The Grade II Listed Next-Train Indicators At Earl’s Court Station Are Back
This page on Rail News has a section, which is entitled Heritage Train Indicators Return To Service, where this is said.
Vintage train describers have returned to the platforms of Earl’s Court District Line station, which is Grade II listed. First installed in 1905 when London’s District Railway was electrified, they have been renovated and given replica destination name plates, which are highlighted as required by an illuminated arrow. The indicators had been switched off while they were connected to a new signalling system. Modern information panels showing the destination and the number of minutes before the next train is due from each of the four platforms have also been installed.
I went Earl’s Court station to have a look this morning and took these pictures.
They all seemed to working as they should.
Earl’s Court station is a Grade II listed London Underground station and Wikipedia says this about these indicators.
On each platform is an old-fashioned “next train” indicator board which had various routes shown, of which one is usually highlighted by an arrow to indicate that this is the route of the next train. As of March 2022, these have been temporarily disabled while signalling is upgraded to CBTC signalling, as part of the 4LM improvement works to the subsurface lines, although are expected to return in June the same year. These have not been replaced by modern electronic equivalents as they are Grade II listed.
There can’t be many next train indicators in the world, that are listed or given the local equivalent.
This does take me all back to the 1960s, when for two summers, I worked in the Electronics Laboratory at a company called Enfield Rolling Mills. The Electronics Laboratory developed control systems for the many machines in the factory. At that time, a lot of the work involved replacing relays and electronic valves with then-modern transistors. I learned a lot about industry in those two summers and it wasn’t all about automation and electronics.
Would a fifteen-year-old be allowed to do a job like that, these days?
I suspect that on that Earl’s Court indicator board, there is some interesting electronics connecting it to the CBTC signalling.
The Lizzie Line And Circle/District Line Interchange At Paddington – 1st July 2022
This morning I wanted to go between Moorgate and Victoria stations.
It is a journey that can be done in any number of ways.
- Circle, Hammersmith & City or Metropolitan Line to King’s Cross St. Pancras and then change to the Victoria Line.
- Northern Line to King’s Cross St. Pancras and then change to the Victoria Line.
- Northern Line to Euston and then change to the Victoria Line. This can be a cross-platform interchange.
- Northern City Line to Highbury & Islington and then change to the Victoria Line. This is not an easy interchange.
- Northern Line to Bank and the change to the Circle or District Line.
- Circle or Hammersmith & City to Paddington and then change to the Circle or District Line. This interchange involves a walk all the way across Paddington station.
- 21, 43 or 141 bus to Monument and the change to the Circle or District Line.
If you’re lucky and time it right, you can get a direct Circle Line train, which run at a frequency of six trains per hour (tph).
The Elizabeth Line has opened up another way.
The Elizabeth Line is taken to Paddington and then you walk up the side of the station to the Circle/District Line entrance on the other side of Praed Street from the National Rail station.
These pictures show my walk at Paddington station.
Note.
- It is an immaculate step-free climb out of the Elizabeth Line station.
- Once at station level, it is a walk up a gentle incline the the Circle/District Line station.
- There are shops; including Boots, M & S and Sainsburys, and toilets just inside Paddington station, as you walk beside the station.
- There are stairs to walk down to the Circle/District Line platforms.
I walked the transfer in under ten minutes. From Moorgate to Victoria took 38 minutes.
I feel that this route has advantages for many travellers.
- The Elizabeth Line currently has 12 tph through Paddington.
- When the Elizabeth Line is fully connected up in Autumn 2022, there will be 22 tph, through Paddington.
- The convenient shops and toilets will be welcomed by many.
- It is an easier route, than accessing the Circle/District Line station from inside the main station.
The Lawn, which has shops and cafes, would also be a good place to meet friends, family or a business colleague or client.
Moorgate And Victoria Via The Circle Line
I did this route on the 5th of July, after waiting ten minutes for a Circle Line train. It took me 23 minutes.
