High Speed One « The Anonymous Widower

Clapham High Street Could Gain Direct Overground Routes To Victoria Station

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Clapham Nub News.

These two paragraphs introduce the article.

Local councillors and the Clapham Transport Users Group have been in discussions with Network Rail about the direct route once the current ‘Networker’ trains are replaced.

Clapham High Street lost its direct services to Victoria in December 2012 when the South London Line was withdrawn in favour of the London Overground to Clapham Junction.

This forces passengers onto the Northern Line, which through Clapham has two dangerous-looking stations; Clapham Common and Clapham North.

I have a few thoughts and observations.

Clapham High Street Station

These pictures show Clapham High Street station.

Note.

The station is Grade II Listed.
There are four tracks through Clapham High Street station.
Only the lines used by the London Underground have platforms.
I don’t think it will be difficult to add platforms to the other two tracks.
The platforms will probably take five-car trains.
Access to the platforms is by a subway, which could probably be extended to the other side of the tracks.
A second entrance would be closer to Clapham North station.
I suspect step-free access would not be too difficult to install.
The tracks are over railway arches, which could be developed to add to the quality businesses in the area.

This Google Map shows the station.

Note.

Clapham High Street station is in the North-West corner of the map.
Clapham North station is at the Eastern edge of the map in the middle.
There seems plenty of space for two more platforms.

I think there is a lot of scope to improve this station.

Tracks Through Clapham High Street Station

This map from cartometro.com shows the tracks through Clapham High Street station.

Note.

The Overground tracks are shown in orange and black.
The fast lines, which are to the North of the Overground lines are shown in black.
Shepherds Lane and Voltaire Road junctions allow trains on the fast lines to call in Clapham High Street station.

I suspect full digital signalling will be employed for efficiency of handling the junctions.

Services Through Clapham High Street Station

These services run through Clapham High Street station.

London Overground – Dalston Junction and Clapham Junction – four tph – Goes via Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye
Southeastern – London Victoria and Ashford International – one tph – Goes via Brixton, Herne Hill and West Dulwich
Southeastern – London Victoria and Dartford – two tph – Goes via Denmark Hill, Peckham Rye, Nunhead and Lewisham
Southeastern – London Victoria and Dover Priory – one tph – Goes via Brixton, Herne Hill and West Dulwich
Southeastern – London Victoria and Gillingham – one tph – Goes via Denmark Hill, Peckham Rye, Nunhead and Bromley South
Southeastern – London Victoria and Orpington – two tph – Goes via Brixton, Herne Hill and West Dulwich
Southeastern – London Victoria and Ramsgate – one tph – Goes via Brixton, Herne Hill and West Dulwich

Note.

tph means trains per hour.
The London Overground services could be increased to 6 tph.
Only the London Overground services stop in Clapham High Street station.
The Dartford, Gillingham and Orpington trains are pathed for 90 mph trains.
The Ashford International, Dover Priory and Ramsgate trains are pathed for 100 mph trains.

It is a comprehensive timetable.

Southeastern’s New Trains

In Battery EMUs Envisaged In Southeastern Fleet Procurement, I wrote about Southeastern’s proposed new trains.

Full details haven’t been announced yet, but I think we can be sure of the following.

The first trains to be replaced will be the Networker trains, because they are the oldest and slowest.
The new trains will have selected door opening (SDO), as this a feature of nearly all modern trains.
I also suspect the trains will be capable of running at 100 mph and will be five cars long, with the ability to run in pairs.

This will enable the new trains to cross over from the fast lines to the Overground lines to stop in Clapham High Street station.

How Many Trains Would Stop At Clapham High Street Station?

Currently trains passing through the station are as follows.

London Overground – 4 tph – Stopping
Southeastern – 3 tph – 100 mph services to Ashford International, Dover Priory and Ramsgate – Non-stop
Southeastern – 5 tph – 90 mph services to Dartford, Gillingham and Orpington – Non-stop

Note.

It is likely that the London Overground service will go to 6 tph.
Would 100 mph services always go through without stopping?
In an ideal world would it be best if services alternated?

I suspect that a better service could be provided between Clapham High Street and Victoria with very little expenditure on infrastructure.

High Speed One Issues

An article in the July 2017 Edition of Modern Railways is entitled Kent On The Cusp Of Change.

The article suggests that Fawkham junction, could be used to allow Southeastern Highspeed services to access Victoria as a second London terminal, to increase capacity on High Speed One.

The route could be via Clapham High Street, Denmark Hill, Bromley South, St. Mary Cray, Swanley and Farningham Road.

The Arches Underneath

There are several railway arches underneath the tracks at Clapham High Street station.

Some of the businesses look good and there are several other arches that are boarded up.

Railway arches are now generally owned by The Arch Co.

In Findlater’s Corner At London Bridge – 11th February 2023, I wrote about the company’s restoration of some arches at London Bridge station, which included these pictures.

I suspect that a similar restoration in up-market Clapham could be a good investment for The Arch Co.

A Four-Platform Clapham High Street Station

Consider.

There is space for two new platforms alongside the fast lines.
The station entrance is in an arch, that goes right under the tracks.
Putting lifts in an arch would not be the most challenging of tasks.
A second entrance in Gauden Road would be nearer Clapham North Underground station.
It should also be remembered that the Government is giving out levelling up funding.
Hackney is to receive this type of funding and I wrote about it in Hackney Central Before Levelling Up.

I can see a fully-accessible four-platform station being built at Clapham High Street station.

Denmark Hill Station

Denmark Hill station is the next station to the East of Clapham High Street station and after a rebuild is now a high quality station, with these features.

Four tracks and platforms.
Frequent trains to Ashford International, Clapham Junction, St. Pancras, Victoria and Whitechapel.
Full step-free access with lifts.
A solar roof.
A Grade II listing.
King’s College and Maudsley Hospitals are next door.
A pub.

I wrote about the station in Denmark Hill Station – 4th September 2021.

These are a few pictures.

Note the solar roof. There’s more about the roof on this page of the BiPVco web site.

On the About page, there is a section called Our Story, where this is said.

BIPVco was established in April 2015 following five years of collaborative research between Tata Steel LCRI (Low Carbon Research Institute) and Swansea University with support from the Welsh government.

The research program developed ways of integrating thin-film CIGS PV cells directly onto the same substrates that make roofs and walls so that true BIPV functionality would become integral to the building envelope and could be achieved without having to resort to heavy on site mounting systems.

Our manufacturing processes were further enhanced to suit commercial production, and the products and procedures were tested and accredited before commercial launch.

Working with select partners, we designed and built many pilot PV integrated roofs between 2015 and 2017 in varying climates, including Nigeria, Canada, UAE and the UK, to demonstrate product suitability in all environments. The full commercial launch was effected in June of 2017.

They certainly seem to have taken solar panels to a new level.

I would also rate Denmark Hill station one of the finest suburban railway stations in the world!

Peckham Rye Station

The next station to the East of Denmark Hill station is Peckham Rye station.

Like many other stations and buildings in London, including the original Denmark Hill station, Peckham Rye station was designed by Charles Henry Driver.

These are some pictures, I’ve taken over the years at Peckham Rye station.

Note.

It is a very busy station.
I’ve read somewhere, that it is the busiest station in the UK, without any step-free access.
It could be a magnificent station.
One of the people driving this project is the architect; Benedict O’Looney.

This page on the Network Rail web site is entitled Peckham Rye Station Upgrade and it starts with this statement.

On 7th March 2022, we submitted Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent applications to upgrade Peckham Rye station to make it fully accessible with more capacity and better facilities for passengers.

It’s all a bit out of date, but these pictures, that I took this morning, indicate that something is progressing.

This article on IanVisits gives a few more details.

South London Crosslink

The South London Crosslink, doesn’t seem to have a website or a Wikipedia entry.

But it is mentioned in a question and answer to the London Mayor.

In response to this question.

Will you consider bringing the Victoria rail service back to Clapham High Street station and providing direct trains to Brixton, Herne Hill, and Bromley South?

The Mayor gave this answer.

The Department for Transport (DfT) is responsible for these services, as they run Southeastern railway as operator of last resort. Transport for London (TfL) is not opposed to the existing Southeastern services to and from Victoria making additional calls at Clapham High Street should the DfT, wish to take the idea forward.

There are however several practical issues that would need to be taken into consideration, and any changes to the service would be subject to cost-effective solutions being found to these.

The Clapham High Street platforms are too short for the eight-car trains used on the Victoria to Dartford and Orpington metro routes, and the existing rolling stock lacks a safety intervention called “Selective Door Opening” that enables trains to call at a station where the platform is shorter than the train. There are also technical restrictions, such as the frequent routing of these services along an adjacent pair of tracks which do not have any platforms, which would make implementation difficult using the existing railway infrastructure. Finally, there would need to be clear consideration on the wider capacity of the rail network and the robustness of the timetable. All of these concerns could affect the value for money of any proposal for these services to call at Clapham High Street station.

