The Channel Crossing Problem
My company provided the project management computer system; Artemis, that planned how both the tunnel and the rail link to London was built. So I heard numerous stories of inadequate infrastructure on both sides of the Channel.
I also for a time was a business partner of the man, who had been project manager on a previous attempt to build a Channel Tunnel, that was cancelled by Harold Wilson’s government in 1975, who had a lot of interesting input.
I have heard over the years of these inadequacies,
- The Dartford Crossing wouldn’t be able to handle the traffic generated at busy times.
- The Eurotunnel terminal in Folkestone wasn’t built large enough.
- The port of Dover is too small.
- The roads to the Port of Dover were inadequate.
- The rail terminal at St. Pancras doesn’t have the capacity to run services to the places that are better served by train.
The government only has one major improvement in place, which is a new Thames Crossing, but that will only make matters worse, as more traffic will be tempted to cross the Channel to get to Europe.
It is my belief, that we need more innovative services to provide more capacity.
- A German company called CargoBeamer, is developing a system, whereby unaccompanied freight trailers can be moved thousands of miles across Europe by rail. Their plans include services to Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester and Scotland.
- I would also run a CargoBeamer service from Calais to Holyhead to create a direct freight service between Ireland and Europe.
- Ebbsfleet needs to be developed as a destination for the Elizabeth Line and an extra terminal for both daytime and sleeper trains to Europe.
- High speed freight trains, based on existing 160 mph EMUs could be used.
- Given the position of the new Thames Crossing on the Isle of Grain, perhaps a new ferry port could be built on the island to partially replace Dover.
- Could some Eurotunnel services start from Watford Gap?
We have to be bold.
Extending The Elizabeth Line – Improving The Route To Windsor & Eton Central Station
This post is now complete.
I took the Elizabeth Line to Slough station, for onward travel to Windsor & Eton Central station today and took these pictures along the route.
Note.
- I joined the Elizabeth Line at Moorgate station and took a train all the way to Paddington station.
- As a Freedom Pass holder, I use the Elizabeth Line for nothing.
- I changed between the Central and Western sections of the Elizabeth Line at Paddington.
- I also bought my Slough and Windsor & Eton Central ticket at Paddington from a machine, for the princely sum of £2.10. It was with a Senior Railcard.
- There is a lot of building going on along the route.
- The diesel train on the Slough-Windsor & Eton Line was a three-car Class 165 train.
I have some thoughts on how to improve the train service to Windsor.
What Do I Mean By Improving?
I don’t mean direct trains, as that would be impossible for various reasons.
- Platform length at Windsor & Eton Central station would be a problem.
- Flat crossing across the fast lines would slow the expresses.
- To make the running efficient, a flyover would need to be built. The disruption of building it and the cost would be immense.
What is needed, is a system, which means that getting from Central Elizabeth Line stations to Windsor & Eton Central station is as easily as possible.
Windsor Is One Of Our Premier Tourism Destinations
I suspect that on passenger numbers; Bicester Village, Cambridge, Oxford and Windsor are the four most visited tourist sites by rail from London.
I don’t think it’s a good idea to provide some of the services to these destinations, with the exception of Cambridge, with British Rail-era diesel multiple units.
Could A Four-Car Train Be Run On the Slough-Windsor & Eton Line?
I took this picture of the Slough end of the three-car Class 165 train in Windsor & Eton Central station.
It does appear that say a four-car Class 387 train could be fitted into the platform, with perhaps some adjustment to the platform and the track.
Would The Train Be Electric Or Battery-Electric Powered?
Consider.
- The Slough-Windsor & Eton Line is only 2.5 miles long.
- It is single-track.
- Trains take six minutes to do the trip.
- Modern electric trains with better acceleration could probably do the trip in four minutes.
- A battery-electric train will need charging.
This OpenRailMap map shows the electrification at Slough station.
Note.
- 25 KVAC overhead electrification is shown in red.
- The Slough-Windsor & Eton Line leaves the map in the South-West corner of the map and runs into the electrified Bay Platform 1.
- The electrification in Platform 1 could be used to charge a battery-electric train.
- The Slough-Windsor & Eton Line appears to be partially electrified at the Slough end.
