On The Loose In North London: Flying Gazebo Causes Train Delays
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item on Network Rail.
These paragraphs outline the story.
Residents are being urged to keep garden objects tied down and away from the railway after a flying gazebo caused 60 trains to be delayed or cancelled on Friday.
Passengers on London Overground trains running between Gospel Oak and Barking experienced disruption for around three hours. Freight trains were also affected.
The gazebo was reported to be blocking the line between Upper Holloway and Crouch Hill stations at around 0945 and trains had to be stopped while it was recovered by a Network Rail response unit.
In total, the incident caused 15 full train cancellations, 8 part cancellations and delays to 37 trains.
There is also this picture of the remains of the errant gazebo.
At least it appears, that the gazebo didn’t bring the wires down.
Could The Fenchurch Street And Grays Service Be Handed Over To The Elizabeth Line?
Before I discuss the suggestion in the title of this post, I will write down some thoughts.
The Capacity And Connection Problems At Fenchurch Street Station
If you read the Wikipedia entry for Fenchurch Street station, this paragraph sums up some of the problems of the station.
Fenchurch Street is one of the smallest railway terminals in London in terms of platforms, but one of the most intensively operated. It is the only London terminal with no direct interchange with the London Underground. Plans to connect it stalled in the early 1980s because of the lack of progress on the Jubilee line, but it is close to Tower Hill on the Underground and to Tower Gateway on the Docklands Light Railway.
I live in Dalston and if I want to use the services out of Fenchurch Street station to get anywhere it is a struggle.
As all services out of Fenchurch Street station stop at Limehouse, West Ham and Barking stations on the approach into London, I will usually go via either West Ham or Barking stations. As the three services out of Fenchurch Street are each two trains per hour (tph), this can mean a near-thirty minute wait at either West Ham or Barking stations, which at some times of the year are not the most customer-friendly of stations.
More services out of Fenchurch Street station would help to ease the problem, but the station is at capacity and nothing short of a complete rebuild of the station will solve the problems the capacity and connectivity..
There is a section called Future in the Wikipedia entry, where this is said.
There have been proposals to move the station 380 yards to the east to allow the station to expand to 6 platforms, (up from the current 4) and would be built partly on the site of Tower Gateway DLR station, which would likely be permanently closed.
The new station could be built with direct interchange with Tower Hill tube station, which could also have a replacement DLR station for Tower Gateway as Transport for London have looked into closing Tower Gateway and constructing a replacement on the Bank branch to increase capacity.
This project sounds like it would take a long time and cause a lot of disruption and inconvenience. But it would add capacity and connectivity.
This Google Map shows the location of the station.
Note.
- Fenchurch Street station is towards the bottom of the map in the centre.
- It is completely hemmed in by buildings.
- There is just a small square in front.
I feel it would be very difficult to rebuild a larger station in the same place.
Services Into Fenchurch Street Station
Currently, there are three services into Fenchurch Street station.
- Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness via Limehouse, West Ham, Barking, Upminster, West Horndon, Laindon, Basildon, Pitsea, Leigh-on-Sea, Chalkwell, Westcliff, Southend Central, Southend East and Thorpe Bay.
- Fenchurch Street and Southend Central via Limehouse, West Ham, Barking, Upminster, Ockendon, Chafford Hundred Lakeside, Grays, Tilbury Town, East Tilbury, Stanford-le-Hope, Pitsea, Leigh-on-Sea, Chalkwell and Westcliff
- Fenchurch Street and Grays via Limehouse, West Ham, Barking, Dagenham Dock, Rainham and Purfleet.
Note.
- All services are two tph.
- All services call at Limehouse, West Ham and Barking.
Each station gets the following frequency of trains.