As I showed earlier, it looks like new trains will solve most of these problems. If they don’t, then the wrong trains have been ordered.

But there’s still not much about where the route will go after Peckham Rye, except for vague mentions of Dartford and Orpington.

I asked a friend and they said the South London Crosslink could possibly go to Bellingham.

This map from cartometro, shows the route between Denmark Hill and Crofton Park stations.

Note.

Denmark Hill station is in the North-West corner of the map.
Crofton Park station is in the South-East corner of the map.
The route would be via Peckham Rye and Nunhead stations.
It is not a very fast route with an operating speed of 50-60 mph.
In Nunhead Junction Improvement, I wrote about improvements needed at Nunhead junction to the East of Nunhead station to improve capacity for freight trains.

This second map from cartometro, shows the route between Crofton Park and Bellingham stations.

Note.

Crofton Park station is in the North-West corner of the map.
Bellingham station is in the South-East corner of the map.
The line going diagonally across the map from North-East to South-West is the Hayes Line to Hayes.
There are plans to create an interchange station at Catford.

This Google Map shows Bellingham station.

Note.

Bellingham station is at the top of the map.
Bellingham station is on the Catford Loop Line.
South of Bellingham station are a series of sidings.

Is the reason, that Bellingham station was proposed as a terminus, that with a proper interchange at Catford, it creates a very efficient operational railway with some convenient sidings thrown in?

This map from cartometro, show the track layout at Bellingham station.

I believe that the sidings could be used as a turnback siding for trains from both directions.

These pictures show trains in the sidings.

And these are of the station.

Note.

April 23, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Architecture, Bellingham Station, Catford Bridge Station, Catford Station, Clapham Common Station, Clapham High Street Station, Clapham North Station, Denmark Hill Station, Fawkham Junction Link, Hayes Line, High Speed One, Levelling Up Fund Round 2, London Overground, Peckham Rye Station, Railway Arches, Southeastern, Step-Free, The Arch Co, Victoria Station | 4 Comments

Could There Be An Elizabeth Line Extension To Grays?

This article on My London is entitled London Underground Tube Map: The Towns That Could Be Added To The Elizabeth Line As New Giant Loop Through London, Essex And Kent Is Proposed.

This paragraph described the proposal.

The proposal, which is part of its Vision 2050 local transport plan, would see the current Elizabeth line service from Romford take over the Overground branch to Emerson Park and Upminster, then join c2c services continuing via Chafford Hundred Lakeside to Tilbury. It would then head under a new tunnel beneath the Thames to Gravesend, connecting with the reintroduced Eurostar at Ebbsfleet International/Northfleet.

It’s certainly a bold idea and you can view the report to Thurrock Council here.

These are my thoughts.

The Frequency Of Trains

Currently, these services have a frequency of two trains per hour (tph) in both directions.

Romford and Upminster.
Upminster and Tilbury Town.

It would seem sensible that this frequency is preserved, thus giving every station on the loop four tph to and from the Eastern End of the Central Tunnel at Whitechapel station. Two tph would go via Romford and Stratford and two tph would go via Ebbsfleet and Abbey Wood.

What Would Be The Western Terminal?

It would probably be the two busiest terminals in the West.

I suspect that these will be Heathrow Terminal 4 and Heathrow Terminal 5

Two tph would go between Heathrow Terminal 4 and Heathrow Terminal 5 via the loop.
Two tph would go between Heathrow Terminal 5 and Heathrow Terminal4 via the loop.
Two tph would go clockwise.
Two tph would go anticlockwise.

I suspect the digital signalling can sort it out, just as it does the loop in Thameslink.

The Connection At Romford To The Romford and Upminster Line

Consider.

The Romford and Upminster Line is single-track.
A well-signalled single-track railway can handle two tph in both directions in an hour.
Trains take five minutes to go between Romford and Emerson Park stations.
Trains between Romford and Upminster will use Platform 5 at Romford station.
Trains between Upminster and Romford will use Platform 4 at Romford station.

This map from cartometro shows the track layout at Romford station.

Note.

The orange lines are the Overground tracks of the Romford and Upminster Line, which connects to Platform 1 in Romford station.
The black and purple lines are the Elizabeth Line, which go through Platforms 4 and 5 at Romford station.
The black lines are the fast lines of the Great Eastern Main Line, which go through Platforms 2 and 3 at Romford station.
There is no connection between the Elizabeth Line and the Romford and Upminster Line.

I believe it is possible to build a single-track flyover or dive-under that connects both Platforms 4 and 5 at Romford station to the Romford and Upminster Line.

A similar double track flyover was built to connect the Barking Riverside branch to the main lines through Barking.

But this track layout would only need to be single-track.
I also suspect that there may not be enough space to put in a full double-track flyover.
It would avoid the inconvenience and danger of using flat junctions to cross the fast lines of the Great Eastern Main Line.

As it only takes five minutes to go between Romford and Emerson Park stations, there is plenty of time to fit two tph in both directions in an hour.

Platform Extension In Platform 1 At Romford Station

Platforms 4 and 5 at Romford regularly take nine-car Class 345 trains, but I think that Platform 1 should be lengthened, to provide a bay platform on the route to help out when the service needs to recover.

Platform Extension At Emerson Park Station

The platform at Emerson Park station will need to be lengthened to take nine-car Class 345 trains.

Some commentators claim, that the passing loop at the station needs to be rebuilt. But I suspect, this isn’t needed as the expanded layout at Romford station effectively creates a passing loop.

The Connection At Upminster Between The Romford and Upminster Line And The Upminster And Tilbury Town Line

Consider.

Both lines are single-track.
But there is a passing loop at Ockenden station.
There are three tracks between West Thurrock junction and Grays.
Trains take five minutes to go between Emerson Park and Upminster stations.
Trains take ten minutes to go between Upminster and Chafford Hundred stations.
Trains take four minutes to go between Chafford Hundred and Grays stations.
Trains take thirteen minutes to go between Upminster station and West Thurrock junction.

This map from cartometro shows the track layout at Upminster station.

Note.

The orange lines are the Overground tracks of the Romford and Upminster Line, which connects to Platform 6 in Upminster station.
The green lines are the District Line tracks that handle the services that terminate at Upminster station.
The black lines are the c2c tracks between Fenchurch Street and Southend Central stations go through Platforms 1 and 2 at Upminster station.
The Upminster and Tilbury Town Line leaves Upminster station in a South-Easterly direction.
The Upminster and Tilbury Town Line connects to Platforms 1 and 2 at Upminster station.

I believe it is possible to build a single-track flyover or dive-under that connects both Platforms 1 and 2 at Upminster station to the Romford and Upminster Line.

This would connect the following.

The Romford and Upminster Line to the the Upminster and Tilbury Town Line.
The Romford and Upminster Line to the the Fenchurch Street and Southend Central Line.

Upminster station would be a much improved interchange.

Two tph Between Tilbury Town and Romford Stations

Consider.

The route is fully electrified.
The route is a mixture of single and double-track.
There is a passing loop at Ockendon station.
The platform at Emerson Park and possibly others may need to be extended to take nine-car Class 345 trains.

I believe single-track flyovers or dive-unders at Romford and Upminster stations would enable two tph on the route.

The only downside I can see, is that passengers going between Fenchurch Street and Chafford Hundred or Ockendon stations would need to change at Grays or Upminster stations.

Alternatively, they could take the Elizabeth Line, which would have a 4 tph direct service between the Central Tunnel of the line and Chafford Hundred and Ockendon stations.

Under The Thames

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the lines on the North bank of the Thames.

Note.

The orange line is the double-track Tilbury Loop Line between Fenchurch Street and Southend Central stations.
Tilbury Town station is in the North-West corner of the map.
There is a proposal for a Tilbury Fort station in the North-East corner of the map.
The blue arrow at the bottom of the map indicates the former Tilbury Riverside station, which is next to the London International Cruise Terminal.

I believe the North portal of the tunnel under the river could be at the site of the former Tilbury Riverside station.

Would it be an idea to rebuild the station and connect it to the cruise terminal, so that passengers on the cruise ships would have excellent access to Central London, Ebbsfleet International station for High Speed One and Heathrow Airport?

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the lines on the South bank of the Thames.

Note.

Tilbury Town station, the former Tilbury Riverside Riverside station and the Tilbury Loop Line are in the North-East corner of the map.
Gravesend station is in the South-East corner of the map.
The wide orange line going vaguely North-South at the Western side of the map is High Speed One going through Ebbsfleet International station.
Connecting Gravesend and Ebbsfleet International stations is the North Kent Line.

I suspect it would be possible to bore a tunnel from Tilbury Riverside, that passed under Gravesend station and joined the North Kent Line to the West of the station.

How Would The River Crossing Connect To Gravesend Station?