London Underground: Safety Checks Cause Metropolitan Line Disruption
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
These are the first three paragraphs.
Urgent safety checks are being carried out on trains running on the Metropolitan line section of the Tube, Transport for London (TfL) has said.
TfL is warning of severe disruption as engineers check over the entire fleet of trains – which also run on the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines.
The trains were only introduced in 2010, but TfL said a fault had been identified on some of their wheels.
Obviously, safety is a priority and it will take some time to check all of the trains.
I have used these trains several times in the last few days and there are extended intervals between services.
Could Crossrail Come To The Rescue?
Consider.
- Crossrail has interchanges with the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and the Metropolitan Lines at Whitechapel, Liverpool Street, Moorgate, Farringdon, Paddington and Ealing Broadway.
- Crossrail trains have been running between Paddington and Abbey Wood for a few months.
- Crossrail has good connections to the Central and Jubilee Lines.
Perhaps, opening Crossrail at a lower frequency may take the pressure off the system?
London Underground Trains Are Getting Faster
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Ian Visits.
A long-running signalling upgrade on the London Underground is starting to show results as the latest timetables show faster journeys on some trips. The four lines modernisation project is replacing antiquated signals across the entire sub-surface part of the Underground – that’s the District, Circle, Metropolitan, and the Hammersmith & City lines.
Iam then goes on to detail some of the timing improvements.
In Between Liverpool Street And Wimbledon Park Stations, I note that I think station dwell times are getting shorter.
Between Liverpool Street And Wimbledon Park Stations
This morning, after I’d finished walking to Liverpool Street station, I took the new route to Wimbledon Park station.
- Liverpool Street to Whitechapel on the Hammersmith & City Line.
- Whitechapel to Wimbledon Park on a District Line train.
The change at Whitechapel was just a walk across the wide platform.
I have rarely gone between Whitechapel and Wimbledon on the District Line and this was one of the first times since the 4LM (Four Lines Modernisation) project has been well under way.
The difference showed in the station dwell times, with only four stops taking more than thirty seconds from brakes on to brakes off.
- Victoria, Sloane Square and South Kensington still took under a minute.
- But Earl’s Court took a lengthy six minutes.
This map from cartometro.com shows the stations.
Note.
- The stations are all close together.
- There are some complicated junctions.
- The District Line splits into two to the West of Earl’s Court station.
This section will be challenging to any signalling system.
It works out that the average dwell time between Whitechapel and Wimbledon is around fifty seconds.
Ealing Broadway Station – 31st May 2021
This article on Rail Technology Magazine, which is entitled Transport for London Completes Step-Free Access At Ealing Broadway, alerted me that the station might be worth a look.
I took these pictures this morning.
This map from cartometro.com shows the station layout.
Note.
- The black lines in Platforms 1 and 2 are the Great Western Railway main line platforms.
- The black/blue lines in Platforms 3 and 4 are the Great Western Railway slow line platforms, which are also used by Crossrail.
- The red tracks in Platforms 5 and 6 are the Central Line platforms.
- The green tracks in Platforms 7, 8 and 9 are the District Line platforms.
These are my thoughts.
Step-Free Access
Consider.
- Access between platforms 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 is on the level, as it has been for years.
- There are a pair of lifts to access these six platforms from street level.
- There are also two other lifts to Platform 1 and Platform 2/3.
- There are three typical Network Rail stairs to the platforms, with double-handrails, which at 73, I can still manage.
I’ve certainly seen much worse stations with supposedly step-free access.
I also wonder if another lift will be added to directly serve the District Line platforms.
It could be one of those additions, that has been catered for, so it can be added if necessary.
Crossrail And Routes Into And Out Of London
Crossrail will change commuting and leisure routes, into and out of London.
- Crossrail serves the West End, the North of the City and Canary Wharf directly.
- Crossrail has good connections to the Central, Circle, District and Jubilee Lines.
- Crossrail has a direct connection to Thameslink.