- Barking – 6 tph
- Basildon – 2 tph
- Benfleet – 2 tph
- Chafford Hundred Lakeside – 2 tph
- Chalkwell – 4 tph
- Dagenham Dock – 2 tph
- East Tilbury – 2 tph
- Grays – 4 tph
- Laindon – 2 tph
- Leigh-in-Sea – 4 tph
- Limehouse – 6 tph
- Ockendon – 2 tph
- Pitsea – 4 tph
- Purfleet – 2 tph
- Rainham – 2 tph
- Southend Central – 4 tph
- Southend East – 2 tph
- Stanford-le-Hope – 2 tph
- Thorpe Bay – 2 tph
- Tilbury Town – 2 tph
- Upminster – 4 tph
- Westcliff – 4 tph
- West Ham – 6 tph
- West Horndon – 2 tph
c2c would appear to be offering a service, that is well-balanced about the stations it serves.
Can Elizabeth Line Trains Reach Barking?
This map from cartometro.com shows Woodgrange Park junction, where the Gospel Oak and Barking Line crosses over the Great Eastern Main Line.
Note.
- The Gospel Oak and Barking Line is shown in orange.
- Gospel Oak station is to the North-West and Barking is to the South-East.
- The Elizabeth Line tracks are shown with a dash of purple.
- It looks to me, that a train on the Elizabeth Line going East could come through Platform 2 in Forest Gate station and then take the Gospel Oak and Barking Line through Platform 2 at Woodgrange Park station.
- It also looks as if trains could go through Platform 1 at both Woodgrange Park and Forest Gate stations to go West on the Elizabeth Line.
I don’t know whether they still do, but c2c trains used to use Woodgrange Park junction to access Liverpool Street station, when Fenchurch Street was closed or at weekends.
At Barking station, they would take the flyover over the station call in Platforms 7 and 8 in the station.
From the Eastern ends of Platforms 7 and 8, trains can use one of three routes.
- The London Overground route to Barking Riverside station.
- The c2c route to Grays via Purfleet.
- The c2c route to Upminster.
Note.
- The platforms at Barking Riverside station are probably too short for the Elizabeth Line trains.
- The Class 345 trains would fit into the bay platforms at Grays and Southend Central.
The simplest thing to do would probably be to divert the two tph between Fenchurch Street and Grays to either Liverpool Street or Paddington at the London end.
Each station would now get the following frequency of trains.
- Barking – 6 tph
- Basildon – 2 tph
- Benfleet – 2 tph
- Chafford Hundred Lakeside – 2 tph
- Chalkwell – 4 tph
- Dagenham Dock – 2 tph
- East Tilbury – 2 tph
- Grays – 4 tph
- Laindon – 2 tph
- Leigh-in-Sea – 4 tph
- Limehouse – 4 tph
- Ockendon – 2 tph
- Pitsea – 4 tph
- Purfleet – 2 tph
- Rainham – 2 tph
- Southend Central – 4 tph
- Southend East – 2 tph
- Stanford-le-Hope – 2 tph
- Thorpe Bay – 2 tph
- Tilbury Town – 2 tph
- Upminster – 4 tph
- Westcliff – 4 tph
- West Ham – 4 tph
- West Horndon – 2 tph
Only Limehouse and West Ham would get fewer trains.
But there would surely, be an extra pair of paths between Fenchurch Street and Barking.
I have also looked at trains through Pitsea, Upminster and Westcliff it appears that nearly all of the traffic is c2c’s passenger trains.
So would it be possible, with perhaps improved signalling to add an extra two trains between Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness?
Each station would now get the following frequency of trains.
- Barking – 8 tph
- Basildon – 4 tph
- Benfleet – 4 tph
- Chafford Hundred Lakeside – 2 tph
- Chalkwell – 6 tph
- Dagenham Dock – 2 tph
- East Tilbury – 2 tph
- Grays – 4 tph
- Laindon – 4 tph
- Leigh-in-Sea – 6 tph
- Limehouse – 6 tph
- Ockendon – 2 tph
- Pitsea – 6 tph
- Purfleet – 2 tph
- Rainham – 2 tph
- Shoeburyness – 4 tph
- Southend Central – 6 tph
- Southend East – 4 tph
- Stanford-le-Hope – 2 tph
- Thorpe Bay – 2 tph
- Tilbury Town – 2 tph
- Upminster – 4 tph
- Westcliff – 6 tph
- West Ham – 6 tph
- West Horndon – 4 tph
More stations are getting four and six tph.
