Extending the Elizabeth Line – Stratford To Walthamstow and Chingford
A lot of people in Walthamstow and Chingford would like a direct rail connection to Stratford with its shopping, sporting, entertainment and employment opportunities.
The Hall Farm Curve used to provide this connection, but it was removed in 1968, despite having been electrified in 1960.
This map from cartometro.com shows the curve.
Note.
- The Chingford branch line is shown in orange.
- The triple-track Stratford branch of the West Anglia Main Line crosses the Chingford branch line at right angles.
- Lea Bridge station reopened in 2016.
It has been stated that the Hall Farm Curve would be reinstated as an electrified single track.
There would probably be a need for a crossover to the North of the former Hall Farm junction to enable trains from Lea Bridge to get to the Chingford-bound track.
The Hall Farm Curve would also give access to Elizabeth Line and Greater Anglia services at Stratford. But it may be that when the Elizabeth Line opens fully in November, travellers get used to going into Liverpool Street and changing there.
Services Between Stratford and Chingford Via Walthamstow
Providing this service might be difficult, but not impossible.
- Trains could use the High Meads Loop at Stratford.
- Digital signalling may allow more trains to be squeezed in.
- Chingford could certainly handle eight trains per hour (tph)
But there is always the problem of the level crossing at Highams Park station.
Changing Between The Elizabeth And Chingford Branch Lines At Liverpool Street Station
Consider.
- At present Liverpool Street station on the Lizzie Line has sixteen trains per hour (tph).
- Eight tph go to both Eastern termini at Abbey Wood and Shenfield.
- In the West two tph go to each of Heathrow Terminal 4, Heathrow Terminal 5, Maidenhead and Reading, with the other eight tph reversing at Paddington.
- If you travel in the Eastern end of a Lizzie Line train, you should enter Liverpool Street station opposite to where all London Overground services including those to and from Chingford terminate in the station.
- The walking route between the Elizabeth And Chingford Branch Lines At Liverpool Street is step-free.
Some passengers will use this route to places like Walthamstow Central, but others moan, that there is no direct connection between the Victoria and Lizzie Lines.
Stations Without Step-Free Access On The Chingford Branch Line
These stations on the Chingford Branch Line do not have full step-free access between train and street.
- Bethnal Green
- Cambridge Heath
- London Fields
- Hackney Downs
- Clapton
- St. James Street
- Walthamstow Central
- Wood Street
Only Hackney Downs and Walthamstow Central have been mentioned with respect to installing some form of step-free access.
Increasing Capacity Between Liverpool Street And Chingford
The Chingford Branch Line can handle pairs of four-car trains and running these all day, would surely be the best way to increase capacity.
Conclusion
If money was no object, the Chingford Branch Line could be improved to make it a much better feeder line for the Elizabeth Line.
I also have a feeling, that a lot of people living in North-East London will switch their travelling from the Victoria Line to the Chingford Branch Line and the Lizzie Line.
Are Network Rail Clearing Up The Hall Farm Curve?
I passed the Hall Farm Curve today and took these pictures.
Note.
- The truck appears to be one of Network Rail’s.
- It looks like there’s ongoing work at the other end of the chord, where it joins the West Anglia Main Line.
It’s been in a derelict state for years, so why are they tidying up now?
Tottenham Hale Station Is Beginning To Make Sense
These are pictures, I took of Tottenham Hale station, this morning.
A few of my observations.
The Cladding Is Going On
The cladding is going on the building above the Victoria Line ticket hall.
It appears to be fireproof glass on a concrete and steel frame.
A Wide Island Platform
Platforms 2 and 3 form a wide island platform.
- Only Platform 3 appears to be in use for London-bound services to both Liverpool Street and Stratford.
- Both faces appear long enough for a 240 metre long Stansted Express train.
- There is a step-free bridge at the half-way point of the platform.
- The original bridge with its escalator is still in place.
It is a design with good potential for handling more services.
- Platform 3 could handle all services to Liverpool Street station.
- Platform 2 could handle all services to Stratford station.
Travellers would just walk across the island platform.
The Step-Free Bridge Appears Almost Complete
The bridge appears to be almost complete.
- The bridge has lifts and stairs with double handrails on both sides.
- The lift and stairs on the London-bound side are in the middle of the island platform 2 & 3.
- There is an escalator for London-bound travellers to access the bridge, to give an easy route to the Victoria Line.
There appears to be just a bit of testing before full commissioning.
The Old Bridge Is Still In Place
It still has its up escalator from Platform 2 & 3 and there have been statements that this bridge will be modified to create a link between the Underground station and the developments on the other side of the tracks.
Most Of The Bus And Taxi Interchange Is Complete
With buses and black taxis, the interchange seems finished.
- Much of North and East London can get a bus to and from the station.
- Today, I got a 76 bus to Dalston for a two hundred metre walk.
- But with a heavy case, I’d get a black cab,
Transport planners usual only plan for travellers to and from the City centre.
The Future
The Stratford And Meridian Water Shuttle
This is rumoured to start in September and will probably be the following.
- Two trains per hour (tph) between Stratford and Meridian Water stations.
- Stops will be at Lea Bridge, Tottenham Hale and Northumberland Park stations.
- Trains could be any length up to probably 240 metres, as all platforms are long.
- Current trains take sixteen minutes between Stratford and Meridian Water stations.
In addition services between Stratford and Hertford East and Bishops Stortford stations would stop at Meridian Water, to give the station a four tph service to and from Stratford.