- All Crossrail interchanges will be step-free.
After it has been opened for a few months, I can see that direct connections and ducking and diving will have seriously changed London’s well-established commuting and travel patterns.
Using Ealing Broadway Station As An Interchange
It will certainly be easier with all the new step-free access, but I suspect some passengers, who previously changed at Ealing Broadway station, will go straight through on Crossrail.
In Will Crossrail Open To Reading in 2019?, I said that Ealing Broadway station will get the following total number of Crossrail trains.
- 12 tph in the Peak
- 10 tph in the Off-Peak
Note.
- tph is trains per hour.
- Six tph would go between London Paddington and Heathrow.
- Two tph would go between London Paddington and Reading.
It will be interesting to see what Crossrail timetable is delivered.
The Overall Design
It is a fairly conservative design, that follows the principles of good step-free access.
Interchange is level and good between Crossrail and the tube lines.
There are still a few details to be finished and I suspect it will be a well-thought of station.
A Few Questions
These are a few questions.
Will The Station Be A Gateway To Heathrow?
I suspect it could be, as the station is well-connected by bus and tube to large numbers of places.
Conclusion
Ealing Broadway will be a busy interchange and I’m sure, it’s been designed to handle a lot of passengers.
Whitechapel Station – 29th December 2020
I took these pictures as I passed through Whitechapel station.
Note.
- The platforms for the Metropolitan and District Lines seem to be almost complete.
- New lighting and seating has been installed.
The stairs down to the platforms from the street, can be seen behind one of the hoardings.
Crossrail And Ealing Broadway Station
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the track layout at Ealing Broadway station.
These are lines from North to South through the station.
- The lines shown in green are the District Line, which terminates in platforms 9, 8 and 7.
- The lines shown in red are the Central Line, which terminates in platforms 6 and 5.
- The lines shown in dark blue are the slow lines through platforms 4 and 3, which carry Crossrail and other slow services. Platform 4 is the London-bound platform.
- The lines shown in black are the fast lines through platforms 2 and 1, which carry all fast services. Platform 2 is the London-bound platform.
These are my thoughts on the layout.
Eastbound Crossrail Trains
Passengers travelling East on Crossrail, will be able to walk across from Platform 4 to any of the terminal platforms numbered 5 to 9, for the Central and District Lines.
This picture taken from a London-bound train in Platform 4 shows a Central Line train in Platform 5.
They are only a short walk apart and passengers who are changing trains will probably position themselves in the rear of the Crossrail train.
Passengers entering the station will just walk across to Platform 4 to use Crossrail to Central London and beyond.
I doubt there will be many passengers arriving on the Central and District Lines, who will want to go back on themselves to Central London. If say they lived near a station between West Acton and Marble Arch, and wanted to go East on Crossrail, they’d probably change between the Central Line and Crossrail at Bond Street station.
Westbound Crossrail Trains
Passengers needing to access the Westbound Crossrail trains in Platform 3, will have to use the bridge over the slow lines carrying Crossrail.
Because of the multiple interchanges between the Central Line and Crossrail, depending on where you join the Central Line, you will probably change to Westbound Crossrail trains at different points.
- Start a journey between West Acton and Marble Arch and you’ll probably change to the Westbound Crossrail at Ealing Broadway.
- Start a journey at Oxford Circus and you’ll probably change to the Westbound Crossrail at Bond Street.
- Start a journey between Bank and Holborn and you’ll probably change to the Westbound Crossrail at Tottenham Court Road.
- East of Bank, there are two interchanges at Liverpool Street and Stratford.
It is very much a ducker and diver’s paradise.
Escalators And Lifts Could Be Needed At Ealing Broadway Station
There could be quite a number of passengers needing to cross to and from Platform 3, who will mainly be in two categories.
- Westbound passengers leaving the station.
- Westbound passengers arriving on the Central and District Lines wanting to continue West on Crossrail.
In addition, there will be a large number of passengers entering the station, wanting to catch trains to Central London.