Conclusion
There are certainly possibilities to improve c2c by running services on the Elizabeth Line route.
Barking Riverside To Barking – 8th August 2022
This post and Woodgrange Park To Barking Riverside – 8th August 2022 are a pair and show the area on the date given. This is so I can show it as it develops in the next few years.
I took these pictures returning from Barking Riverside station.
Note, that this side of the line, is dominated by Barking substation, lots of overhead cables and views of the viaduct.
This 3D Google Map shows the viaduct from the West.
Are there any other viaducts, which comprise a whole branch line?
Woodgrange Park To Barking Riverside – 8th August 2022
This post and Barking Riverside To Barking – 8th August 2022 are a pair and show the area on the date given. This is so I can show it as it develops in the next few years.
I took these pictures going to Barking Riverside station.
Note.
- The route passes the ventilation shaft for High Speed One.
- It goes through and over the concrete viaducts and bridges of Barking station.
- Renwick Road station could be built in the area to serve five thousand proposed houses.
- It then crosses over the Barking Freight Terminal, which is sure to be developed either as a larger freight terminal or housing.
- The houses of Barking Riverside have sheds in their gardens.
What are the circular structures in the penultimate picture for?
A First Trip To Barking Riverside Station
I took a first trip to Barking Riverside station this morning and took these pictures.
I have a few thoughts and observations.
London Overground’s Barking Riverside Station To Open This Summer
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Ian Visits.
This is the first paragraph.
Transport for London (TfL) says that it is bringing forward the launch of London Overground services on the extension to Barking Riverside, following good progress being made in the completion of the station commissioning and testing stages.
Are railway lines like buses? You wait years for one to come along and then several turn up in a rush.
This railway line has been built mainly to serve the new housing at Barking Riverside, but as I showed in A Cruise To Barking – 13th May 2022, the route will have leisure possibilities as well.
I also feel, that if this 4.5 km extension of the Gospel Oak and Barking Line is a success, I can see other extensions of Metros and local trams and railways being created or restored, as this extension will show the economics.
I have some further thoughts.
Rethinking Of c2c Services In South Essex
It could even result in a rethinking of c2c services in South Essex.
Platforms 7 and 8 at Barking station will host the following services.
- 2 tph (trains per hour) – Fenchurch Street and Grays
- 4 tph – Barking Riverside and Gospel Oak
There will certainly be scope for ducking and diving at this station.
A same-platform interchange will give an easy route between Fenchurch Street and Barking Riverside.
The next station on the Gospel Oak and Barking Line is Woodgrange Park, which has an out-of-station interchange with the Elizabeth Line at Manor Park station.
The Gospel Oak and Barking Line offers connections all across North London.
Grays station can probably turn four tph.
There could be a new Beam Park station to serve more housing.
I can certainly see the Fenchurch Street and Grays service increased to four tph, if lots of housing is built in South Essex. Provided that the trains can be squeezed in to the timetable.
A Ferry Across The Thames At Barking
There have been proposals to extend the line from Barking Riverside station across the Thames to Thamesmead and Abbey Wood station.
But a tunnel or a bridge, as I prefer, would be massively expensive and take years to plan, finance and build.
This Google Map shows the Thames at Barking.
Note.
- Barking Riverside station under construction in the North-West corner of the map, with the Thames Clipper terminal on the North bank of the river.
- The sprawling Thamesmead Estate on the South bank of the river.
- In the South-East corner of the map there is the Grade 1 Listed Crossness pumping station, which I wrote about in Open House – Crossness.
An hourly ferry across the river between Barking and Crossness with an intermediate stop at Thamesmead might be the most affordable solution to crossing the river.
Council ‘Talking’ To Government On Improving Train Provision, Leader Says
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Barking and Dagenham Post.
These are the introductory paragraphs.
Barking and Dagenham Council leader Darren Rodwell said the authority is “talking” to the government about improving train provision through the borough.
Last week saw the opening of the Elizabeth line, which stretches more than 100km from Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.