The new Meridian Water station has been built with a dedicated bay platform for the shuttle service.
The bay Platform 2 is on the right and the through Platform 3 is on the left in this picture taken looking North at Meridian Water station.
Two tph to Stratford would leave from each side of this platform.
The new track between Meridian Water and Lea Bridge stations has been built without a passing loop, so the two tph shuttle must probably be run by a single train.
The shuttle would.
- Have exclusive use of the new track between Lea Bridge and Meridian Water stations.
- Have shared use of the existing track between Lea Bridge and Stratford stations.
- Call at Platform 2 at Tottenhale and Northumberlan Park station in both directions.
A two tph shuttle would consist of the following.
- Four journeys between Stratford and Meridian Water stations.
- Twenty-four intermediate station stops.
- Two turnrounds each at Meridian Water and Stratford stations.
- Current turnrounds at Stratford have in excess of twenty minutes to unload and load passengers and for the driver to change ends.
- Greater Anglia will be running the shuttle in September with nearly nearly forty-year-old British Rail-built Class 317 trains.
As there is not enough time to fit the trains with wings and jet engines, what the hell will be happening?
Go to Stratford station and there is an out-of-date sign at the end of Platform 1 and 2, where the Overground trains terminate.
It directs passengers to Platform 12 for Stansted Airport.
It dates from the time, when Stansted Express trains used to go to Stratford station.
They didn’t turnround in Platform 12, but used the High Meads Loop underneath the Eastfield Shopping Centre to reverse direction.
- The train stopped in Platform 12 long enough for passenger to leave and join the train.
- The driver stayed in the same cab and carried on driving.
I suspect that a Class 317 train could go from Platform 1 at Lea Bridge station, round the High Meads Loop and back to Platform 2 at Lea Bridge station, in these split times.
- Lea Bridge to Stratford – 6 minutes.
- Stop in Platform 12 at Stratford – 1 minute
- Straford to Lea Bridge – 6 minutes.
I believe all these times can be achieved by well-driven Class 317 trains, which gives a timing of thirteen minutes.
Currently, Lea Bridge to Meridian Water takes nine minutes in the elderly Class 317 trains, sharing the track with other trains.
But the shuttle trains will have a clear track, once they are on the new track North of Lea Bridge station.
I believe they could do this in perhaps seven minutes.
Applying, the sort of maths a bright nine-year-old should be able to master.
60 – 2*13 – 4*7 = 6
So could you turn a train round at Meridian Water station in three minutes?
- London Overground regularly do this at Dalston Junction station.
- Stepping-up might be needed, where a second driver immediately gets into the rear cab and takes over the train.
But it all leads me to the conclusion, that a single Class 317 train can run a two tph shuttle between Meridian Water and Stratford stations.
The following conditions would apply.
- The trains must use the High Meads Loop.
- There would be a fast stop in Stratford, taking less than a minute.
- Stratford to Lea Bridge times should be six minutes or less.
- Meridian Water to Lea Bridge times should be seven minutes or less.
- Stepping-up might need to be employed at Meridian Water.
- Trains could be up to 240 metres long.
- The trains would have to be well-driven.
There is also the fall-back position, that the new Class 720 trains to be delivered later in the year will have increased performance.
Development Of The High Meads Loop
The High Meads Loop is an almost unique piece of railway infrastructure on the UK rail network.
- The simpler Wirral Line Loop under Liverpool turns upwards of twelve tph back for the Wirral Line.
- The Wirral Line also has four stations on the loop.
- I believe the High Meads Loop could easily handle a similar frequency to the Wirral Line Loop.
- The High Meads Loop is also double-track.
I believe, that currently, the High Meads Loop is only planned to only handle the following services.
- Two tph – Meridian Water Shuttle
- Two tph – West Anglia Main Line services.
There is a lot more capacity to handle services from the West Anglia Main Line or its branches.
Liverpool Street And Meridian Water Services
When the Field Day Festival took place a couple of weeks ago, Greater Anglia stopped several services, including some Stansted Express services at Meridian Water station to bring festival-goers back to Central London.
Currently, the following Liverpool Street services pass through Meridian Water station.
- Two tph – Liverpool Street and Hertford East
- Two tph – Liverpool Street and Cambridge
- Four tph – Stansted Express
As Greater Anglia’s new fleet of trains, will all be optimised for fast stops, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some Greater Anglia services to and from Liverpool Street station doing the following.
- Northbound services would stop in Platform 4 at Tottenham Hale, Northumberland Park and Meridian Water stations.
- Southbound services would stop in Platform 3 at Tottenham Hale, Northumberland Park and Meridian Water stations.
If Northumberland Park and Median Water stations deserve four tph to and from Stratford, surely they deserve the same frequency to and from Liverpool Street. Could both Cambridge and Hertford East services stop at Northumberland Park and Meridian Water station?
- Both Northumberland Park and Meridian Water stations could get direct services to and from Liverpool Street station.
- The island platforms at all three stations could give some useful cross-platform interchanges.
Stations North of Tottenham Hale would get these frequencies to and from the station and the Victoria Line.
- Eight tph – Northumberland Park
- Eight tph – Meridian Water
- Two tph – Ponders End
- Two tph – Brimsdown
- Four tph – Enfield Lock
- Three tph – Waltham Cross
- Six tph – Cheshunt
- Six tph – Broxbourne
Note.