To cater for these passenger flows, there must be a full set of up-and-down escalators and lifts for the following.
- Platforms 4 to 9 in the main station.
- Platform 3 on the Westbound slow line for Crossrail and other slow services.
Wikipedia says four lifts will be added.
It should be noted, that Dlston Junction station handles similar numbers of passengers to Ealing Broadway with one lift and one wide double staircase.
Escalators would future proof the station for more services.
Will District Line Services Be Replaced By Piccadilly Line Services?
There are rumours, that the District Line services at Ealing Broadway station will be replaced by Piccadilly Line services.
Reportedly, this will do the following.
- Allow frequency increases on the District Line to Richmond and Wimbledon.
- Allow a frequency increase on the core section of the Piccadilly Line.
Consider
- Whatever service uses Ealing Broadway will have little effect on the operation of the station.
- Acton Town, Hammersmith, Barons Court, Earl’s Court, Gloucester Road and South Kensington stations are all served by both the District and Piccadilly Lines.
- The Piccadilly Line could be an alternative to Crossrail 2 between Green Park and Kings Cross.
- The Piccadilly Line will have new high-capacity trains in a few years.
Will the change, which means the Piccadilly Line has a capacity increase, allow Crossrail 2 to be delayed by a couple of years?
- This would ease, Transport for London’s cash flow.
- It might also allow a better plan for building Crossrail 2
It will be interesting to see the full details of the swapping of lines.
Ealing Broadway Station – 19th April 2019
These pictures show Ealing Broadway station.
There’s still a lot of work to be done, to make the station, look like Crossrail’s image on the hoarding.
These are the proposed train frequencies at the station in the Off Peak, when Crossrail opens.
- Four trains per hour – Great Western Railway.
- Ten trains per hour – Crossrail.
- Six trains per hour – District Line
- Nine trains per hour – Central Line
There will be extra services in the Peak.
Crossrail To Reading In December 2019
As current rumours are that Crossrail will open in December to Reading, it looks like the station will be usable, if the architects have got the design right.
It is planned that Ealing Broadway station will have a Crossrail train every six minutes.
Could Metropolitan Line Trains Run Between Uxbridge In The West And Barking/Upminster In The East?
I read somewhere in Wikipedia, that Transport for London (TfL) were thinking of extending Uxbridge Branch trains on the Metropolitan Line from Aldgate to Barking and/or Upminster stations.
Current Frequencies Between Wembley Park And Upminster Stations
These are the Off Peak frequencies on the various sections of the route in trains per hour (tph)
Wembley Park To Baker Street
- 2 tph – Amersham to Aldgate
- 2 tph – Chesham to Aldgate
- 8 tph – Uxbridge to Aldgate
- 4 tph – Watford to Baker Street
This gives a total of 16 tph
Baker Street To Liverpool Street
- 2 tph – Amersham to Aldgate
- 2 tph – Chesham to Aldgate
- 8 tph – Uxbridge to Aldgate
- 6 tph – Hammersmith to Barking
- 6 tph – Circle Line
This gives a total of 24 tph
Aldgate East to Barking
- 6 tph – Hammersmith to Barking
- 6 tph – Richmond to Upminster
- 6 tph- Ealing Broadway to Upminster
- 3 tph – Wimbledon to Barking
This gives a total of 21 tph
Barking to Upminster
- 6 tph – Richmond to Upminster
- 6 tph – Ealing Broadway to Upminster
This gives a total of 12 tph
Current Frequencies Between Hammersmith And Baker Street
I’ll add this, in case I need it later.
- 6 tph – Hammersmith to Barking
- 6 tph – Circle Line
This gives a total of 12 tph
Current District Line Frequencies Between Hammersmith And Upminster
These are the Off Peak frequencies on the various sections of the route.