The platform or platforms on the Elizabeth Line Loop would have to be underground, as there is not much space at Gravesend station as these pictures show.

Note.

Gravesend has SouthEastern HighSpeed services to St. Pancras International station and North-East Kent.
The route to Gravesend has been safeguarded for the Elizabeth Line.
The railway under the Thames could replace the Tilbury and Gravesend Ferry.

There also could be operational advantages in not terminating Elizabeth Line services at Gravesend.

Abbey Wood And Gravesend

In Elizabeth Line To Ebbsfleet Extension Could Cost £3.2 Billion, I looked at the Transport for the South East proposal for extending the Elizabeth Line to Kent.

This image from the Abbeywood2Ebbsfleet consultation, shows the proposal.

Note, that there doesn’t appear to be too much new infrastructure, except for a proper connection between Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations. References on the Internet, say that the similar-sized Luton DART connection at Luton Airport, cost around £225 million, but we now know it was well upwards of that.

The TfSE proposal says that trains would terminate as follows.

Abbey Wood – 4 tph
Northfleet – 4 tph
Gravesend – 4 tph

As space is limited at Gravesend and there is money for extending a railway service to a new Hoo station, I feel that proposing a two tph service to Hoo station would be a prudent action to take.

This would leave a handy two tph to take the loop back to Central London.

Could A Large Parkway Station Be Built Between Romford and Tilbury Riverside Stations?

Ebbsfleet International station, which is to the South-East of London, has 5,000 parking spaces and is the only large Park-and-Ride site around the capital.

Could another large Park-and-Ride site be opened on the Elizabeth Line North of the Thames?

One place could be at Chafford Hundred station and the nearby Lakeside Shopping Centre.

This Google Map shows the area.

Note.

The M25 runs North-South up the Western side of the map.
Chafford Hundred station is in the South-East corner of the map.
The shopping centre is next to the station.

Last time I went, Lakeside was looking tired.

Timings To And From Whitechapel

These are estimated timings to and from Whitechapel.

Romford – 26 mins – 81 mins
Emerson Park – 31 mins – 76 mins
Upminster – 35 mins – 72 mins
Ockendon – 41 mins – 66 mins
Chafford Hundred – 45 mins – 62 mins
Grays – 49 mins – 58 mins
Tilbury Town – 52 mins – 55 mins
Tilbury Riverside – 58 mins – 49 mins
Gravesend – 62 mins – 45 mins
Northfleet – 65 mins – 42 mins
Swanscombe – 68 mins – 39 mins
Greenhithe for Bluewater – 71 mins – 36 mins
Stone Crossing – 73 mins – 34 mins
Dartford – 81 mins – 26 mins
Slade Green – 86 mins – 21 mins
Erith – 88 mins – 19 mins
Belvedere – 89 mins – 18 mins
Abbey Wood – 92 mins – 15 mins

Note.

The times between Tilbury Town and Gravesend are my best estimates.
All other times are taken from current services.
The first time is the time to Whitechapel via Romford.
The second time is the time to Whitechapel via Abbey Wood.

It does appear that the best times from all stations are under an hour.

February 26, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Abbey Wood Station, Class 345 Train, Cruise, Ebbsfleet International Station, Elizabeth Line, Elizabeth Line - Essex-Kent Loop, Emerson Park Station, Gravesend Station, Grays Station, Heathrow Airport, High Speed One, Hoo Branch, Hoo Station, London International Cruise Terminal, North Kent Line, Parking, Romford And Upminster Line, Romford Station, Southeastern HighSpeed, Southend Central Station, St. Pancras Station, Thameslink, Tilbury Riverside Station, Tilbury Town Station, Upminster And Tilbury Line, Upminster Station, Whitechapel Station | 8 Comments

Extending The Elizabeth Line – Connection To Southeastern High Speed One Services

The Two Stratford Stations

In this post, Stratford station is the station handling Greater Anglia and London Overground, Underground and Docklands Light Railway services, with Stratford International station handles High Speed services.

The Elizabeth Line And The Great Western Railway Services

One of the most important stations on the Elizabeth Line is Paddington, where it connects to the London terminus of the Great Western Railway.

I would expect that quite a few passengers going to the West and Wales on the Great Western Railway, will be transported to Paddington by the Elizabeth Line.

The Elizabeth Line And Greater Anglia Services

Another of the important stations on the Elizabeth Line is Liverpool Street, where the station is the London terminus of the Greater Anglia.

I would expect that quite a few passengers going to East Anglia on the Greater Anglia, will be transported to Liverpool Street by the Elizabeth Line.

Southeastern High Speed One Services

Southeastern runs some High Speed services on High Speed One to provide Kent with an improved service to London.

Current services are

London St Pancras International to Ramsgate via Faversham.
London St Pancras International to Ramsgate via Dover Priory.
London St Pancras International to Margate via Canterbury West.

Note

All trains are one train per hour (tph).
All trains stop at Stratford International and Ebbsfleet International.
All trains are run by 140 mph Class 395 trains.

There has also been talk of running a fourth service to Hastings and Eastbourne via Stratford International, Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International.

St. Pancras Station

All of these trains terminate in three platforms; 11 to 13 at St. Pancras International station.

St. Pancras is not the ideal terminal for the Southeastern High Speed services.

St. Pancras is not on the Elizabeth Line.
St.Pancras doesn’t have good connections to Heathrow.
All connections to the Underground are a long walk.
Eurostar services are a longer walk.
East Midland services are also a longer route, with stairs and escalators for good measure.

St. Pancras station was designed by a committee, as a museum to Victorian architecture, rather than as a working station.

Ebbsfleet International Station Must Be The Largest Parkway Station In The UK

It holds nearly five thousand cars and it is served by Southeastern High Speed Services.

Thanet Parkway Station Will Open This Year

Thanet Parkway station is under construction.

It will have nearly three hundred parking spaces.
It will be served by Southeastern High Speed Services.
It should open in May 2023.

This station will need a good connection to London.

Could An Interchange Between The Elizabeth Line And Southeastern High Speed Services Be Provided At Stratford?

Such an alternative interchange would be popular with passengers.

The Elizabeth Line from Stratford currently serves the West End, the Northern section of the City of London, East London, Liverpool Street, Paddington and the West End directly.
The Elizabeth Line from Stratford currently serves Canary Wharf, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Euston, Heathrow, King’s Cross. Reading, St. Pancras and Victoria with a change at Whitechapel.
The Central Line, which shares platforms with the Elizabeth Line serves Bank and the West End directly.
The Overground is easily accessed for travel across North London to Richmond.
The Jubilee Line is easily accessed for travel to London Bridge, Waterloo and Westminster.

It would be connected to two large parkway stations and lots of parking all over Kent.

I believe that Stratford must be promoted as an alternative terminus for Southeastern High Speed Services.

Today, I walked both ways between two Stratford stations.

These pictures show the route I took between Stratford and Stratford International stations, through the Eastfield Shopping Centre.

Note.

I went through the Shopping Centre.
I passed Marks & Spencer’s large food hall, excellent toilets and a Food Court.
By the Food Court is an exit that leads to an entrance to Stratford International station.
The walk took about 10 minutes.
It was vaguely level.
Lifts by-passed the escalators.
One thing that makes the journey to London easier, is to travel in the Eastern end of the train, as the lifts and escalators at Stratford International station, are at that end.

It does need some better signage, but they were doing a bit of refurbishment, so that may already be underway.

It could be a very high quality interchange and it is already better than St. Pancras.

Coming back I took the longer route outside the Shopping Centre.

Note.

I just turned left out of the entrance, walked along the road and turned right past the bus station.
If the weather had been colder or wetter, I’d have gone back via the Shopping Centre.
The walk took about 12 minutes.

I think normally, I’d go back through the Shopping Centre, as there’s a Marks and Spencer Food Hall on the route and it’s slightly quicker and often warmer.

Could Stratford Station Be A London Superhub Station?

When you consider the stations connected to Stratford in London, East Anglia and Kent, it has an excellent collection.

Airports – Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Southend and Stansted
Cities – Cambridge, Canterbury, Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and Southend-on-Sea
London Main and Terminal Stations – Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Clapham Junction, Euston, Farringdon, King’s Cross, London Bridge, Liverpool Street, Marylebone, Moorgate, Paddington, Victoria and Waterloo
Major Areas – Canary Wharf, City of London, Hampstead, Olympic Park and West End
Ports – Dover, Felixstowe, Folkestone and Harwich

You can even get a train to Slough, with a change at Whitechapel.

I would think it already is a London Superhub Station.

January 30, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Central Line, Class 395 Train, Ebbsfleet International Station, Elizabeth Line, Eurostar, Euston St. Pancras Station, Extending The Elizabeth Line, Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia, Heathrow Airport, High Speed One, Jubilee Line, Kent, Liverpool Street Station, London Overground, London Superhub Station, Marks and Spencer, Paddington Station, Parking, Parkway Station, Signs, Southeastern, Southeastern HighSpeed, St. Pancras Station, Stratford International Station, Stratford Station, Thanet Parkway Station, Toilets | Leave a comment

Battery EMUs Envisaged In Southeastern Fleet Procurement

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.