- With a few extra stops by Stratford services, all stations between Tottenham Hale and Broxbourne could get at least a very customer-friendly four tph.
- If your station didn’t have a Stratford service, there would be a cross- or same-platform interchange going at Tottenham Hale station.
- Using Stratford and Crossrail may be preferable on some journeys than Tottenham Hale sand the Victoria Line.
- In this hot weather give me an air-conditioned Aventra over a furnace on the Victoria Line any time.
A Lea Valley Metro could be emerging.
Stansted Express And Meridian Water
Consider.
- Various arguments and statistics could be used to decide whether Stansted Express trains stopped at Meridian Water station.
- I suspect too, that if Spurs continue to play in Europe, that a strong case can be made for stopping Stansted Expresses at Northumberland Park station.
- But the performance of the trains on the West Anglia Main Line will enable Greater Anglia to do what’s best for passengers and profits.
As Greater Anglia did a couple of weeks ago with the Field Day Festival, they can even be selective.
Stansted Express And Stratford
The Stansted Express is currently a four tph service between Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport.
Consider.
- In the past, Stansted Expresses ran to and from Stratford.
- As they did in the past, they could terminate in the High Meads Loop at Stratford.
- Big International events are held at Stratford.
- The Central Line links Stratford and Liverpool Street.
- Crossrail will link Stratford and Liverpool Street at a frequency of twelve tph.
- Stratford and Tottenham Hale will soon be linked at a frequency of four tph.
- Extra trains could be needed to run Stansted Expresses to and from Stratford.
I think that running a Stansted |Express to and from Stratford that will remain under review and could be implemented at some date in the future.
In Future Stansted Airport Train Services, I outline how trains might serve Stansted Airport from Norwich and Stratford stations.
Any trains between Stratford and Stanstead Airport, would probably terminate in the High Meads Loop, as they did in the past.
Should High Meads Loop Services Use Platform 11 Or Platform 12?
When Stansted Express services used the High Meads Loop a few years ago, they used to use Platform 12, as the sign still shows.
It could obviously handle the planned four tph, but suppose the High Meads Loop was handling twelve or sixteen tph, as a high-frequency route to Crossrail would Platform 11 be a better option?
Certainly, if the High Meads Loop was handling a lot of services including Stansted Express, Cambridge and local services, there would need to be a lot of thought about how to organise passengers.
There would need to be a fast pedestrian route between Platform 11 or 12 and the two Crossrail/Central Line platforms.
Extra Services That Could Use The High Meads Loop
As I said earlier, I think that if a Stratford and Stansted Airport service is revived, it will use the High Meads Loop.
My preference would be to run a Stratford and Norwich service, that would call at Stansted Airport.
- It would serve greatly increase capacity all along the West Anglia Main Line, through Cambridge.
- It could give intermediate stations a direct service to Stansted Airport.
- Two tph would be a sensible frequency.
- Calls could include Tottenham Hale, Broxbourne, Harlow, Bishops Stortford, Whittlesford Parkway, Cambridge, Cambridge North, Ely and all stations to Norwich.
A two tph service would need twelve Class 755 trains.
The High Meads Loop would also be available to turn extra local services.
One possibility is to reinstate the Hall Farm Curve and run services between Chingford and Stratford.
The level crossing at Highams Park station is a problem, but in Improving The Chingford Branch Line, I outlined how it could be possible to run four tph between Chingford and Stratford stations, using clever timetabling, digital signalling and good driver aids.
Another possibility is to terminate some London Overground services from Cheshunt and Enfield Town at Stratford, instead of Liverpool Street.
Services could be .
- Two tph between Enfield Town and Liverpool Street
- Two tph between Cheshunt and Liverpool Street
- Two tph between Enfield Town and Stratford.
- Two tph between Cheshunt and Stratford.
This would mean.
- London Overground’s preferred frequency of four tph to Enfield Town and Cheshunt.
- All stations between Edmonton Green and Seven Sisters, including White Hart Lane, would get an eight tph service to London and Crossrail.
- Four tph in both directions would call at South Tottenham station to give a same platform interchange with the Gospel Oak to Barking Line..
Most of the infrastructure is already in place, although improvements might be needed to the Seven Sisters Chord, that links Seven Sisters station to the Gospel Oak to Barking Line.
Summing up, I believe we could see the following services using the High Meads Loop.
- Two tph to and from Meridian Water
- Two tph to and from Bishops Stortford via Meridian Water
- Two tph to and from Norwich via Stansted
- Four tph to and from Chingford via the Hall Farm Curve.
- Two tph to and from Enfield Town via South Tottenham and Seven Sisters
- Two tph to and from Cheshunt via South Tottenham and Seven Sisters
That is an easy-to-handle fourteen tph.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr, shows the lines connecting the North London Line and the High Meads Loop to platforms 1m 2, 11 and 12 at Stratford station.
Given that freight trains pass through the area to get between the North London Line and the Great Eastern Main Line, there may need to be some track reorganisation to make full use of the High Meads Loop.
Digital signalling would also help, as it would all over the London Overground network.
I think it would not be unreasonable to expect that in some point in the future twenty tph could be running around the High Meads Loop.
A new rail terminus for London would have been created with the ability to handle more trains than either Cannon Street, Fenchurch Street or Marylebone. stations.
Could we see all West Anglia Main Line services terminate in the High Meads Loop?
Probably not, as the platform wouldn’t be able to cope with all the passengers.