I wonder, if the simplest, most-affordable, least risky approach is to electrify the 2.5 miles with 25 KVAC overhead electrification, as it would allow a standard Class 387 train to work the route.
Operation Of The Shuttle
Currently, the Class 165 trains take six minutes between Slough and Windsor & Eton Central stations, which means that with turning the train at each end of the route, where the driver must walk seventy metres or so to change ends only a three trains per hour (tph) schedule is possible.
If I look at some of the station-to-station stops on the Elizabeth Line, I suspect that a well driven electric train could go between Slough and Windsor & Eton Central stations in perhaps four minutes. With a well-marshalled stop at either end of the route in perhaps two minutes, it could be possible to do a round trip in twelve minutes, which would allow a four tph service.
Capacity would go up from nine cars per hour to sixteen. or an over seventy percent increase in capacity.
There are several ways that, this shuttle could operate.
- As now, where the drivers have to be fit to change ends in the time.
- Two drivers are used with one in each cab.
- Drivers walk back on arrival at the terminal and then step-up into the next train. This is standard London Underground practice at stations like Brixton and Walthamstow Central.
- The train is fully-automated and the driver sits in either cab with an override, that allows him to take control, if say protestors or criminals get on the track.
As a Control Engineer, I certainly feel the fourth option is possible.
Intriguingly, I suspect the concept could be proved with two drivers in an existing three-car Class 165 train, to see if four tph are possible.
Ticketing
Ticketing is less of a problem now, than it was before March 28th 2022, as from that date Windsor & Eton Central station is now in the contactless area, so you could touch in with your bank card at any station in the London contactless area and touch out at that station.
It’s all explained on this page on the Great Western Railway web site.
I am a Freedom Pass holder, which gives me the ability to get free travel to and from anywhere on the Elizabeth line for free, so getting to and from Slough for nothing, is no problem, if I use the Elizabeth Line.
But I would need a ticket for the section between Slough and Windsor & Eton Central stations.
Before I got on the Elizabeth Line at Moorgate, I tried to buy an extension ticket between Slough and Windsor & Eton Central stations, from the ticket machines at Moorgate, but it was not possible, so in the end, I made a detour to the ticket office at Paddington and bought the ticket there. But when the Elizabeth Line is fully connected, there will have to be a rethink, as Freedom Pass holders from say Ilford would want a day out in Windsor.
Perhaps the Slough-Windsor & Eton Central line should become a fixed-fare line, where a bank card would be charged say a pound for each journey.
Note that I only paid £2.10 for a return ticket at Paddington with my Senior Railcard.
A Better Interchange At Slough
Currently, the Off Peak frequency of trains at Slough is as follows.
- Slough and Windsor & Eton Central – 3 tph
- Slough and Paddington – Elizabeth Line – 2 tph
- Slough and Paddington – Great Western Railway – 2 tph – Non-stop
- Slough and Paddington – Great Western Railway – 2 tph – Stopping
In TfL Confirms Details Of Reading Services, I wrote that the Elizabeth Line will have 4 tph to London in the Off Peak, with two extra services in the Peak.
This indicates to me, that the Slough and Windsor & Eton Central service needs four tph.
Extending The Elizabeth Line – Linking To The Oxted Line
I believe that everybody in the South East of England needs the best access possible to the Elizabeth Line, by train from where they live.
- The Elizabeth Line serves the important places like Brick Lane, Canary Wharf, the City of London, Heathrow Airport, Liverpool Street station, the Olympic Park, Oxford Street and Paddington station directly.
- Because of its connection to Thameslink, the Elizabeth Line also serves important places like Bedford, Brighton, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Luton Airport and Tate Modern with a single change at Farringdon station.
- Using the Elizabeth Line, Thameslink and perhaps a bus, it is possible to get to most important places in Central London.
- The more passengers that use the Elizabeth Line and Thameslink, the more London’s businesses will thrive creating employment and tax revenues.
- It should also be remembered, that using a train to visit central London, probably cuts your carbon footprint.
- The Elizabeth Line also cost a fortune, so perhaps by using it, you will be getting some of your portion of what it cost you back.
This post is the first of several, where I discuss how to bring more passengers into the Elizabeth Line network.
The Oxted Line
The Oxted Line is a line with two branches; East Grinstead and Uckfield, which runs South from East Croydon station.