But none of its stations are in Barking and Dagenham – with the nearest being Chadwell Heath – and Cllr Rodwell does not believe the borough stands to benefit from the line at the moment.
He has a point and is asking for extra stations in the borough.
Dagenham East on c2c is mentioned.
This paragraph also talks about HS1 domestic.
Cllr Rodwell, who is beginning a third term as council leader, also said HS1 domestic should stop in the borough.
At the moment, the domestic services that run on the line are operated by Southeastern and travel between London and Kent.
The sole stops in the capital are St Pancras and Stratford International.
“It should be Ebbsfleet, Purfleet, Barking, Stratford International” before terminating at St Pancras, Cllr Rodwell said.
“That would be massive for the ability of our young people to get jobs.
I feel he’s right about the jobs, but would the extra stations be possible.
Dagenham East
This map from cartometro.com shows the location of Dagenham East station.
Note.
- The Elizabeth Line passing through Romford at the North of the map.
- The District Line and c2c passing through Upminster across towards the bottom of the map.
- Upminster is in the London Borough of Havering, as are all stations after Dagenham East.
- Dagenham East station is the second station on the line and used to be a c2c station until 1962.
This Google Map shows Dagenham East station.
These pictures show the station.
Note.
- The c2c platforms appear to be still in place. Although, some work needs to be done.
- A new bridge will be required to access the far platform.
- six c2c trains per hour (tph) pass through the station.
I feel that perhaps a two tph service between Dagenham East and Fenchurch Street could be possible.
A Thought About High Speed One
High Speed One links London and the Channel Tunnel.
- Every time a train stops, it increases the total journey time by a couple of minutes.
- So two extra stops on Southeastern Highspeed services at Purfleet and Barking, would slow the service and take up capacity on High Speed One.
- If you read the Wikipedia entry for the link, there are several operators, who seem to be hoping to run extra services on the route.
- In addition Thalys and Eurostar have merged and surely, they will bring London more into their routes.
I feel that what spare capacity, there is on High Speed One will more likely be allocated to European services than domestic services in East London. It’s probably more profitable for the operator of High Speed One for a start.
Purfleet
This Google Map shows Purfleet station and its location in relation to High Speed One.
Note.
- Purfleet station is in the South-West corner of the map.
- High Speed One runs across the North-East corner of the map.
- Purfleet station is served by two tph between Fenchurch Street and Grays.
- In Purfleet Station – 19th August 2021, there is a gallery of pictures of Purfleet station.
- In that post, I also describe planned developments at Purfleet station.
Given the distance between the current Purfleet station and High Speed One, and the planned developments, I think that an interchange between c2c and High Speed One at the current Purfleet station, would not be a very practical one.
But there may be possibilities to the East, where c2c and High Speed One cross.
This Google Map shows the location of their crossing by the QE2 bridge.
Note.
- High Speed One going diagonally NW-SE across the map
- The A 282 crossing over the QE2 bridge going North-South.
- The c2c line going East-West across the map.
Could the proposed station be built, where the two rail lines cross?
Probably, but!
- High Speed One would only connect to the Fenchurch Street and Grays service running at two tph.
- Passengers for the City of Southend would have to change at Grays.
- There would probably need to be separate lines for expresses to pass stopping trains.
- Stations on viaducts are expensive to build.
I don’t think a station at Purfleet would be the most practical or affordable of projects.
Barking
This OpenRailwayMap shows the routes of High Speed One and c2c through Barking.
Note.
- The red line is High Speed One.
- High Speed Two is shown in pink, when it is in tunnel.
- The orange line is the c2c line between Fenchurch Street and Grays.
- Dagenham Dock station is in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.
- Rainham station is in the London Borough of Havering.
It looks like Dagenham Dock station would be the only station, where an interchange could be built.
This Google Map shows Dagenham Dock station.
Note.
- The top pair of lines are the c2c lines.
- The next pair of lines are High Speed One.
- The lines below High Speed One are a freight link between High Speed One and the Barking freight hub.
There certainly would appear to be space for two platforms on High Speed One.