Crossrail 2
If Crossrail 2 is ever built, it will terminate at Broxbourne on the West Anglia Main Line.
It will need four-tracking of the West Anglia Main Line between Tottenham Hale and Broxbourne stations, which will create massive disruption for passengers and residents.
Conclusion
There is a lot of development, that is possible on the West Anglia Main Line to make it into a world-class commuter route and a main line route with good services to Stansted Airport, Cambridge and Norwich.
Cambridge is a big growth point in the UK economy and dveloping the West Anglia Main Line will only improve the economy of the area.
From Lea Bridge Station To Coppermill Junction – 1st May 2018
I walked to the footbridge to the North of Lea Bridge station, before I took a train North.
I took some pictures around the bridge and some from the train.
Lea Bridge Junction was the old name for the junction and has been shown on carto.metro.free.fr.
It would appear there are gaps in the track, so will these be used to put in points to link to possible fourth track or even the Hall Farm Curve, which would link the Chingford Branch Line to Stratford.
One thing that puzzles me about Lea Bridge Junction, is that the crossing appears to be unwired. Does this mean that trains will cross using a mixture of Momentum and/or battery power.
The STAR Track Connection At Lea Bridge Station – 25th April 2018
This picture taken from the end of the platform at Lea Bridge station, shows the new connection, that links the third track being built to the Lea Valley Lines though the station.
Note how trains going North will be able to join the third track and those coming South can join the track to Stratford.
These pictures were taken as I took a train North, a few minutes later.
Note the track layout and that nothing is completed yet.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the track layout at Lea Bridge station.
Note.
- The original track layout from the 1800s is shown dotted.
- The original crossover was a double one.
- Lea Bridge station used to have a third bay platform and space has been left for one.
- The two parallel tracks originally connected via the Hall Farm Curve to the Chingford Branch.
This Google Map shows the area to the East of where the Lea Valley Lines and the Chingford Branch cross.
Adding in the curve at a later date would not appear to be compromised, by the current works.
Could A Lea Valley Metro Be Created?
Crossrail 2 envisages these developments and level of service North along the Lea Valley.
- A four-track West Anglia Main Line between Tottenham Hale and Broxbourne stations.
- Step-free stations
- A service running between Tottenham Hale and Broxbourne stations.
- 10-15 trains per hour (tph)
Crossrail 2 also envisages that at Tottenham Hale station, the line will enter a tunnel for Central and South West London.
But there is an unused alternative terminal, that could handle perhaps 16 tph with modern signalling.
Look at this map from carto.metro.free.fr of the lines at Stratford.
Note the double-track loop that encircles Stratford International station and goes through Platforms 11 and 12 at Stratford station.
Consider.
- Loops like this can easily handle 12 tph, as they do in Liverpool with the Wirral Line.
- Stratford is well-connected to the Central, Great Eastern Main, Jubilee and North London Lines, Crossrail and the Docklands Light Railway.
- The Loop could be connected to Stratford International station for Southeastern Highspeed services.
- There’s probably enough capacity to allow a couple of Stansted services to terminate in the loop.
- There is a massive development going on at Meridian Water, where a new station is being built.
- Liverpool Street station lacks capacity.
I can’t believe that a viable 12 tph service is not possible.
The major works would be as follows.
- Four-tracking the West Anglia Main Line into two fast and two slow lines.
- Making all stations step-free.
- Removing the level crossings.
- Creating a flyover at Coppermill Junction to connect the fast lines to Liverpool Street and prepare for Crossrail 2.
If Crossrail 2 is built in the future, the Metro service would be diverted into the central tunnel at Tottenham Hale station.
Integration With The London Overground
The Chingford, Cheshunt and Enfield Town services of the London Overground will not only offer alternative routes during the four-tracking of the West Anglia Main Line, but they could be better connected to a Lea Valley Metro.
- Tne Class 710 trains could enable four tph on each branch.
- The Class 710 trains will enable faster services on each branch.
- A reinstated Hall Farm Curve would connect Chingford and Walthamstow to Stratford.
- Creation of a step-free Cheshunt station would ease transfer between the London Overground and the Lea Valley Metro.
The new trains will be key and may open up more possibilities.
Note too, that moving services to Stratford from Liverpool Street will release capacity at Liverpool Street, that will be well-used by Greater Anglia and London Overground.
Dear Old Vicky
She’s always there when you need her and engineers keep coming up with ways to keep the Victoria Line giving more.
Currently, the frequency of trains between Walthamstow Central and Brixton is 36 tph.
I can’t believe that the engineers working on the line, don’t want to squeeze another four tph out of her, to achieve the fabulous forty.
This might be possible with the trains, tracks and signalling, but the problem is the capacity of some of the 1960s-built stations.
- Many stations have an empty space, where a third escalator could be.
- Lifts are few and far between.
- Some stations don’t have ceilings in the platform tunnels.
These stations could be improved.
Walthamstow Central Station
Walthamstow Central station gets desperate in the Peak, but it could be given a third escalator, a second entrance at the other end of the platforms and a much better step-free connection to the Chingford Branch of the Overground.
Blackhorse Road Station
Blackhorse Road station could be finished and given a third escalator to cope with the extra passengers that will transfer to and from an electrified Gospel Oak to Barking Line.
Tottenham Hale Station
Tottenham Hale station is being rebuilt to increase capacity. Will it get the missing third escalator and ceilings?
Seven Sisters Station
Seven Sisters station will be a Crossrail 2 station and will need updating to cope with an expected eight tph on the Overground. Expect a major project here.