- The branch to East Grinstead is electrified, but the branch to Uckfield is not and is still run by diesel trains.
- Plans exist to run battery-electric trains on the Uckfield branch, but they always seem to be awaited,
- Network Rail are now saying that they will electrify the Uckfield branch with third-rail.
- All platforms on both branches can take ten-car trains, if not twelve.
- A reasonable amount of money has been spent on the Uckfield branch to improve it.
- Services on both branches are one train per hour (tph).
- London terminals of trains are London Bridge and Victoria, both of which have no easy connection to the Elizabeth Line.
The major faults of the current services are as follows.
- One tph is not enough.
- Victoria is an overcrowded terminal with no connection to the Elizabeth Line or Thameslink
- At London Bridge and East Croydon, there are tortuous step-free change to Thameslink.
- From London Bridge you can use the Northern Line to transfer to the Elizabeth Line, but it wouldn’t be the best route when taking a heavy case to Heathrow.
- From Victoria, you can use the Circle and District lines to the Elizabeth Line at Paddington.
The Oxted Line service needs to be improved.
I would do the following.
Move Uckfield Branch Services To Thameslink
This would mean that Uckfield services would call at East Croydon, London Bridge, Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon, St. Pancras and then terminate somewhere to the North.
- There would be a step-free change to the Elizabeth Line at Farringdon.
- East Croydon and London Bridge are still served.
- There are connections to the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria Lines of the Underground.
- There will be no need for a terminal platform at London Bridge.
I believe that this gives much better connectivity.
Electrify To Uckfield
This is a long-debated question.
But as Thameslink trains are Class 700 trains, which are dual voltage, I’d electrify the Uckfield branch with 25 KVAC overhead electrification between Hurst Green and Uckfield.
Lightweight catenary could be used to reduce visual intrusion.
Note.
- The curved beam at the top of this overhead electrification gantry is laminated wood.
- Power changeover would take place at Hurst Green station.
Hopefully, the electric trains would offset any anger at overhead wires.
Run Two tph To Uckfield
I am fairly certain that when Network Rail lengthened the platforms on the Uckfield branch, that they arranged the track and signalling, so that two tph could use the branch.
Run An Hourly Shuttle Between Oxted And East Grinstead
This service would be as follows.
- It would terminate in the bay platform at Oxted station.
- This would give 2 tph on this route.
The existing hourly service between East Grinstead and Victoria would continue.
Conclusion
I believe that this simple scheme could give very good benefits to all stakeholders.
Extending The Elizabeth Line – Toilets On A Service Between Heathrow And Southend Airports
The Wikipedia entry for Crossrail, has a section about an extension to Southend Airport, where this is said.
Stobart Aviation, the company that operates Southend Airport in Essex, has proposed that Crossrail should be extended beyond Shenfield along the Shenfield–Southend line to serve Southend Airport and Southend Victoria. The company has suggested that a direct Heathrow-Southend link could alleviate capacity problems at Heathrow. The extension proposal has been supported by Southend-on-Sea City Council.
I think there could be a big problem, in that I estimate the journey will take a few minutes short of two hours. Surely, this will mean toilets will need to be fitted.
Extending The Elizabeth Line – Rebuilding Shenfield Station
I have a feeling that Shenfield station will become a bottleneck on the Great Eastern Main Line.
- I feel that both passenger and freight traffic will increase through the station in the next ten years.
- I also feel that there is a possibility that the Elizabeth Line will be extended to Southend/Airport/Victoria and/or Beaulieu.
- Yesterday, I changed between a Southend and a Lizzie Line service, which meant down in one lift and up in another.
- With more and more housing likely to be built in the area, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a lot more parking.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the station needing to be rebuilt and expanded in the next few years.
Platforms 16 and 17 At Liverpool Street Station – 2nd July 2022
On my way to Ilford station today, I used the Elizabeth Line at a not too busy time from Liverpool Street station.
Note.
- Platform 18 has been closed.
- Platform 16 is to the left and Platform 17 is to the right.
- Platforms 16 and 17 have been lengthened.
- The can now handle the full nine-car Class 345 trains.
- There is a wide walkway on the far side of Platform 17.
I have a few thoughts.
Why Is The Access Between Train And Platform Not Level?
This picture shows level access on the central section of the Elizabeth Line at Whitechapel station.
