight trains can wait for the passenger trains to overtake.
The double track of the Camden High Line is one of the few places, where another freight loop could possibly be installed.
Passenger Traffic
Sometime this year, two extra passenger trains per hour (tph) will run on the North London Line between Stratford and Clapham Junction stations.
This will bring the frequency to six tph.
On the past history of the London Underground, this will mean more full trains and pressure for longer trains and more services.
Old Oak Common Station
But the biggest changes will come in the next few years with a new Old Oak Common station, which will connect the North London Line to HS2, Crossrail, Chiltern, Great Western Railway and the West Coast Main Line.
Remember too, that the North London Line will be connected to Crossrail at Stratford.
Will these developments create a demand for extra trains on the North London Line?
Camden Town Station
Camden Town station on the Northern Line is being extended, with a new Northern entrance closer to the North London Line.
Will better routes be provided between Camden Road and Camden Town stations?
Interchange Between Camden Town And Camden Road Stations
Camden Town station’s new entrance will be to the North of the current entrance just off Kentish Town Road.
This Google Map, shows the Western end of Camden Road station.
Note.
- There is a train in the Westbound platform.
- Kentish Town Road meets the station by Camden Gardens.
- The overgrown unused tracks to the North of the current station.
- The green space of Camden Gardens, with the 88 bus stand.
Could a second entrance to Camden Road station be built within the viaduct, perhaps with a ground-level entrance in Camden Gardens?
- It would be a short walk to the new entrance to Camden Town station.
- It would be convenient for walking to Camden Lock and the other attractions along the Regents Canal.
If the Camden High Line is created, access to the Eastbound platform could be directly to and from the High Line, which would be a garden to the North of the station.
Maiden Lane Station
Wikipedia says this about the re-opening of Maiden Lane station.
Camden Council has suggested this station could be rebuilt and reopened, in conjunction with the King’s Cross Central redevelopment project.
In June 2017, the Council were talking with Tfl on the possible reopening of Maiden Lane & York Road stations which it wished to reopen with Maiden Lane more likely to reopen then York Road.
I suspect, if the station is reopened, it will be on the Southern pair of lines, currently used by the London Overgr4ound.
One of the problems of reopening Maiden Lane station, is that a stop at the station would decrease capacity on the North London Line, through the area.
Plans For The East London Line
The East London Line is one of the UK’s rail successes of the last few years.
An outpost of the London Underground, through a tunnel, built by the Brunels, was turned into a modern railway with new trains and sixteen tph all day.
But this is only a start!
Plans exist for more new trains, an extra fout tph through the tunnel and a possible uprating of the signalling to handle a frequency to 24 tph.
If the latter should happen, I feel that another Northern terminal will be needed for the East London Line.
The obvious terminal is Willesden Junction station.
- Willesden Junction was certainly mentioned, when the London Overground was opened.
- There is a bay platform at the station.
- ,The station can be reached via Camden Road, Primrose Hill, South Hampstead, Kilburn High Road, Queen’s Park and Kensal Green stations.
- It will have good connections to an extended Bakerloo Line.
It would create another route across North London.
Would it mean extra platforms at Camden Road station?
Conclusion
I think that there will be a very large demand for using the two old tracks for rail purposes.
The Anonymous Widower 