Finsbury Park Station
Finsbury Park station is one of London’s stations designed by Topsy. Improvements are underway to cope with the extra passengers from Thameslink and an upgraded Northern City Line.
Highbury and Islington Station
Highbury and Islington station suffered worst at the hands of the Nazis and 1960s cost cutting, when the Victoria Line was built. This made it one of London’s worst stations.
However help is at hand.
- Plans are being prepared for a second entrance to the station on the other side of the Holloway Road.
- The frequency on the Northern City Line is being upgraded to twelve tph with new larger capacity Class 717 trains.
- There is space for a third escalator to be added to connect the Overgriound with the deep-level Victoria and Northern City Lines.
It should be born in mind, that Highbury and Islington station is busier than either Manchester Piccadilly or Edinburgh Waverley stations.
But with an upgrade, because it has cross-platform interchange between the Victoria and Northern City Lines, it could be an upgrade that increases the passenger capacity of the Victoria Line.
Euston Station
Euston station will be upgrqaded for HS2.
Oxford Circus Station
Oxford Circus station is desperately in need of more capacity, especially as there will be an upgrade to the Bakerloo Line in the future.
The opportunity at Oxford Circus is that some of the buildings around the junction are tired and some probably need to be replaced.
So will we see a development like Bloomberg Place, that will create a new entrance to Bank station, at Oxford Circus?
Could it also have an subterranean connection to Crossrail’s Hanover Square entrance for Bond Street station?
Victoria Station
Victoria station is in the process of being upgraded.
It certainly appears to be a case of so far so good!
South Of The River
Vauxhall and Brixton stations have rather undeveloped interchanges with the National Rail lines and these could surely be improved.
Under Possible Future Projects in the Wikipedia entry for the Victoria Line, this is said.
For many years there have been proposals to extend the line one stop southwards from Brixton to Herne Hill. Herne Hill station would be on a large reversing loop with one platform. This would remove a critical capacity restriction by eliminating the need for trains to reverse at Brixton. The Mayor of London’s 2020 Vision, published in 2013, proposed extending the Victoria line “out beyond Brixton” by 2030.
This would surely be the last upgrade to squeeze even more out of Dear Old Vicky.
Conclusion
A Lea Valley Metro can be created and eventually, it can be the Northern leg of Crossrail 2, when and if that line is built.
Before Crossrail 2 is completed, it will have great help in the following ways.
- In North East London from the London Overground.
- Across London from the Victoria Line.
Don’t underestimate how Crossrail and an updated Northern City Line will also contribute.
West Anglia Route Improvement – Works Around Coppermill Junction And Along The West Anglia Main Line
There is a lot of work going on around Coppermill Junction and on the West Anglia Main Line between the junction and Northumberland Park station.
The map from carto.metro free.fr shows the lines around the junction.
Coppermill Junction
Tottenham Hale station is on the West Anglia Main Line, which effectively starts and runs North West from Coppermill Junction.
In Rumours Of Curves In Walthamstow, I talked about how I’d heard rumours of the following.
- The Hall Farm Curve would be reinstated as a single bi-directional track to allow rains to go between Stratford in the Soithe and Walthamstow and Chingford in the East.
- The Coppermill Curve would be reinstated as a double-track curve to allow empty stock movements to Chingford, where there are several sidings.
There’s also the problem of Crossrail 2 going through the area, which will need a connection to the Central Tunnel and four-tracking of the West Anglia Main Line from Coppermill Junction North to Broxbourne station.
In the next few sections, I shall show the pictures I took this morning.
The Hall Farm Curve From The Chingford Branch
I took these pictures going between Clapton and St. James Street stations on the Chingford Branch Line.
Note how the area is quite large.
The work seems to have cleared all the old track, which in typical British Rail fashion seems to have been abandoned to the wildlife.
Tottenham Hale Station
I took these pictures around Tottenham Hale station.
There is quite a bit going on.
A helpful station man told me the following was happening.
- Space is being created, so that two tracks can go through between the station and Hale Village.
- The taxi rank in the forecourt of the station is being moved Northwards.
- The current footbridge over the lines is going.
- A new step-free footbridge is going to be built.
Effectively, there seems to be a cunning plan to rebuild the station around the working railway, which is confirmed in this document on the Transport for London web site. This is said about works on the bridge.
We plan to keep the station open during the work so that any potential disruption will be kept to a minimum.
That is a good start.
Obviously, the architects and engineers, who have designed the replacement station, but it does seem to me, that squeezing two tracks into the space behind Platform 2 at the station will need a very large and strong shoehorn.
From Tottenham Hale To Lea Bridge
I took these pictures between Tottenham Hale and Lea Bridge stations.
Note.
- A new cable duct has certainly been installed.
- The Hall Farm Curve has been cleared of rubbish and vintage track.
- It also looks like the route of the replacement Coppermill Curve is being cleared through the scrub.
- There didn’t appear to be any electrification piles or gantries.
I can’t believe Network Rail would clear the two curves unless they were going to reinstate them.
From Tottenham Hale To Enfield Lock
I took these pictures between Tottenham Hale and Enfield Lock stations.
Note.
- It would appear that there is space to the East of the current two-track West Anglia Main Line to squeeze in two extra tracks.
- There are level crossings at Northumberland Park, Brimsdown and Enfield Lock stations.
- The quality of some of the buildings that would probably be demolished is best described as suspect.