Why wasn’t the platform height adjusted to fit the trains in the rebuilt platforms 16 and 17 at Liverpool Street station?
Are There Any Plans For The Walkway Behind Platform 17?
Consider.
- At the other end of the station concourse, there is a walkway alongside Platform 1, that leads in and out of the station.
- There is also a walking route out between the two sections of the station.
A walkway behind Platform 17 could be possible.
Station Redevelopment
This article on Ian Visits is entitled Liverpool Street Station Plans For A £1.5 billion Redevelopment.
This is the first paragraph.
Initial plans have been revealed for a £1.55 billion redevelopment of Liverpool Street station that would see it become a two-level station with a much larger entrance built next to the tube station.
As the station is surrounded by a large cluster of skyscrapers, I will assume there will be another one.
Despite Brexit, Covid-19 and the War in Ukraine, there still seems to be an appetite for new office space in London.
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.
Moorgate Station – 1st July 2022
I took these pictures at Moorgate station today.
The new entrance to the station, appears to be almost complete.
- 101 Moorgate, which is the building in front of the station, needs to be built.
- The area between the buildings needs to be landscaped.
This image from JRA Architects shows the space between 11 Moorgate and the new station entrance.
This image is from the South, whereas my pictures were taken from the North.
101 Moorgate is the white and ruby building on the right.
From Moorgate To Imperial Wharf – 30th June 2022
I wanted to see the new entrance at Imperial Wharf station today, so after a full English breakfast on Moorgate, I took the Lizzie Line, Central and West London Lines across London.
I took this route.
- Lizzie Line – Moorgate to Tottenham Court Road
- Central Line – Tottenham Court Road To Shepherds Bush
- West London Line – Shepherds Bush To Imperial Wharf
I took these pictures along the route.
Note.
- The change at Tottenham Court Road station involves going up to the ticket hall and down again.
- The change at Shepherds Bush involves crossing the road between the Central Line and Overground station.
- The last few pictures show the new entrance at Imperial Wharf, which is for Northbound trains only.
When Bond Street station opens on the Lizzie Line, it should be easier to change there for the Central Line.
The Plans For A Connection Between The Lizzie And West London Lines?
This map from cartometro.com shows, where the Lizzie and West London Lines cross in the area of Old Oak Common.
Note.
- The Overground is shown in orange and splits into the North and West London Lines South of Willesden Junction station.
- The Lizzie Line is shown in purple and black, as it goes across the map, as at this point it shares tracks with the Great Western Main Line.
This map shows how High Speed Two will change the lines.
Note.
- Hythe Road station on the West London Line, which will have a walking route to High Speed Two and the Lizzie Line.
- Old Oak Common Lane station on the North London Line, which will have a walking route to High Speed Two and the Lizzie Line.
- The Dudding Hill Line, which is shown as an orange double-line and could be part of the West London Orbital passing North-South to the West of Old Oak Common Lane station.
- The Acton-Northolt Line, which is shown in blue and could give Chiltern Railways extra platforms at Old Oak Common with a walking route to High Speed Two and the Lizzie Line.
Wikipedia says that the status of the two Overground stations according to Transport for London is as follows.
Subject to funding being secured and further public consultation, we would seek permission to build and operate the proposals via a Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO). Funding remains a significant constraint in delivering these proposals. We are currently seeking to establish a package of funding that could enable the stations to be delivered by 2026 alongside the new HS2 and Elizabeth line station.
I suspect that with our current South London Mayor, we will see little progress on these connectivity schemes at Old Oak Common station, as with the possible exception of Hythe Road station, there’s little in it for South London.
Conclusion
Hythe Road station would certainly have made my journey easier yesterday.
Hopefully, though, if I do the journey again in the next year or so, Bond Street station will be open on the Lizzie Line and I’ll change to the Central Line there.
A Trip To Northfleet
Yesterday, I went to Northfleet station.
Partly, it was to have a drink with my old friend; Ian, but mainly it was to take some pictures to add to Elizabeth Line To Ebbsfleet Extension Could Cost £3.2 Billion.
Normally, when I go to see Ian I take the HighSpeed service out of St. Pancras.
But this service is expensive and as I was leaving from Moorgate, I decided to take the Elizabeth Line to Abbey Wood and get a train to Northfleet station instead.