This is the first paragraph.

Southeastern has invited expressions of interest for the supply of new electric multiple-units with an optional battery capability for operation away from the 750 V DC third-rail network.

This article on bidstats is entitled Supply Of And Maintenance Support For New Rolling Stock For Southeastern, and gives more details.

These are my thoughts.

Southeastern HighSpeed Services

There would appear to be no changes in this contract to the Class 395 trains, that work on High Speed One, as this is said in the bidstats article.

Full compatibility with Southeastern infrastructure (excluding High Speed 1 infrastructure)

which appears to rule out running on High Speed One.

In addition, this article on Rail Magazine is entitled Southeastern’s Class 395 Javelin Train Sets Are To Receive A £27 million Facelift.

Southeastern Have Both 75 and 100 mph Trains

In addition to their Class 395 trains, Southeastern have the following trains in their fleet.

Class 375 trains – 100 mph – 10 x 3 cars
Class 375 trains – 100 mph – 102 x 4 cars
Class 376 trains – 75 mph – 36 x 5 cars
Class 465 trains – 75 mph – 129 x 4 cars
Class 466 trains – 75 mph – 36 x 2 cars
Class 707 trains – 100 mph – 18 x 5 cars

Note.

Running a mixed fleet of 75 and 100 mph trains can’t be very efficient.
The Class 465 and 466 trains are the oldest trains and date from 1991-1994.
They are often to be seen in ten-car formations of 2 x 465 trains and a Class 466 train.
Another twelve Class 707 trains are planned to join Southeastern.

I would expect the Class 465 and Class 466 trains to be replaced first.

What Length Will The New Trains Be?

If you look at the new suburban electric trains, they have the following lengths.

c2c – Class 720 trains – 5 cars
Greater Anglia – Class 720 trains – 5 cars
Northern – Class 331 trains – 3 and 4 cars
Southeastern – Class 707 trains – 5 cars
South Western Railway – Class 701 trains – 5 and 10 cars
West Midlands Trains – Class 730 trains – 3 and 5 cars

Note.

Southeastern already run five-car trains as pairs.
A significant proportion of existing suburban trains are five-car trains.
Great Western, Hull Trains, LNER, Lumo and TransPennine Express run five-car Hitachi trains, with more companies to follow.
A pair of five-car trains make a pair of a convenient length for most platforms.

I would be fairly confident, that the new trains will be five-car trains, with the ability to run as pairs.

What Will Be The Operating Speed Of The New Trains?

To match the speed of the Class 375 and Class 707 trains, I would expect them to be 100 mph trains.

The Quietness Of Battery-Electric Trains

All of the battery-electric trains I have ridden, have been mouse-quiet, with none of the clunking you get for a lot of electric trains.

This is said in the bidstats article says this about the interiors

Interiors suitable for metro & mainline operation.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see a lot of these trains on commuter routes to attract passengers.

Battery Power

This is said in the bidstats article about battery power.

Inclusion of options for traction batteries with capability for operation in depots and sidings without the need for external power supply, and with the capability to operate on the main line where power supply is not available due to isolations or incidents, or for non-electrified line sections of up to 20 miles.

Although Merseyrail’s new Class 777 trains are not in service yet, I find it interesting that the proposed Southeastern trains will be similarly-fitted with a small battery for depot and siding operation.

The twenty mile battery range is specific and I wonder if it will be used innovatively. I suspect it could be a bit longer in the future, as battery technology improves.

Possible Electrified Routes Using Battery Power

These are a few possibilities.

The Hoo Branch

In Effort To Contain Costs For Hoo Reopening, I discussed running electric trains to a proposed Hoo station.

I made these two points.

Hoo junction to Hoo station is no more than five or six miles.
There are also half-a-dozen level crossings on the route, which I doubt the anti-third rail brigade would not want to be electrified.

It would appear that a battery-electric train with a range of twenty miles would handle this route easily.

Charging would be on the nearly thirty miles between Hoo junction and Charing Cross station.
No charging would be needed at Hoo station.

There may be other possibilities for new routes locally to open up new housing developments.

The Sheerness Line

The Sheerness Line has the following characteristics.

It is double-track
It is electrified
It is less than eight miles long.
For most of the day, the service is one train per hour (tph)
There are two tph in the Peak.
Would two tph attract more passengers to the line?
Does the power supply on the Sheerness Line limit the size and power of trains that can be run on the line?
Is there a need for one train per day to London in the morning and a return in the evening?
Could the Sheerness Line be run more economically with battery trains. providing a two tph service all day?

The Isle of Sheppey needs levelling up, perhaps 100 mph trains to London using battery power on the Sheerness Line, might just make a difference.

The Medway Valley Line

The Medway Valley Line has the following characteristics.

It is double-track
It is electrified
It is less than twenty-six and a half miles long.
For most of the day, the service is two tph.
In the Peak there are HighSpeed services between Maidstone West and St.Pancras International stations.

If electrification was removed between Paddock Wood and Maidstone West stations, the HighSpeed services could still be run and battery-electric trains with a twenty mile range could still run the Tonbridge and Strood service.

The Marshlink Line

The Marshlink Line has the following characteristics.

It is mainly single-track with a passing loop at Rye station.
It is not electrified
It is 25.4 miles between the electrified Ashford International and Ore stations.
Services are irregular and less than one tph.

If the proposed battery-electric train had a range of thirty miles, it should be able to handle the Marshlink Line.

The service between Eastbourne and Ashford International stations would need to be moved between the Southern and Southeastern operations.

The Uckfield Branch

The Uckfield Branch has the following characteristics.

It is a mixture of single- and double-track.
It is not electrified South of Hurst Green Junction.
It is 24.7 miles between the electrified Hurst Green Junction and Uckfield station
Services are one tph.

If the proposed battery-electric train had a range of thirty-miles, it should be able to handle the Uckfield Branch, with a charging system at Uckfield station.

Will Battery-Electric Trains Allow Some Lines To Have Their Electrification Removed?

There are several reasons, why electrification might be removed.

It is on a line, where the electrification needs upgrading.
It is on a line, where there are lots of trespassers.
Possibly at a level-crossing or a stretch of track with several.
Possibly in a tunnel, with a large inflow if water.
It is a depot or siding, where safety is important to protect the workforce.

Obviously, the electrification would not be removed unless battery-electric trains can handle all possible services.

These are surely some possibilities for electrification removal.

The Hayes Line

The Hayes Line has the following characteristics.

It is double-track
It is electrified
It is less than eight miles to Ladywell Junction, where the branch joins the main line at Lewisham.
It is currently run by Class 465 and Class 466 trains, which will likely be changed for the new trains with a battery capability.
Services are four tph.

If the proposed battery-electric train had a range of twenty-miles, it would be able to handle the route between Ladywell junction and Hayes station.

Erith Loop, Crayford Spur and Slade Green Depot

This map from Cartometro.com shows the Erith Loop, the Crayford Spur and the Slade Green Depot.

Note.

Not many trains take the Erith Loop or the Crayford Spur.

The distance between Slade Green and Barnehurst is less than a mile-and-a-half.
Dartford station is off the South-East corner of the map.
The distance between Barnehurst and Dartford is less than three miles.
The distance between Slade Green and Crayford is less than two miles-and-a-half.
The distance between Crayford and Dartford is less than two miles.
The main line through Slade Green would need to remain electrified, as electric freight trains use the line.

I suspect, that quite a lot of electrification could be removed here, much to the disgust of the copper thieves.

It might even be possible to build on top of the depot.

November 14, 2022 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Ashford Station, Battery-Electric Trains, Class 395 Train, Class 465 Train, Class 466 Train, Class 707 Train, Hayes Line, High Speed One, Hoo Station, Levelling Up, Maidstone West Station, Marshlink Line, Southeastern, Southeastern HighSpeed, Southeastern Metro, St. Pancras Station, Third Rail Electrification, Uckfield Branch | 11 Comments

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?

August 9, 2022 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Barking Railfreight Terminal, Barking Riverside, Barking Riverside Station, Barking Station, Gospel Oak And Barking Line, High Speed One, Renwick Road Station, Woodgrange Park Station | 1 Comment

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.

July 24, 2022 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Artemis, CargoBeamer, Channel Tunnel, Crossrail To Ebbsfleet (C2E), Dartford Crossing, Ebbsfleet International Station, Elizabeth Line, Freight, High Speed One, isle Of Grain, Lower Thames Crossing, Project Management | 22 Comments

Elizabeth Line To Ebbsfleet Extension Could Cost £3.2 Billion

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Ian Visits.

These is the first paragraph.