- Meridean Way, which runs alongside the railway from Angel Road Northwards is an inadequate highway.
- I wonder how many people have booked the Premier Inn because it is close to Angel Road station, only to find that there are few trains.
I say more about the level crossings in Level Crossing Issues.
The Current Stations
These posts describe the current state of the stations between Tottenham Hale and Broxbourne around the 22nd February 2017.
There are also some relevant related posts.
How Many Fast Services Will Go Through Tottenham Hale Station?
How Many Slow Services Will Go Through Tottenham Hale Station?
A Level Crossing Replacement Station
Hopefully, this will mean I can add content without making this post overly long.
What Frequency Will Crossrail 2 Trains Have On The West Anglia Main Line?
The Crossrail 2 entry on Wikipedia says this about the Northern Regional branches.
Running at between 10 and 15 trains per hour on new rails above ground, connected to a junction north of Dalston:
I can’t see any space being found for two new tracks and I don’t think Greater Anglia will want this number of trains mixing with their fast services, so I must assume that they will share the two slow lines to Broxbourne with Greater Anglia’s slow services.
What Will Be The Platform Layout At Tottenham Hale?
The station looks to be gaining two new lines on the East side of the station.
But will they be slow or fast lines?
My pictures show that it will be very tight to put new platforms on these lines, as there just isn’t enough space.
I have read the planning documents on the Harringey Council web site for Tottenham Hale station and came to these conclusions.
- There are no definite plans for a platform 3 and/or 4.
- There is controversy about if they are built, as to if or when they will get lifts.
- There is talk of starting STAR, which would provide four trains per hour (tph) between Stratford and Angel Road stations.
This page on the Crossrail 2 web site says this.
In order to accommodate Crossrail 2 services at Tottenham Hale, we would add at least one new platform and carry out other station improvement works too.
Wikipedia says that a third platform is being worked on.
I suspect that it could be necessary that fast services will stop at Tottenham Hale, to allow passengers to change to and from services on the following lines.
- Victoria Line
- Crossrail 2
- Local services to Liverpool Street.
- Local services to Stratford.
It should also be born in mind, that Crossrail will call at both Stratford and Liverpool Street, s say you’re going shopping at Oxford Street, to work at anary Wharf or to New York via Heathrow, would you mind which terminus you used in London, provided it was efficient?
At present both fast and slow services on the main line all share the same platform at ottenham Hale, using 1 to go South and 2 to go North.
If this arrangement was to continue, after the new lines are built, the following would apply.
- Interchange between services would be as now.
- Fast services for London would stop in platform 1 before going to either Liverpool Street or Stratford.
- Both platforms could be made step-free with lifts and a bridge at the London end of the platform.
It is workable, but you would still have the crowded platforms you get today, although the step-free bridge would make passenger circulation easier.
But what happens when Greater Anglia decide to increase fast frequencies or Crossrail 2 arrives.
Exclusive Fast Lines Between Tottenham Hale And Broxbourne Stations
One arrangement that could work, would be to use the two new lines exclusively for fast services from Tottenham Hale to Broxbourne, with trains stopping only at Broxbourne and Tottenham Hale as required.
- With more Stansted services, some could be non-stop from Liverpool Street to Stansted to reduce the load on Tottenham Hale station.
- Some Cambridge services might make their first stop at Broxbourne.
- Fast commuter services not stopping South of Broxborne are possible.
Greater Anglia will be replacing their current trains on the line with new Stadler or Aventra trains, which will in some ways compensate.
At some point hopefully Crossrail 2 will arrive.
Using the two new lines exclusively for fast traffic, with slow services on the exiting lines would have the following effects.
- Speed up services by a few minutes.
- Double capacity between Broxbourne and Tottenham Hale.
- All trains on the slow lines would be Crossrail’s or Greater Anglia’s Aventras, which can probably run together efficiently.
- 20 plus tph could probably run on the slow lines
- The only trains on the fast lines would be Greater Anglia’s Stadler expresses, which could do Broxbourne to Tottenham Hale inperhaps eiht minutes, travelling all the way at 100 mph or possibly more.
Removing fast trains from the slow lines would probably mean that a frequency of upwards of 10 tph could run on Crossrail 2 between Broxbourne and Tottenham Hale. South of Tottenham Hale they would be out of the way in the Central Tunnel.
South Of Tottenham Hale Station
Trains between Tottenham Hale station and Stratford or Liverpool Street stations, take one of the three following routes.
- To and from Lea Bridge and Stratford station
- To and from Hackney Downs and Liverpool Street stations taking the fast lines South of Hackney Downs.
- To and from Hackney Downs and Liverpool Street stations taking the slow lines South of Hackney Downs.
To complicate matters trains to and from the Chingford Branch and some Greater Anglia slow services use the fast lines South of Hackney Downs and change over around Bethnal Green station.
So could we see a bit of a reorganisation, so that all slow services are moved to the slow lines, through Hackney Downs station, so that the fast services to and from Cambridge and Stansted get a clear run between Clapton and Liverpool Street. That must save a minute or two.
It also looks like that with the opening of Lea Bridge station, some services will go to Stratford rather than Liverpool Street. These could include some services from the Chingford Branch, if the Hall Farm Curve is reopened, which some of my pictures indicate might be happening.
It should be born in mind, that Stratford has two platforms 11 and 12, connected to the lines to Lea Bridge station but only platform 11 is used.
