Train Information To Be Free To Developers
The Rail Industry is going to open up its database, so that all train running and timetabling information will be available free to software developers. It is reported here on the Modern Railways web site.
This may seem quite small and technical, but it is an interesting change of philosophy by a public body.
I’ve always believed in giving access to data in a comprehensive manner, when that data is anonymous and disclosure is in the public interest.
For instance, a programme could be written, that collates and analyses some specific data on the rail network, that might be required by a local politician, who is getting complaints about the rail service.
But that is only a simple example and knowing the skill of software developers, free access to the data, will spawn some very useful applications.
The article doesn’t say if passenger journey statistics will be available, but this might be very useful to develop a system, which helped show a company, which would be the best location for their next coffee shop or office development. Or perhaps it could suggest to a coach company, which might be the best route for a new service.
A lot of these applications are speculative, but because the data is available and free, companies with a need will use it to their advantage to grow, increase profits and create jobs.
Let’s hope that this is a first small step to opening up public data,so that companies and organisations can improve their products and services, and consumers can benefit.
The Consequences Of A Yes Vote For Scottish Independence
I don’t care one way or another, if Scotland votes for independence or not, as I don’t think it would affect me much at all, if the decision was made for all time. Nothing would be worse than continuous referenda every two years or so.
But I’ve just read an article in Modern Railways, by their respected columnist; Alan Williams, in which he details some of the problems we might see in the event of Scotland voting for independence.
He suggests that after Sottish Independence, England and Wales might decide to adopt Central European Time, as most of the opposition is in Scotland. So if Scotland was to stay on the current time, we’d have the problem of running connected businesses like trains and power networks. I know we do it successfully with the French, but we’ve not changed our time relationship with the French for some decades.
Now this is just one of several problems he flags up with the railway industry.
How many other problems will arise in splitting other industries and utilities?
It’s not my set of problems, but it would be a rich vein for critics and comedians.
Blackpool Is Finally Going To Link The Tram To The Train
I must admit that I don’t like Blsckpool and this post in my view sums up the seaside resorts attitude to visitors.
As I say in the post, Blackpool doesn’t have many useful maps, but one of the biggest problems is that the newly rebuilt tramway, doesn’t link up to Blackpool North station. Imagine if a main line station like Kings Cross or Paddington didn’t connect to the London Underground.
But Blackpool updated the trams a few years ago spending over £80 million. Surely, this upgrade could have been stretched to connect the trams to the station.
At least now this missing link is being built according to this report on the BBC.
Hopefully next time I go to support Ipswich at Blackpool, I’ll be able to get on a tram at the station to take me to the ground.
Will The Northern Line Extension Open Before Crossrail?
That is what this article in Global Rail News is saying.
It looks to me like some clever project manager has examined the critical path and found a way to build it quicker.
Or could it be, that Crossrail has shown that digging tunnels through London has got a lot easier since they built the Jubilee Line Extension, as tunnel boring machines are now much bigger and faster? Crossrail have also shown how stations can be built independently of the actual railway, as commercial projects, at the same time as the railway is being dug or fitted out.
From Wikipedia too, it would appear that both station sites are not cramped and hemmed in by existing buildings.
So are we going to have a race between the Northern Line Extension and Crossrail, to see which opens first?
I think that Crossrail will open first, as it is a big project that has almost got successfully past the difficult parts and there are still questions to be asked of the Northern Line Extension, before construction can start.
One thing that might delay the Northern Line Extension is to build the line to Clapham Junction station in the first phase, rather than as a second one.
Could This Happen In The UK?
This article on the BBC web site is about how the French have ordered 2,000 new trains that are too wide for the platforms.
The French train operator SNCF has discovered that 2,000 new trains it ordered at a cost of 15bn euros ($20.5bn; £12.1bn) are too wide for many regional platforms.
But could it happen here?
The front cover of the February 2014 edition of Modern Railways has a headline of Mind the Gap. Inside it describes how at some London Underground stations there is a problem of large gaps between trains and station platforms with the new S Stock.
But the London Underground problem is for a different reason. As the lines get upgraded and new trains are delivered, London Underground is endeavouring to get the platform-train interface to help passengers and especially those with accessibility problems. And they have some curved platforms that make this difficult and will need rebuilding.
Regularly on the Overground, I see a wheelchair-bound passenger push themselves effortlessly into and out of the Class 378 trains, where the interface is easy. As the Overground platforms are lengthened for the new trains, any small gap problems are probably being addressed.
On the Continent except on Metros, there is usually a step-up into the train, which with heavy cases or a baby in a buggy is a slower process.