A report looking at transport upgrades across the southeast of England suggests that extending the Elizabeth line into Kent would cost around £3.2 billion. The report, by Transport for the South East (TfSE) also supports the proposal and looks at how it could be funded.

This image from the Abbeywood2Ebbsfleet consultation, shows the proposal.

As the quoted cost is £3.2 billion, I would assume, that installation of digital signalling on the North Kent Line and the trains that use it, is one of the major costs.

I have some thoughts.

Improvement Is Needed

There are endless jokes, which have a punchline something like, “If you want to go to X, I wouldn’t start from here.”

On Monday, I intend to go to visit my friend; Ian, who lives at Longfield in Kent. Abbey Wood is the nearest Elizabeth Line station to Longfield and it is only seventeen miles away from Abbey Wood, but the quickest way you can do it by train is 64 minutes with a change at Rochester or 79 minutes going back into London and coming out from Victoria.

As before, I leave London, I will be having breakfast with another friend in Moorgate, the Elizabeth Line to Abbey Wood will be a good place to start.

If I got the trains right, I can get between Moorgate and Northfleet in 41 minutes. Northfleet is just 5.5 miles from Longfield.

If Ian, wants to go to London, he usually drives to Ebbsfleet, where there is lots of parking and gets the Highspeed trains to Stratford or St. Pancras. Trains take 12 and 19 minutes to and from the two London termini, but go nowhere near to Canary Wharf, the City of London, Liverpool Street, Oxford Street, Paddington, West London and Heathrow.

I believe that for Ian and the other nearly million residents of West Kent, that the following should be done as soon as possible.

Extend the Elizabeth Line to Gravesend, which would give 300,000 more people a local Elizabeth Line station.
Build a people-mover between Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations, which would create a high-capacity rail hub for North-West Kent, with connections to London, Heathrow and the Continent, and massive parking.

Heathrow and Northfleet would take under an hour and a quarter on a direct train.

Current Services Between Abbey Wood And Gravesend

Currently, these services run at some point on the North Kent Line between Abbey Wood And Gravesend stations.

Southeastern – London Cannon Street and London Cannon Street – 2 tph – Via Abbey Wood, Belvedere, Erith and Slade Green.
Southeastern – London Cannon Street and Dartford – 2 tph – Via Abbey Wood, Belvedere, Erith, Slade Green and Dartford.
Southeastern – London Charing Cross and Gravesend – 2 tph – Via Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe, Swanscombe, Northfleet and Gravesend.
Southeastern HighSpeed – London St Pancras and Ramsgate via Faversham – 1 tph – Via Ebbsfleet International and Gravesend.
Thameslink – Luton and Rainham – 2 tph – Via Abbey Wood, Slade Green, Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe, Swanscombe, Northfleet and Gravesend.

Note.

tph is trains per hour.
I have only indicated stations, where trains stop between Abbey Wood and Gravesend stations.

Aggregating these trains gives the following totals for each station.

Abbey Wood – 6 tph
Belvedere – 4 tph
Erith – 4 tph
Slade Green – 6 tph
Dartford – 6 tph
Stone Crossing – 4 tph
Greenhithe – 4 tph
Swanscombe – 4 tph
Northfleet – 4 tph
Gravesend – 5 tph

As stations get at least four tph, with more important ones getting 5 or 6 tph, it appears to be a well-constructed timetable.

Effect Of Changing The London Cannon Street And London Cannon Street From The Erith Loop To A Dartford Service

This should make no difference to the numbers, as the service is now clear of the Elizabeth Line after Slade Green.

Effect Of Cutting Back The London Charing Cross and Gravesend Service To Dartford

This service between London Charing Cross and Gravesend has a frequency of 2 tph and calls at Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe, Swanscombe, Northfleet and Gravesend.

Cutting it back to Dartford adjusts the totals as follows.

Abbey Wood – 6 tph
Belvedere – 4 tph
Erith – 4 tph
Slade Green – 6 tph
Dartford – 4 tph
Stone Crossing – 2 tph
Greenhithe – 2 tph
Swanscombe – 2 tph
Northfleet – 2 tph
Gravesend – 3 tph

Some of the frequencies have halved.

Effect Of Adding Eight tph To Northfleet And Four tph To Gravesend On The London Charing Cross and Gravesend Service

The Elizabeth Line Extension is proposed to add the following trains to the service.

8 tph will continue from Abbey Wood to Northfleet.
4 tph will continue from Abbey Wood to Gravesend.

This adjusts the totals as follows.

Abbey Wood – 6 tph
Belvedere – 12 tph
Erith – 12 tph
Slade Green – 14 tph
Dartford – 12 tph
Stone Crossing – 10 tph
Greenhithe – 10 tph
Swanscombe – 10 tph
Northfleet – 10 tph ( 4 tph – Terminating, 6 tph – Passing through)
Gravesend – 7 tph ( 4 tph – Terminating, 3tph – Passing through)

Note.

These surely are frequencies, that will satisfy the most picky traveller.
There are freight trains running on the route.
The tightest section would appear to be between Abbey Wood and Dartford, although Dartford and Northfleet is only two tph less.
West of Northfleet it gets easier.
But I do think though, that full digital signalling between Abbey Wood and Gravesend would be able to handle it.
14 tph is a frequency that is less than that of the central sections of the East London Line, the Elizabeth Line and Thameslink.
I have flown my virtual helicopter along the line and there may be places to add a third track, which would add more capacity.

I believe that it is possible to achieve the passenger train frequencies in the last table.

Abbey Wood East Junction

This Google Map shows the track layout to the East of Abbey Wood station.

Note.

There are crossovers so trains can run between the Elizabeth Line platforms on the North side of Abbey Wood station and the North Kent Line.
There is space on either side of the railway.
I have my doubts that the current track layout would be able to handle twelve Elizabeth Line, six North Kent Line and possibly a freight train in every hour, especially where flat junctions are involved.

I can see a flyover or dive-under being built in this area to handle the trains efficiently.

Abbey Wood Power Change-Over

Some thoughts.

I will assume, that the change-over between 25 KVAC overhead and 750 VDC third-rail power will take place in or near Abbey Wood station.
This would avoid any erection of electrification gantries to the East of Abbey Wood station.
If the Office of Road and Rail refuse to allow any more third rail, I could see a Headbolt Lane solution being applied, where batteries are used to bridge the 1.4 mile gap between Abbey Wood station with its 25 KVAC overhead electrification and Belvedere station with its 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
North Kent Line trains would take their existing route between Abbey Wood and Belvedere stations.
Also, if a comprehensive and efficient track layout is used here, then there might be cost savings if the Elizabeth Line trains supplied their own power from batteries.

An efficient junction to the East of Abbey Wood station, coupled with well-thought out electrification could be key to successfully handling the nearly 20 tph at Abbey Wood station.

Belvedere, Erith And Slade Green Stations

Belvedere, Erith and Slade Green stations are on a double-track section of the line.

The three stations are not step-free.
There appear to be a lot of industrial sites, that could be developed for housing.
There might be the possibility of adding an extra track in places.
Luckily, there are no level crossings.
There are some footbridges over the railway, that probably need updating to step-free

I suspect that developing the housing on this route will be most important.

Slade Green Depot

This Google Map shows Slade Green depot and the large triangular junction opposite the depot.

Note.

Slade Green station is at the top of the map.
Slade Green depot is in the South-East corner of the map.
The West point of the junction leads to Bexleyheath.
The West and North points of the junction are connected by the Erith Loop.
The South point of the junction leads to Dartford.

There are rail capacity problems in this area.

Slade Green depot is not big enough.
One train service goes both ways on the Erith Loop between Slade Green and Bexleyheath every thirty minutes, which could be a block on increasing train frequencies between Abbey Wood and Dartford stations.
The proposal is saying that the Slade Green and Bexleyheath service will go via Dartford station, where it will probably reverse.

I can see comprehensive redevelopment of the depot and the junction to remove the capacity problems and perhaps build a lot of housing.

If the Erith Loop is not used could the centre of the junction be developed with a much-needed extension to the depot?
The depot might be moved elsewhere or perhaps rebuilt with tower blocks on the top.

I think that moving the Slade Green and Bexleyheath service via Dartford could mean that the Erith Loop isn’t needed, so this might free up space to increase the size of the depot.

Dartford Station

This Google Map shows Dartford station and the area around the station.

Note.

The station has four long platforms.
It should be able to handle the 12 tph in both directions.
There is a lot of new developments by the station.
The station is step-free.
There are some pictures of Dartford station in Dartford Station – June 27th 2022.

But I do suspect that the station probably needs extra capacity and a substantial rebuild.

Stone Crossing, Greenhithe And Swanscombe Stations

Stone Crossing, Greenhithe and Swanscombe stations will be handling 10 tph.