After Crossrail opens will it matter if some of Greater Anglia’s suburban services go to Stratford rather than Liverpool Street?
In fact, it’s starting to happen, as today coming back from Cheshunt, I was on a train between Bishops Stortford and Stratford.
The Problem Of Clapton Station
Clapton station is not a massive problem, but it is on the route taken by fast Cambridge and Stansted trains to and from Liverpool Street.
Last year, Clapton station handled 1.6 million passengers, which is probably just about average or slightly above average for the Chingford Branch Line.
So there is probably not much to be gained by cutting services, as there are a lot of people to complain. But the Overground’s new Class 710 trains will have a better stop-start performance and could reduce the problem, especially if they used the slow lines through Hackney Downs.
A Pseudo-Crossrail 2
We might even see a pseudo-Crossrail 2, between Tottenham Hale and Broxbourne.
Suppose Greater Anglia on their slow lines ran something like the following services.
- 4 tph between Liverpool Street or Stratford and Hertford East.
- 2 tph between Liverpool Street or Stratford and Cambridge
- 4 tph between Liverpool Street or Stratford and Bishops Stortford
This would give a ten tph service between Tottenham Hale and Broxbourne stopping at all stations.
As the slow lines would be for exclusive use of these services, except for a few freight trains, the lines would cope admirably.
Everybody on the line would have a superb Turn-Up-And-Go-Service.
The Design Of Broxbourne Station
It could be arranged that at Broxbourne, there was cross-platform interchange between fast and slow services going in the same direction. So a passenger between say Brimsdown station and Stansted Airport, would have the one change at Broxbourne.
The Design of The Fast Line Platforms At Tottenham Hale Station
The space limitiations at Tottenham Hale would probably mean that only one extra platform could be squeezed in. Perhaps it could be an island platform between the two lines. Being an island it would only need one lift and this would save all-important width and cost.
If it was thought a narrow island platform with fast trains that might run through, the platform could surely be fitted with platform edge doors.
But the required step-free change to Crossrail 2, Victoria Line and local services would be created.
I’m suspicious that my pictures show that through Tottenham Hale station, there is only room for a single extra line, if a platform is needed. It certainly looks as if, the cable ducts have been moved to only allow only one line.
So could we see platform 2 extended to have a second platform 3 on the opposite face, which gave access to a single bi-directional line through the station?
- It would use the lift on Platform 2.
- There would be cross-platform access from a fast train to London to a slow one.
- Only access from a slow train out of London to a fast one would need the bridge.
- Bi-directional working is increasing being used.
Once through Tottenham Hale station, the fast lines would result to normal double-track working.,
I suspect that when Tottenham Hale station was rebuilt in the 1990s, no-one thought that the station would be on a line with four-tracks.
Improving The Chingford Branch Line
The Chingford Branch Line has a four trains per hour (tph) service between Liverpool Street and Chingford via Hackney Downs and Walthamstow Central stations.
Those that I know who live in the area, have a few simple wishes.
- New trains with wi-fi and other passenger-friendly features.
- More trains to improve services and take the pressure off the Victoria Line.
- A service from Chingford and Walthamstow to Stratford and Crossrail.
- Perhaps some new stations.
- Step-free access at St. James Street and Wood Street stations.
The following sections tackle these wishes in more detail.
New Class 710 Trains
The biggest change to the line will come with the new Class 710 trains in a couple of years time.
Thirty new four-car Class 710 trains will replace the same number of Class 315 and Class 317 trains, that currently work the Cheshunt and Chingford services.
- As the number of trains and their length is the same, the service frequency and capacity will be no worse than at present.
- The trains will be modern and have air-conditioning and all the features that passengers now expect.
- The trains will be fitted with various driver aids to ensure accurate timekeepers.
- Nothing has been said about wi-fi, but most other new Aventras will have free wi-fi fitted, so I suspect it will be fitted or there will be a big argument.
- I am of the belief that all Class 710 trains will be fitted with enough onboard energy storage to handle regenerative braking and short movements not connected to the overhead wires.
- Onboard energy storage would also mean the trains could be fitted with remote wake-up, so that trains stabled overnight at Chingford, can be driver and passenger ready before the driver arrives to start the service in the morning.
It should be noted that London Overground has taken an option for another twenty-four trains. So could some of these trains be added to the fleet on the Chingford Branch to increase capacity and service on the Branch?
The Highams Park Level Crossing
In an ideal world, more services would be provided on the Chingford Branch to Liverpool Street for the following reasons.
- The Victoria Line from Walthamstow Central now has the trains to handle passengers to Central London, but the station doesn’t have the capacity to handle them, due to its cheapskate 1960s design.
- The Chingford Branch has direct access to Crossrail at Liverpool Street whereas the Victoria Line doesn’t connect to London’s new train line.
- The Chingford Branch has direct access to the North London Line at Hackney Downs and the new Class 710 trains, will mean that North London Line services will be increased.
- Crossrail could release extra platform space at Liverpool Street for more London Overground services.
But there is one major problem to increased services on the current Chingford Branch. They must all go through the level crossing at Highams Park Station.
- There is only long detours, if the crossing is closed.
- Extra trains would cause significant traffic congestion.
- Extra trains would mean the crossing would be closed for a large proportion of every hour.
As it is unlikely that the money could be found for a bridge or tunnel at Highams Park, the only thing that can be done, is make sure that all train services be at maximum length, which is probably eight cars.