Hammersmith to South Kensington
- 6 tph – Richmond to Upminster
- 6 tph – Ealing Broadway to Upminster
This gives a total of 12 tph
South Kensington to Tower Hill
- 6 tph – Richmond to Upminster
- 6 tph – Ealing Broadway to Upminster
- 3 tph – Wimbledon to Barking
- 6 tph – Circle Line
This gives a total of 21 tph
Aldgate East to Barking
- 6 tph – Hammersmith to Barking
- 6 tph – Richmond to Upminster
- 6 tph- Ealing Broadway to Upminster
- 3 tph – Wimbledon to Barking
This gives a total of 21 tph
Barking to Upminster
- 6 tph – Richmond to Upminster
- 6 tph – Ealing Broadway to Upminster
This gives a total of 12 tph
Four Lines Modification
The Four Line Modification is a project to upgrade the following lines.
- Circle Line
- District Line
- Hammersmith & City Line
- Metropolitan Line
New S7 and S8 Stock trains have been delivered and new track and drainage has been installed, but the biggest change will be in the new signalling. TfLsays this abut the new signalling.
Work to install a new signalling and control system began in summer 2016. This will eventually allow the trains to be driven automatically, with a train operator in the cab to open and close the doors. The train operator will be responsible for managing customer information and safety.
Similar technology introduced in recent years on the Jubilee and Northern lines improved performance. The new signalling system allows trains to be run closer together, meaning a more frequent service and shorter waiting times, allowing more people to be carried. This new technology will enable us to reduce delays and improve reliability.
If 32 tph can be run on sections of the four lines, it is an impressive upgrade of capacity.
Currently the frequencies are.
- Wembley Park to Baker Street – 16 tph
- Baker Street to Liverpool Street – 24 tph
- Aldgate East to Barking – 21 tph
- Barking to Upminster – 12 tph
For completeness these frequencies will be added.
Hammersmith to Baker Street – 12 tph
Note
- The frequencies are all at least eight tph below the maximum future operating frequency.
- The busiest section is between Baker Street and Liverpool Street stations.
- The frequency on the two end sections of the Northern East-West section between Hammersmith and Upminster stations is only 12 tph.
It looks like TfL have scope to increase the capacity on the four lines.
Are The Circle/District Line Platforms At Edgware Road Station At Maximum Capacity?
Currently, the following services terminate at Edgware Road station.
- Six tph on the Circle Line.
- Six tph on the District Line from Wimbledon station.
As there are only two platforms to turn the twelve tph, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone told me, that Edgware Road station was at maximum capacity.
If this is the case, then no more trains can be run on the Circle Line, without reducing the frequency to Wimbledon, unless the station were to be rebuilt.
This Google Map shows the station.
And this map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the lines through Edgware Road and Baker Street stations.
Edgware Road station lies in a cutting, in the midst of some very expensive real estate.
- It is not step-free.
- According to the carto.metro.free.fr map, there used to be or still is a siding or platform to the South of the current four platforms.
- The junctions to the West of the stations are complicated.
- As trains often wait for a few minutes in the station, I suspect it is not operationally efficient.
Could at some time in the future, the station be rebuilt?
- The East-West services might go straight through in two Northern platforms.
- The junction to the West of the station would be simplified, with no crossing of tracks.
- Three terminal platforms could be built for trains coming from the South, which would allow an increase in services.
- Hopefully, the East-West and terminating services could be separated and wouldn’t cross each other.
- Development of tower blocks over the top would provide some funds for the new station.
Would it be possible to increase Circle Line services to ten tph?
Frequencies along the route would be as follows.
- Baker Street to Liverpool Street – 28 tph
- Tower Hill to South Kensington – 25 tph
- High Street Kensington to Edgware Road – 16 tph
My scheduling nous says yes! I also feel, that using good project planning, the station could be built without disrupting services.
Baker Street Issues
Is Aldgate Station At Maximum Capacity?
Currently, the following services terminate at Aldgate station.
- 2 tph from Amersham
- 2 tph from Chesham
- 8 tph from Uxbridge
As there are only two platforms to turn the twelve tph, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone told me, that Aldgate station was at maximum capacity.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the lines at Aldgate station.