But then we still have the problem of an extra station using up valuable space on High Speed One.
The only solution, that I can think of, is that Southeastern HighSpeed services would perhaps stop only at Dagenham Dock or Stratford, but not both.
Conclusion
In this simple analysis, it looks like an extra stop on c2c at Dagenham East is possible, but extra stations on High Speed One might be difficult to fit in.
Following The Barking Riverside Extension – 20th January 2022
I took this route at Barking Riverside.
- Took a train from from Barking station to Dagenham Dock station.
- Took an EL3 bus to Stern Close.
- Walked to Barking Riverside station.
- Took an EL1 bus to Ilford station.
These are the pictures I took.
It seems to be substantially finished and an Autumn 2022 opening should be possible.
Is A High Capacity Freight Route Being Created On The Midland Main Line?
In the January 2022 Edition of Modern Railways, there is a section, which is entitled Mixed Fortunes For Freight In IRP, where IRP is short for Integrated Rail Plan For The North And Midlands.
In the section, this is said about freight on the Midland Main Line.
Whilst HS2 does relieve the MML, electrification of the route north from Kettering via Derby to Sheffield is of relatively limited use to freight, which is generally routed via Corby and Toton to Chesterfield and Rotherham. That said, assuming electrification of the passenger route includes the slow lines from Leicester to Trent and through Chesterfield, it does provide a base on which freight electrification can be built.
This would involve wiring Corby to Syston Junction (north of Leicester), Trent Junction to Clay Cross (south of Chesterfield) and Tapton Junction (north of Chesterfield) to Rotherham Masborough and Doncaster.
As with the ECML, this ‘freight’ electrification would provide a diversionary route and thus greater resilience for East Midlands Railway services.
In addition, gauge clearance throughout from Corby as part of this package would also be highly beneficial in creating a direct route from the ‘Golden Triangle of Logistics’ in the East Midlands to the North East and Scotland for consumer goods supply chains, boosting modal shift to rail and decarbonisation.
It does seem to be a cunning plan worthy of Baldrick at his best.
So is it feasible?
Which Routes Do Freight Trains Use Now?
Christmas in a pandemic, is not a particularly good time to look at the routes freight trains take.
But by looking at Real Time Trains, I can say this.
- Many trains take the route via Corby and Syston Junction, rather than the direct route via Market Harborough and Leicester.
- Leicester is quite busy with freight as trains between Felixstowe and places on the West Coast Main Line, go through the station.
- Very few freight trains seem to take the route via Derby and the Derwent Valley Mills.
- Most freight trains between East Midlands Parkway and Chesterfield seem to take the Erewash Valley Line via Toton and Ilkeston.
I don’t think the pattern will change much, if I look at the trains around the end of January.
What Do I Mean By European-Size Freight Trains?
The Wikipedia entry for loading gauge says this about about the route through the Channel Tunnel and up the Midland Main Line.
UIC GC: Channel Tunnel and Channel Tunnel Rail Link to London; with proposals to enable GB+ northwards from London via an upgraded Midland Main Line.
Note.
- . GC is 3.15 metres wide by 4.65 metres high.
- GB+ is 3.15 metres wide by 4.32 metres high.
- GB+ is intended to be a pan-European standard, that allows piggy-back services.
- British gauging is so complicated, it isn’t specified in standard units. It must be a nightmare for rolling stock designers.
I’ll take an easy way out and assume that by European-Size Freight Trains, I mean that the route must be cleared for GB+ gauge.
Could Kettering and Syston Junction Via Corby Be Cleared For European-Size Freight Trains?
According to a Network Rail Map from February 2010, the current clearance is as follows.
- Kettering and Oakham – W7
- Oakham and Syston Junction – W8
Note.
- Oakham and Peterborough is also W8
- The main problem seems to be that between Corby and Oakham, there are five tunnels; Corby, Glaston, Manton, Seaton and Wing.
- There are also a few overbridges and several level crossings, but they don’t look too challenging.
- Between Corby and Oakham, there is the magnificent Welland viaduct, which has eighty-two arches and is Grade II Listed.