Greenhithe is a new station with full step-free access.
But Stone Crossing and Swanscombe stations may need improvement to bring them up to Elizabeth Line standards.
More details of Stone Crossing station are given in Stone Crossing Station – June 27th 2022.
More details of Greenhithe station are given in Bluewater Shopping Centre By Train.
More details of the current state of Swanscombe station are given in Swanscombe Station – June 27th 2022.
The one level crossing in the area was closed in 2018.
There may be scope to add an extra track at places in this section.

I feel that these three stations could be fairly easy to bring up to the required standards.

Northfleet Station

Northfleet station is a station, which in the words of estate agent; Roy Brooks, would have a lot of potential.

This Google Map shows the station.

Note.

The two tracks through the station are the North Kent Line.
The other two tracks are freight sidings.
The car-parks at Ebbsfleet station are in the South-West corner of the map.
There appears to be a large cleared site to the North-West of the station.

These pictures show the station.

The requirements for the station will be as follows.

The ability to handle 6 tph passing through.
The ability to be able to handle 4 tph, that terminate at the station.
Terminating four tph, will probably need two platforms for all eventualities.
Full step-free access.
An interchange with Ebbsfleet International station is also needed.
Is car parking needed?

There is certainly enough space.

The Pedestrian Link Between Northfleet And Ebbsfleet Stations

This is part of the plan and is shown on the first map in this post.

This Google Map shows Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations.

Note.

The large Ebbsfleet International station towards the bottom of the map.
Northfleet station on the North Kent Line in the North East corner of the map.
The two stations are about five hundred metres apart as the crow flies.

There has been a lot of pressure in the past to build a pedestrian link between the two stations, as reported by the Wikipedia entry for Northfleet station.

The station is very close to Ebbsfleet International station (the NNE entrance is only 334 yards (305 m) from Northfleet’s station), but passengers (using public transport) will find it far easier to access Ebbsfleet International from Gravesend or Greenhithe, as these stations are more accessible and offer easy access to Fastrack bus services. The walking route between the two stations is 0.6 miles (1 km) or 0.8 miles (1.3 km) and a suitable pedestrian link has not been built because of funding issues and objections from Land Securities.

Why when Ebbsfleet International station was built in the early 2000s for opening in 2007, was a pedestrian link not built between the two stations?

How much did omitting the link save?

Luton Airport are building the Luton DART, which is a people mover to connect Luton Airport Parkway station with the airport.

It is 1.4 miles long.
It is fully automated.
It might have an extra station serving the mid-stay parking.
It appears to be taking three years to build.

All of this very comprehensive system appears to be costing around £200 million.

I doubt that a simple pedestrian link, like a bridge with travellators, would have cost more than a few tens of million pounds.

Will Northfleet/Ebbsfleet Become A Major Railway Hub?

If Northfleet station and the connection to Ebbsfleet is well designed,, I can see this station becoming a major railway hub.

It would have Eurostar Continental services.
It would have HighSpeed services to London and Kent.
It would have Elizabeth Line services to London and Heathrow.
It would have Thameslink and Southeastern services.
The station would have lots of parking.

I also feel in the future that more Continental services will be developed.

Adding extra platforms for Continental services could be easier than at St. Pancras.
It could be an ideal terminus for sleeper trains to and from the Continent.
I might be the ideal terminus for very long distance trains to and from the Continent.

Northfleet/Ebbsfleet has something that St. Pancras lacks – space.

Gravesend Station

Gravesend station is a rebuilt step-free station with three platforms, as these pictures show.

But is it the right station, for the end of the Elizabeth Line?

These points are in favour.

There is a bay platform, that could handle 4 tph.
The station is step-free.
The station has had a recent refurbishment.
It has HighSpeed services to London and East Kent.
Gravesend is a town of 74,000 people.
Passengers can change between through trains by just staying on the same platform.

But these points are against.

The station is on a cramped site in the town centre.
There is no train stabling nearby.
Adding lots of car parking may be difficult.
Suppose adding the Elizabeth Line to the town was very successful and it was felt more services were needed. Could Gravesend station cope?

These are the times for the various services.

HighSpeed to St. Pancras – 25 minutes
HighSpeed to Stratford – 17 minutes
Southeastern to Charing Cross – 65 minutes
Thameslink to Abbey Wood- 28 minutes
Thameslink to London Bridge – 60 minutes

I estimate that the Elizabeth Line will take just over 50 minutes to Tottenham Court Road.

This last timing in itself is a good reason for the Elizabeth Line to serve Gravesend.

But I don’t think the Elizabeth Line has to start there.

I am worried that the Elizabeth will be too successful.

It serves Central London, Paddington and Heathrow.
It will have a frequency of four tph from and to Gravesend.
It will have trains with a very large capacity.
The trains will have wi-fi and 4G connections.

I don’t think the cramped Gravesend station will be able to cope with the needs of expansion.

An extra platform.
Handling trains that need to be turned back to London.
More car parking.

Northfleet/Ebbsfleet will have the parking and eight tph on the Elizabeth Line, so surely the best solution is to have the actual Elizabeth Line terminal station to the East of Gravesend.

Travellers to the West of Gravesend will use Northfleet/Ebbsfleet.
Travellers in Gravesend will use Gravesend station by walking, cycling or using a local bus.
Travellers to the East of Gravesend will use the new terminal station.

The Elizabeth Line extension is supposedly costing £3.2 billion, so it should serve as many potential passengers as possible.

The Elephant In The Garden Of England

It is proposed that the new Lower Thames Crossing is built to the East of Gravesend.

This map from the Department of Transport, shows the route.

Note.

The new crossing, which is shown in red, bypasses the Dartford Crossing on the M25.
The A226 runs between Gravesend and Higham via a junction with the new crossing at Chalk.
Northfleet is to the West of Gravesend.

This Google Map shows the area between Chalk and Higham.

Note.

Chalk in the North-West corner of the map.
Higham in the South-East corner of the map.
The A226 running between Chalk and Higham.
Higham station on the North Kent Line about half-way up the East side of the map.
The North Kent Line running across the top of the map between Gravesend and Higham stations via Hoo Junction.

The Lower Thames Crossing will run North-South across this map to the East of Chalk and according to the Department of Transport map to the West of Thong.

I should admit, that I don’t drive, so the Lower Thames Crossing will be of no use to me, but I have friends in Kent and most seem to be in favour of the new crossing.

Reopening The Hoo Branch To Passenger Trains

In Effort To Contain Costs For Hoo Reopening, I wrote about an article in the April 2022 Edition of Modern Railways with the same title.

This is the first paragraph of the Modern Railways article..

Medway Council is working with Network Rail and other industry players in an effort to make restoration of a passenger service to Hoo on the Isle of Grain branch feasible. The Council was awarded £170 million from the Housing Infrastructure Fund in 2020 to support schemes to facilitate building of 12,000 new houses in the area, with £63 million of the HIF money for reinstatement of services on the Hoo Branch.

The article mentions, this new infrastructure.

A new station South of the former Sharnal Street station.
Works to level crossings, of which there are six between Gravesend station and proposed site of the new Hoo station.
A passing place at Hoo Junction, where the branch joins the North Kent Line.
A passing place at Cooling Street.

It looks like we may have the smaller project of reopening the Hoo branch railway, whilst a major road and tunnel is built through the area.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the North Kent Line between Gravesend and Higham stations.

Note.

Gravesend station is in the North-West corner of the map.
Higham station is at the Eastern edge of the map.
The railway shown in orange is the North Kent Line.
The railway shown in yellow is the Hoo branch.
The railway shown in red is the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.

It looks like the path of the new crossing could follow a similar path to the overhead power cable shown on this map.

According to Modern Railways, the main reason for reopening the Hoo Branch for passenger trains is to provide rail access for new housing on the Isle of Grain.

Improving the Hoo branch will also help the freight services to the various docks and installations on the Isle of Grain.
Will the builders of the new crossing, use the Isle of Grain for the supply of aggregates and the disposal of tunnel spoil?
Remember that barges on the Thames were used to remove the tunnel spoil from London for both Crossrail and the Battersea extension to the Northern Line.

My knowledge of major projects is saying to me, that before the major works of the new crossing are started, this branch railway must be updated, otherwise it will cause problems in the future.

Could this be why, the Hoo branch reopening has been mentioned in both the April and July 2022 Editions of Modern Railways? Perhaps a sensible decision has been made, that means the Hoo branch will be improved first, to speed the construction of the new Lower Thames Crossing.

Could The Elizabeth Line Be Extended To The Proposed Hoo Station?

The proposed Hoo station is to be just South of the former Sharnal Street station.

This is under ten kilometres from Hoo Junction, where the North Kent Line is electrified.
A single platform could handle 4 tph, but provision for two platforms would be prudent.
A couple of sidings could provide stabling.
Services would join the North Kent Line at Hoo Junction.
Services would use battery power between Hoo Junction and Hoo station.
If charging were needed at Hoo station a short length of 25 KVAC overhead electrification would be needed.
There is plenty of power available locally to power any electrification.