Note
- The two platforms at Aldgate station are sandwiched between the two Circle Line tracks.
- The platforms are curved, which makes step-free access difficult.
I suspect fitting in three straight platforms and full step-free access in the existing station will be very difficult.
This Google Map shows the general area around Aldgate station.
Certainly South of Aldgate High Street, there seems to be a site that could be ripe for development.
Are the District and Circle Lines underneath?
In a comment to this post, Melvyn says that the station could be redeveloped. He said this.
I did read a proposal to make Aldgate accessible linked to property development so this would mean a redesign of the station which could lead to removal of one of the terminal tracks.
I think I will conclude, that whatever happens at Aldgate station, there is no way, the station can handle more than twelve tph.
Could Extra Trains Be Turned At Barking?
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows Barking station and the sidings to the East.
If the eight tph from Uxbridge turned back at Barking, that would mean that seventeen tph would need to be handled at the station.
I’m fairly certain, that this number of trains could be turned at Barking.
It is also worth noting in the map, the cross-platform interchange with c2c.
Could Extra Trains Be Turned At Upminster?
Upminster station has a depot with an impressive maze of sidings to the East.
As the station also has three platforms for District Line trains, I believe the station can handle more than the twelve tph, that it does now!
Increasing The Core Frequency
Suppose extra trains were to be run between Baker Street and Liverpool Street stations.
Ideally, eight extra tph would need to be run to use the maximum capacity of the route.
Where Would The Extra Trains Go In The West?
Extra trains could possibly be run to Hammersmith station, as the three-platform station can probably handle more trains than the twelve tph it does now.
If Edgware Road station is at maximum capacity, then no more Circle Line trains could be run.
But with a rebuild of Edgware Road station in the future, would allow perhaps up to an extra four tph on the Circle Line.
But there could be a few more Hammersmith & City Line services.
There would also be the possibility of more Metropolitan Line services to Amersham, Chesham Uxbridge and Watford stations.
Where Would The Extra Trains Go In The East?
Consider.
- There are four bay platforms at Moorgate station,but are they currently the wrong side of the important Liverpool Street station.
- Moorgate station is being rebuilt for Crossrail and this may open up possibilities for using the bay platforms.
- Aldgate station is at full capacity.
- Extra trains can’t take the Circle Line as Edgware Road station is at frill capacity.
- With a rebuild of Edgware Road station, it might be possible to add four tph to the Circle Line.
So I come to the conclusion, that some extra services must go on to Barking and/or Upminster.
A Possible Timetable
If I assume the extra eight tph go all the way between Wembley Park and Upminster, this gives the following frequencies along the line.
- Wembley Park to Baker Street – 24 tph
- Baker Street to Liverpool Street – 32 tph
- Aldgate East to Barking – 29 tph
- Barking to Upminster – 20 tph
The terminals of the various services could be shared between Aldgate and Upminster.
I also suspect, that the new signalling will allow twelve tph instead of the current eight tph to be terminated at Baker Street station.
Uxbridge To Barking/Upminster Timings
These are the timings for various section of the route.
- Uxbridge to Baker Street – 38 minutes
- Baker Street to Liverpool Street – 13 minutes
- Liverpool Street to Barking – 25 minutes
- Barking to Upminster – 18 minutes
This means that Uxbridge to Upminster could take 94 minutes, with Uxbridge to Barking taking 76 minutes.
These may translate into the following round-trips.
- Uxbridge and Upminster – Four hours, which would need 32 trains.
- Uxbridge and Barking – Three hours, which would need 24 trains.
The current service between Uxbridge and Aldgate has a round trip of two hours, which needs 16 trains.
It would appear that if Uxbridge services go to an alternative terminal, then Barking would be a better choice.
Conclusion
It looks like, that it is very likely, that Metropolitan Line trains will run as far as Barking and/or Upminster stations.
The Anonymous Widower 