- Ideally, freight operators would like to run European gauge piggy-back services, with road trailers travelling on flat wagons, as they do in CargoBeamer services.
It would be a tough call to satisfy my last point, but if it can be done it would allow all Midland Main Line freight trains to take the Corby diversion and this would remove the problems of running European gauge trains through Leicester station.
This Google Map shows a section of the Welland viaduct.
It could be key, as it is fully double-track.
But could it support two heavy freight trains at the same time?
But it would be some sight to see, long European-sized freight trains running over the viaduct.
Could The Midland Main Line Between Syston And Trent Junctions Be Cleared For European-Size Freight Trains?
The route is cleared to W7 or W8 between the two junctions and on inspection with my virtual helicopter, I suspect it wouldn’t be that challenging to upgrade.
It would also be sensible to clear the Castle Donnington Line for European-size freight trains, so that they could reach the East Midlands Gateway freight terminal.
This Google Map shows the location of the East Midlands Gateway.
Note.
- East Midlands Parkway station is marked by the red arrow in the North-East corner of the map.
- Castle Donnington circuit is in the South West corner of the map.
- The long East-West runway of East Midlands Airport is clearly visible.
- East Midlands Gateway is to the North of the airport.
This second Google Map shows East Midlands Gateway in more detail.
Note.
- In the North-East corner is Maritime Transport’s rail freight terminal.
- The M1 runs North-South at the Eastern edge of the map.
- East Midlands Gateway Logistics Park with two Amazon sheds is in the middle.
- The runway at East Midlands Airport is clearly visible.
The Integrated Rail Plan for the North And Midlands has already announced that High Speed Two will join the Midland Main Line to the South of East Midlands Parkway station to serve Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield.
- This new line will have to go past the airport, either to the North of the Logistics Park or South of the Airport.
- Could there be a station here, both for passengers and the workers at a very busy freight airport and Logistics Park?
- Currently, trains between the rail terminal and London, London Gateway and the Port of Felixstowe have to reverse North of the rail terminal to access the terminal.
- All the rail links between the Midland Main Line and East Midlands Gateway would need to be built to accept European-size freight trains, to ensure maximum flexibility.
It strikes me, that there are a lot of extra features that could be added to the rail network between the Midland Main Line and East Midlands Gateway.
Could The Erewash Valley Line Via Ilkeston Be Cleared For European-Size Freight Trains?
Consider.
- According to a Network Rail Map from February 2010, the Erewash Valley Line is cleared to W8.
- According to Wikipedia, it is the second busiest freight route in the East Midlands.
- Network Rail have spent £250 million on the line in recent years to improve junctions and improve signalling.
- The route doesn’t have a large number of passenger services.
These pictures show Ilkeston station on the Erewash Valley Line.
Note.
- The recently rebuilt bridge and the separate avoiding line.
- The Class 158 train under the bridge is 3.81 metres high.
As the European gauge; GB+ is 4.32 metres high, I would feel that Ilkeston station can handle European-size freight trains.
I have flown my virtual helicopter all the way over the Erewash Valley Line from Toton to Clay Cross North junction.
- It looks as if most of the not many bridges are either recent or could be updated to handle the large European-sized freight trains.
- It should also be noted that in many places there is a third track or space for them.
- There are three stations and the Alfreton tunnel.
After this quick look, I feel that the Erewash Valley Line will be able to handle European-size freight trains.
Could Tapton Junction to Rotherham Masborough and Doncaster Be Cleared For European-Size Freight Trains?
This route has very few bridges and I doubt updating wouldn’t cause too many problems.
CargoBeamer
Would it be possible for one of CargoBeamer’s piggy-back trains carrying trailers to run between the Channel Tunnel and the rail terminal at East Midlands Gateway Logistics Park or perhaps another terminal further up the Midland Main Line?
If they could use the Gospel Oak and Barking Line to access the Midland Main Line, I don’t see why not!
Conclusion
It appears that it should be possible to allow European-size freight trains to run between the North of England and the Channel Tunnel.
The Anonymous Widower 