This Google Map shows the possible location of the station.

Note.

The A 289 road running NE-SW across the map from a roundabout in the North-East corner of the map.
The A 289 leads from the roundabout in the South-West corner of the map to the Medway Tunnel to Chatham.
Sharnal Street is between the two roundabouts.
The single-track railway crosses the A 289 at right-angles, about 500 metres South of Sharnal Street.
There is even a high voltage power line going through the area to the South of the railway.

It seems to be an ideal place for a station with good road access, space and plenty of power to charge battery vehicles and trains.

I took these pictures of where the A289 crosses over the railway on June 27th 2022.

Note.

The substation site, which is marked with Network Rail logos. It looks like power has been provided to the site.
The high-voltage line passing to the South of the site.
There were trucks carrying tunnel segments. Is there a factory on the Isle of Grain and will it produce segments for the Lower Thames Crossing?
The Sharnal Street bridge over the railway.

It certainly looks like Network Rail have been planning a station there for some time.

Around The Isle Of Grain

I took these pictures of the Isle of Grain on June 27th 2022.

Note.

There is a lot of housing planned on the island.
Someone wants to build a theme park.
The road past the station leads to the Medway Tunnel.

All these factors would add to the case for the station.

Battery-Electric Class 345 Trains

There would be a need to develop a third-rail battery/electric version of the Class 345 trains.

In this article in Global Rail News from 2011, which is entitled Bombardier’s AVENTRA – A new era in train performance, gives some details of the Aventra’s electrical systems. This is said.

AVENTRA can run on both 25kV AC and 750V DC power – the high-efficiency transformers being another area where a heavier component was chosen because, in the long term, it’s cheaper to run. Pairs of cars will run off a common power bus with a converter on one car powering both. The other car can be fitted with power storage devices such as super-capacitors or Lithium-ion batteries if required. The intention is that every car will be powered although trailer cars will be available.

Unlike today’s commuter trains, AVENTRA will also shut down fully at night. It will be ‘woken up’ by remote control before the driver arrives for the first shift

This was published over eleven years ago, so I suspect Bombardier have refined the concept.

A Simple Extension Of The Elizabeth Line

The branch to Hoo station could be a very simple extension of the Elizabeth Line.

There appear to be no challenging engineering problems.
Parking and cycling routes could be provided as required at the station.
The centre of Gravesend would be under ten minutes from Hoo station.
There would be a same-platform change for HighSpeed services at Gravesend station.
The developers of the housing would be over the moon.
Workers for the Lower Thames Crossing and the big energy projects on the Isle of Grain could reverse commute from London.
The station would only be a few minutes more than an hour from Central London.
The station could also double as a Park-and-Ride for Chatham and Gillingham.
Buses could connect Hoo station to Chatham and Gillingham.

It could prove to be a very valuable station for the Isle of Grain and the Medway Towns.

The Contactless Ticketing Conundrum

This is said on the Transport for London website.

Contactless pay as you go is accepted throughout the Elizabeth line.

So it’s just a case of Have Card Will Travel!

So this will mean, that contactless ticketing will have to be accepted at all stations East of Abbey Wood.

Everybody will love that!

Are There Any Other Possible Elizabeth Line Destinations In Kent?

Train companies, since the days of British Rail have run Peak time commuter trains to bring workers into London in the morning and take them home in the evening.

There will be four tph passing through Gravesend and they don’t all have to go to and from Hoo station.

Digital signalling will give flexibility as to which stations the trains could serve.

Possibilities include.

Gillingham

Gillingham station may be a possibility.

Maidstone West

Maidstone West station may be a possibility.

Rainham

Rainham station has three platforms and is already served by two Thameslink tph to Luton through Central London, which use the bay Platform 0

Some might argue that two Elizabeth Line tph should extend from Abbey Wood to Rainham, to give a four tph service between Abbey Wood and Rainham.

This would be a North Kent Metro.

Rochester

Rochester station has three platforms and Platform 3 can turn trains back to London.

It is already used by Thameslink to turn Peak services.

Project Management

The project may be budgeted to cost £3.2 billion, but it is a small number of independent projects.

Digital signalling
Electrification changeover at Abbey Wood station.
An efficient junction East of Abbey Wood.
Rebuild Belvedere station with step-free access.
Rebuild Erith station with step-free access.
Rebuild Slade Green station with step-free access.
Extend Slade Green depot.
Upgrade Dartford station.
Rebuild Stone Crossing station with step-free access.
Upgrade Greenhithe station.
Upgrade Swanscombe station.
Rebuild Northfleet station with step-free access and two extra bay platforms.
Install people mover between Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations.
Upgrade the Hoo Branch.
Build Hoo station.

Note.

Gravesend station would only need minimal updating.
As I said before, I suspect the digital signalling will be the biggest cost.
Choosing the optimal order is good project management!
Projects that create fare revenue should be done early, especially if they don’t interfere with services on the railway.

The first projects, that I would develop would be these.

Rebuild Northfleet station with step-free access and two extra bay platforms.
Install people mover between Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations.
Upgrade the Hoo Branch.
Build Hoo station.

As I said earlier, this project needs to be developed with the Lower Thames Crossing.

Conclusion

This seems an excellent plan.

June 25, 2022 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Abbey Wood Station, Class 345 Train, Crossrail To Ebbsfleet (C2E), Dartford Station, Ebbsfleet International Station, Elizabeth Line, Eurostar, Gravesend Station, High Speed One, Hoo Branch, Hoo Junction, Hoo Station, Lower Thames Crossing, North Kent Line, Northfleet Station, Southeastern HighSpeed | 4 Comments

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.

May 31, 2022 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Borough Of Barking And Dagenham, c2c, Dagenham Dock Station, Dagenham East Station, Eurostar, Gospel Oak And Barking Line, High Speed One, Purfleet Station, Southeastern HighSpeed, Thalys, Upminster Station | 5 Comments

What Does High Speed Two Mean By Classic Compatible Trains?

The Classic-Compatible trains are described in this section in Wikipedia, by this sentence.

The classic-compatible trains, capable of high speed but built to a British loading gauge, permitting them to leave the high speed track to join conventional routes such as the West Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line and East Coast Main Line. Such trains would allow running of HS2 services to the north of England and Scotland, although these non-tilting trains would run slower than existing tilting trains on conventional track. HS2 Ltd has stated that, because these trains must be specifically designed for the British network and cannot be bought “off-the-shelf”, these conventional trains were expected to be around 50% more expensive, costing around £40 million per train rather than £27 million for the captive stock.

The Classic-Compatible trains will share these characteristics with the Full-Size trains.

Maximum speed of 225 mph.
Cruising speed of 205 mph on High Speed Two.
Length of 200 metres.
Ability to work in pairs.
A passenger capacity around 500-600 passengers.

But what characteristics will the Classic-Compatible trains share with other trains on the UK network?

The Classic-Compatible trains will share some tracks with other trains, according to High Speed Two’s latest plans.

On the East Coast Main Line, the trains will run between York and Newcastle.
On the Liverpool Branch between Weaver junction and Liverpool Lime Street station.
On the Midland Main Line between Clay Cross North junction and Sheffield.
On the Midland main Line between East Midlands Hub and Bedford.
On the West Coast Main Line, the trains will run between Crewe and Glasgow.
On the West Coast Main Line, the trains will run between Stafford and Macclesfield.

As High Speed Two develops, the Classic-Compatible trains could venture off the main routes to places like Aberdeen, Barrow-in-Furness, Blackburn, Blackpool, Cleethorpes, Holyhead, Huddersfield, Inverness, Middlesbrough, Redcar, Scarborough, Stirling and Sunderland.

They will need to be able to go anywhere, which is worthwhile to connect to High Speed Two.

The main restriction is the size of the train and so a Classic-Compatible train probably can’t be larger than the largest train on the UK network, with respect to width, height and to a certain extend length.

Widths of typical trains are as follows.

Class 319 train – 2.82 metres
Class 321 train – 2.82 metres
Class 387 train – 2.80 metres
Class 700 train – 2.80 metres
Class 710 train – 2.77 metres
Class 745 train – 2.72 metres
Class 800 train – 2.70 metres
Mark 4 coach – 2.73 metres

Heights of typical trains are as follows.

Class 319 train – 3.58 metres
Class 321 train – 3.78 metres
Class 387 train – 3.77 metres
Class 710 train – 3.76 metres
Class 745 train – 3.95 metres
Mark 4 coach – 3.79 metres

Note.

I find it odd, that the smallest width is one of the newest trains; Hitachi’s Class 800.
Length is fairly irrelevant as many trains in the UK are almost 240 metres long.

I suspect that Classic-Compatible trains will have width of between 2.70 and 2.80 metres and a height of around 3.80 metres.

Could A High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Train Go Through The Thameslink Tunnel?