I have a few thoughts on my journey.
Cost
I used my Freedom Pass to Abbey Wood and then bought an Off Peak Day Return between Abbey Wood and Northfleet for just £4.95 with a Senior Railcard.
Convenience
As you have to use one of the bridges at Abbey Wood to change to and from the Elizabeth Line, I used the one at the station end and popped through the barrier to buy my onward ticket from a machine.
Surely, Freedom Passes should be linked to a bank account, so if you want to stray outside Zone 6, you are automatically charged.
Elizabeth Line Messages On Southeastern
At Swanscombe station today, whilst waiting for my Thameslink train to take me back to Abbey Wood, I noticed that the displays were telling passengers to change at Abbey Wood for the Elizabeth Line.
You certainly wouldn’t use the dreadful Swanscombe station with heavy cases, but stations like Abbey Wood, Dartford, Gravesend and others would enable granny or grandpa to take a sensible-size wheeled case to Heathrow Airport with reasonable ease, once the Elizabeth Line becomes a fully-connected railway between Abbey Wood and Heathrow.
Onward Trains At Abbey Wood
There are two easy onward Thameslink tph at Abbey Wood, that run at sixteen and forty-six minutes past the hour.
You can also take the first Dartford train and then take the first train from there.
If you get the Thameslink train from Abbey Wood timings are as follows.
- Slade Green – 6 minutes
- Dartford – 11 minutes
- Stone Crossing – 16 minutes
- Greenhithe – 18 minutes
- Swanscombe – 21 minutes
- Northfleet – 23 minutes
- Gravesend – 27 minutes
- Higham – 33 minutes
- Strood – 39 minutes
- Rochester – 42 minutes
- Chatham – 45 minutes
- Gillingham – 50 minutes
- Rainham – 55 minutes
Note.
- There are also two Southeastern tph between Charing Cross and Gravesend, but they don’t serve Abbey Wood.
- The timings appeared sensible in my two trips; yesterday and today.
- Travellers also have a choice in that they can use the more expensive HighSpeed services to selected stations.
After just missing a Thameslink train today by a few seconds, and then had to wait thirty minutes for the next train, I am convinced that there needs to be a four tph service between Abbey Wood and Rainham.
Four tph Between Rainham And Abbey Wood
In Crossrail Ltd Outlines Plan To Complete The Elizabeth Line, I said this about Western branch services.
When Crossrail is fully open, the Western Branch frequencies are planned to be as follows.
- Reading and Abbey Wood – 4 tph in the Peak and 2 tph in the Off Peak
- Maidenhead and Abbey Wood – 2 tph all day
- Heathrow Terminal 4 and Abbey Wood – 4 tph all day.
- Heathrow Terminal 5 and Abbey Wood – 2 tph all day.
This includes 6 tph between Heathrow and Abbey Wood all day.
Crossrail To Ebbsfleet is proposing that the South-Eastern branch will terminate as follows.
- 4 tph – Abbey Wood
- 4 tph – Northfleet
- 4 tph – Gravesend
So will this mean that the six tph to Heathrow will be split equally between Abbey Wood, Northfleet and Gravesend, with two Heathrow tph terminating at each terminal?
The North Kent Metro
My naive mind thinks, why don’t the two Heathrow and Gravesend services terminate at Rainham?
This would give the following.
- The minimum four tph between Abbey Wood and Rainham.
- Rainham should be able to turnback for tph.
- Services would call at Belvedere, Erith, Slade Green, Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe, Swanscombe, Northfleet, Gravesend, Higham, Strood, Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham.
North Kent would have its own metro running under London Overground rules.
It could even start as soon as Class 345 trains are allowed to run to Rainham.
Airport Connect
Consider
- The Elizabeth Line service between Abbey Wood and Rainham could serve Heathrow at its Western end.
- The Thameslink service would serve Luton Airport Parkway.
- Both services would serve Liverpool Street for the Stansted Express and services to and from Southend Airport.
- Both services would serve Farringdon for services to and from Gatwick Airport.
- An extra station at Silvertown could serve London City Airport.
- In future, there could even be a connection to High Speed Two at Old Oak Common.
One service on the Elizabeth Line would connect all these together.
The Anonymous Widower 