Obviously, longer trains would help, but in the long term, I’m certain that London Overground would want to run more frequent services between Liverpool Street and Chingford.
I think it is true to say that the train frequency of the Chingford Branch through Highams Park is probably limited by a maximum of eight closures per hour of the Highams Park level crossing, unless the level crossing could be closed or by-passed.
But is maximum use being made of the level crossing closures now?
At present in the Off Peak.
- Trains arrive at Highams Park from Chingford at 14, 29, 44 and 59 minutes past the hour.
- Trains leave Highams Park for Chingford at 08, 23, 38 and 53 minutes past the hour.
I don’t think that this means that a Northbound and a Southbound train can share a single closure of the level crossing. This page on the National Rail web site, shows live departures at Highams Park.
If they could, then that would cut the number of times the crossing closed in the Off Peak by half.
Things that will help, is that the Class 710 trains will have extensive driver aids and probably onboard signalling, so the precise timekeeping that would be required, so two trains shared a level crossing closure, could be a lot easier.
Eight trains per hour in the Off Peak in both direction through Highams Park station is a distinct possibility.
This 8 tph frequency could be continued through the Peak, as it’s probably better than the current timetable.
Eight Trains Per Hour From St. James Street To Chingford
So it looks like that modern Class 710 trains running to a precise timetable could mitigate the problems of the Highams Park Level Crossing and allow eight trains per hour between St. James Street and Chingford.
|As there is no other trains using the branch, except moving empty and some engineering trains to and from the sidings at Chingford, there is probably little to interfere with an 8 tph schedule.
South From St. James Street
South from St. James Street station, the trains go through the Coppermill Junction area and cross the West Anglia Main Line.
The Chingford Branch then joins the line from Tottenham Hale to Hackney Downs, as this map from carto.metro.free.fr shows.
Coppermill Junction
The map shows Coppermill Junction, where the Chingford Branch Line crosses the West Anglia Main Line, that runs North from Liverpool Street to Tottenham Hale, Bishops Stortford, Stansted Airport and Cambridge.
I suspect that there would be a problem fitting another four tph through Hackney Downs station and on to Liverpool Street.
In Rumours Of Curves In Walthamstow, I talked about how two curves would be rebuilt, based on information from an informant with detailed knowledge.
- The Hall Farm Curve would be rebuilt as a bi-directional single-track connection between St. James and Lea Bridge stations.
- The Coppermill Curve would be rebuilt to give a connection between St. James and Tottenham Hale stations.
The Hall Farm Curve is the significant one for passenger services on the Chingford Branch Line, as it would mean that the current service of 4 tph between Chingford and Liverpool Street would be augmented by a second 4 tph between Chingford and Stratford.
- Waltham Forest would get an 8 tph metro service between St. James and Chingford stations.
- There are extensive bus connections at Chingford, Walthamstow Central and Stratford.
- The line has good connections to the Victoria Line, the Jubilee Line, the Central Line and Crossrail.
The only infrastructure needed would be the single-track Hall Farm Curve. If the Class 710 trains were to be fitted with onboard energy storage, this curve would not even need to be electrified.
Conclusion
By using the features of the new Class 710 trains, Chingford can be given four trains per hour to Liverpool Street and 4 trains per hour to Stratford, if a new single-track Hall Farm Curve without electrification is built between St. James and Lea Bridge stations.
Related Posts
Could Electrification Be Removed From The Chingford Branch Line?
Could Reversing Sidings Be Used On The Chingford Branch Line?
Could The Hall Farm Curve Be Built Without Electrification?
Crossrail 2 And The Chingford Branch Line
New Stations On The Chingford Branch Line
Rumours Of Curves In Walthamstow
Will Walthamstow Central Station On The Victoria Line Be Expanded?
Wikipedia – Chingford Branch Line
Could The Hall Farm Curve Be Built Without Electrification?
The Hall Farm Curve was a five-hundred metre curve that used to connect the Chingford Branch Line to the Lea Valley Line, thus enabling direct services between Stratford to Chingford via the new Lea Bridge, James Street and Walthamstow Central stations.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the lines in the area around Coppermill Junction.
Coppermill Junction
It is a much-needed route, as anybody who has taken the bus between Walthamstow and Stratford can testify.
I have heard rumours that it will be rebuilt, but nothing has been published yet.
The last rumour said it would be a single-track bi-directional line, as I wrote in Rumours Of Curves In Walthamstow
If this were to be built, there would need to be appropriate cross-overs, so that the trains could go on the right lines to and from Chingford and Stratford.
As in a few years time, the Stratford-Chingford service would be likely to be run by Aventras and no other electric train would be likely to use the curve, would it not be possible to not electrify the curve.
In Bombardier’s Plug-and-Play Train, I showed that all Aventras will have a certain amount of onboard energy storage to handle regenerative braking and enable short movements using stored energy.
So could the Aventras use their onboard energy storage to navigate the curve? The pantograph could be raised and lowered appropriately in Lea Bridge and St. James Street stations.
Conclusion
Building the Hall Farm Curve without electrification is possible, if Aventras use the line exclusively for passenger services.
Related Posts
Improving The Chingford Branch Line
Could Electrification Be Removed From The Chingford Branch Line?
Could Reversing Sidings Be Used On The Chingford Branch Line?
Crossrail 2 And The Chingford Branch Line
New Stations On The Chingford Branch Line
Will Walthamstow Central Station On The Victoria Line Be Expanded?
The Anonymous Widower 