I ask this question, as surely in a post-pandemic world, where we are all flying there may be a case to be made for a train service between the North of England and Gatwick Airport.

But when East Midlands Railway has their new Class 810 trains, it might be possible, if they didn’t use the diesel engines.

Signalling would not be a problem, as in a few years time, all trains will be equipped with the latest digital signalling systems.

If running a Class 810 train, through the tunnel is possible, given that a Classic-Compatible train will not be larger than a Class 810 train, will High Speed Two’s trains be able to cross London in the Thameslink Tunnel?

As Midlands Connect are planning to run a Leeds and Bedford service using High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains, could this service be extended through the Thameslink Tunnel to Gatwick Airport and Brighton?

I have a feeling that this will be physically possible.

It would be under the control of the signalling.
There’s no reason, why a high speed train can’t have a precise low speed performance.
It would stop at all stations.
It would use one of the Bedford and Brighton paths on Thameslink

Passengers would like catching a train at a station in Central London and like being whisked all the way to East Midlands Hub and Leeds.

Could A High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Train Go Through The Crossrail Tunnel?

Consider.

It would surely be possible to arrange tracks at Old Oak Common to allow High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains to go between High Speed Two and Crossrail.
Crossrail is considering running to Ebbsfleet.
It might even be possible to connect in East London.
The High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains would be digitally-signalled and controlled through Crossrail without stopping.
Platform edge doors would ensure safety, but also prevent the trains from stopping at the existing stations.

I have just looked at the London railway map on carto metro, there are stretches of Crossrail under London, where there is space for a station with 200 metre, if not a 400 metre platforms, to the West or East of current Crossrail stations.

To the West of Bond Street
To the East of Tottenham Court Road
To the West of Farringdon
To the East of Liverpool Street
To the West of Canary Wharf
To the East of Canary Wharf

Would all appear to have the required space and be possibilities for extra High Speed Two platforms.

Effectively, some stations would have two sets of platforms on the tracks beside each other.

One pair of platforms would be the existing station, with platform edge doors compatible with Crossrail’s Class 345 trains.
The other pair of platforms would be the High Speed Two station, with platform edge doors compatible with High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.
The signalling and train control systems would automatically stop trains in the appropriate platform.
Extra passageways would link the new platforms to the existing station.

I suspect when Crossrail was designed, the possibility of adding extra stations to the underground section was considered and there is a method of adding extra platforms in Crossrail’s book of cunning engineering ideas.

Conclusion

I don’t rule out a High Speed service between Birmingham and stations in the North of Great Britain and major cities on the Continent.

Crossrail would be used to link High Speed One and High Speed Two.
High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains would be used.
Stops in London could be Old Oak Common, Bond Street, Liverpool Street, Canary Wharf and Ebbsfleet

It may sound to be a fanciful idea, but I believe it is possible.

August 23, 2021 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | East Coast Main Line, High Speed One, High Speed Two, High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains, Midland Main Line, Thameslink, West Coast Main Line | 8 Comments

It’s Time To Detopsify Stratford Station

Stratford Station has grown like Topsy for too long and has several problems and possible future expansions.

Not least of these include.

The final arrival of Crossrail.
A direct connection to Chingford.
A Stansted Express service.
Massive housing developments in the area.
More hotels
New cultural developments like the branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
A new campus for University College London.

This article on IanVisits is entitled Stratford Station Set For Massive Transformation.

This is his opening paragraph.

Stratford station could be radically redeveloped under plans being worked on by the rail companies and local council.

That is rather understated!

The station will become several times busier and needs a complete rethink, many more services and deTopsification.

These are my thoughts.

The Development Of The High Meads Loop

The High Meads Loop exists and is a double-track loop that can turn trains arriving at Stratford station via Lea Bridge station.

It is underneath the Eastfield Shopping Centre – Westfield is in the West of London.
Each track of the loop has its own long platform in the station. – Platform 11 is for clockwise trains and Platform 12 is for anti-clockwise.
It has been used in the past for a Stansted Express service.

The Wirral Line in Liverpool like the High Meads Loop is now a modern loop for turning trains.

The Wirral Loop is only single-track.
It gives connections for over thirty stations on the Wirral and in Cheshire and North Wales to Liverpool City Centre.
It is run by fifty-year-old Class 507 and Class 508 trains.
The loop has now been improved and can handle upwards of the fourteen trains per hour (tph) it currently does.

Merseyrail will soon be introducing new Class 777 trains on the Wirral Line in the near future and will be increasing services and the number of destinations.

British Rail’s vision for Liverpool, that was cruelly cut-short by Liverpool MP; Harold Wilson, is finally coming to fruition.

Newcastle also got its British Rail tunnel which is now being used by the Metro, but what would have happened in Manchester if British Rail had been allowed to build the Picc-Vic Tunnel?

I have a strong belief, that a Lea Valley Metro can be developed on the West Anglia Main Line.

It would have two Southern terminals – Liverpool Street station and the High Meads Loop at Stratford.
When it opens, Crossrail will mean that Liverpool Street and Stratford stations will be seven or eight minutes apart with a frequency of at least 12 tph.
Northern terminals would include Broxbourne, Cheshunt, Chingford, Enfield Town and Hertford East.
Crossrail 2 was planned to have a frequency of 10 and 15 tph between Tottenham Hale and Broxbourne stations.

I believe that if services in East London are thoroughly reorganised, that all the benefits of Crossrail 2 can be brought to East London by the use of the High Meads Loop and the upgrading of existing lines.

Stansted Express Services

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.

The picture was taken in 2017, but there is still a walk-through to Platform 12, that I use regularly, if I’m changing between London Overground and Greater Anglia or TfL Rail services to destinations on both the West Anglia or Great Eastern Main Lines.

I believe that there is still a need for a Stansted Express services from Stratford, as for some people, including myself, it is easier to get to Stratford, than Liverpool Street.

From some places the connections to and from Stansted are not very good. Try going between London Bridge, Canterbury, Euston, Victoria or Waterloo and Stansted with a few mobility issues like a heavy suitcase and/or a baby, without a degree in Ducking-and-Diving!

An additional Stansted Express service from Stratford would make things a lot easier to get to the airport for many travellers, because of Stratford’s connections to the Central, Jubilee and North London Lines and SouthEastern’s Highspeed services.

Better Connection Between High Speed One And The High Meads Loop For Passengers

Some passenger connections are missing at Stratford.

This is indicated in the IanVisits article.

This map from cartometro.com shows the Topsy-like nature of the platforms at Stratford.

Note.

The Docklands Light Railway is shown in turquoise.
The DLR platforms in the North-West corner of the map are those of Stratford International station.
High Speed One and the four platforms of Stratford International station are shown in black.
The North London Line of the London Overground is shown in orange.
The North London Line terminates in Platforms 1 and 2, which have a level link to Platform 12.
Platform 12 is on the anti-clockwise platform for the High Meads Loop and has step-free access to the subway system underneath the station.
Platform 11 is on the clockwise platform for the High Meads Loop and has level access to Platform 10a and full step-free access,
Platform 10a is used by some services to East Anglia.
Crossrail is shown in blue.
The Central Line is shown in red.
The Jubilee Line is shown in silver.

It is not the best passenger-friendly station layout.

Inevitability, you often find yourself trudging a long way at Stratford station.
Changing to or from any high speed services is supremely difficult.
Often you have to walk through the busy Eastfield Shopping Centre.

Particularly annoying for me is coming back from Kent on High Speed One and needing to take the North London Line, as I do several times a year.

As it involves a long walk through the Shopping Centre, I now take the easy way out and carry on to St. Pancras and get a taxi home.

As Stratford International is one of the draughtiest stations in England, the station is a real Design Crime and it needs a serious makeover.

Conclusion

Sort it!

May 16, 2021 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Broxbourne Station, Central Line, Crossrail 2, Design Crime, Docklands Light Railway, Eastfield, Harold Wilson, High Meads Loop, High Speed One, Housing, Jubilee Line, North London Line, Picc-Vic Tunnel, Southeastern HighSpeed, Stratford International Station, Stratford Station, Tottenham Hale Station, University College London, Victoria And Albert Museum, West Anglia Main Line | 11 Comments

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What this blog will eventually be about I do not know.

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The Anonymous Widower

Clapham High Street Could Gain Direct Overground Routes To Victoria Station

Could There Be An Elizabeth Line Extension To Grays?

Extending The Elizabeth Line – Connection To Southeastern High Speed One Services

Battery EMUs Envisaged In Southeastern Fleet Procurement

Woodgrange Park To Barking Riverside – 8th August 2022

The Channel Crossing Problem

Elizabeth Line To Ebbsfleet Extension Could Cost £3.2 Billion

Council ‘Talking’ To Government On Improving Train Provision, Leader Says

What Does High Speed Two Mean By Classic Compatible Trains?

It’s Time To Detopsify Stratford Station

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