I wonder how long it is before some anti-Europe and anti-metrication politician or dinosaur, blames the EU and/or metrication for this French problem.
After all, the French are only probably doing what London Underground are and adjusting the platforms to their shiny new trains.
But are the new French trains solving the problem of access?
I can’t find any detailed descriptions of the trains or even their class, so I can’t answer that one.
This train-platform problem will happen more in the future, as many train platforms in the developed world were designed in the steam era and have been updated over the years. I suspect we’ll probably find some newish stations may have to be rebuilt for the next generation.
So we will see more of approach taken by the French and London of ordering a train, that you want for passenger needs and then adjusting those stations that don’t fit the new trains.
After all you would prefer to have the same type of train for all your lines like London Overground has done with the Class 378 rather than have a special version for some stations. If you look at the Class 378 as a go-anywhere train on the Overground, it has a dual-voltage and selective door opening capabilities to cope with lines without overhead electrification and short platforms.
I suspect that the French problems are worse as it’s a much larger number of trains and stations and there are politicians with axes to grind.
Is The East London Line Big Enough For Crossrail?
Over the last couple of years, whilst the Metropolitan, Circle and District lines have been getting new larger S Stock trains, the overcrowding has been reducing and the comfort has been increasing.
Whereas two years ago, I would have never done it, nowadays, if I’m coming from say Paddington or as yesterday from Embankment in the rush hour, I’ll take a train to Whitechapel and then a short dive into the Overground for a train to Dalston Junction. Incidentally, do Transport for London have naming problem here, with the Overground passing under the Underground.
From Dalston Junction, it’s then just two stops on any of one of four bus routes, one of which is the New Bus for London equipped 38. I usually wait no longer than two minutes.
It’s not the quickest route, but it’s certainly the most comfortable way to come home and if you have a case or heavy parcel, it’s one of the easiest.
In a few years time, Crossrail will join the knitting at Whitechapel, and the interchange there between the various lines will become totally step-free or at a worst case escalators. So my trip home from Oxford Street will be Crossrail to Whitechapel and then the Overground.
But as the East London line of the Overground goes from Highbury & Islington station in the north to a large number of stations deep in the south, will the line be able to cope? I suspect, I won’t be the only person to use Crossrail as an extra Underground line.
From the end of this year the trains on the East London line are going to five cars, but will we be needing an increase in frequency from the current sixteen trains per hour through the core section through Whitechapel? Longer trains are probably ruled out by the difficulty of lengthening the platforms at some stations on the line.
London’s Secret Underground Line Is Coming Together
yesterday, I went to the Tate Modern.
It is one of those awkward journeys from here in Dalston, especially, as when I got out the 21 and 141 buses going to London Bridge station, seemed to be conspicuous by their absence.
So I decided to take a 38 to the Angel for a Northern line train to London Bridge, but when I got there, I just missed the southbound train.
In the end, as a northbound one arrived, I hopped to Kings Cross to get a Thameslink train to Blackfriars station, the new southern entrance of which is close by the Tate Modern.
Thameslink is gradually turning from a once every ten minutes or so railway, into a line with an Underground-like frequency of twenty-four trains an hour. Although, that frequency won’t be achieved until 2018 at the earliest.
But even so, the line is a good short cut across the centre of London. For example, in one of my trips, where I was searching for the Dudding Hill line, I ended up at Cricklewood, so to come home, I took a Thameslink train to London Bridge for a 141 bus home.
It might seem a roundabout route, but it minimised the walking. Especially, as the 141 bus stop is the closest to my house.
A Maritime Tour Of England
My trip to Portsmouth yesterday, got me thinking.
As I waited for my train to return to London, there was a First Great Western train waiting in Portsmouth Harbour station waiting to depart to Cardiff via Bristol.
So why if you are thinking of visiting England and you’re interested in the sea and ships, why not visit England’s three western maritime cities; Portsmouth, Bristol and Liverpool? All have their main attractions close to the city centres and with the exception of Bristol, the stations are too!
Trains between Portsmouth and Bristol are every hour and take about two and a half hours and those between Bristol and Liverpool have the same frequency but take just over three hours.
So it is feasible to perhaps start your trip in London and then spend say two or three days in each city. Remember that Portsmouth and Bristol are near to excellent beaches for swimming and sunbathing and Liverpool is near to the amazing beach at Formby with its statues by Antony Gormley.
After Liverpool, you might carry on to Newcastle or Glasgow for a maritime theme or take the flight home from either Liverpool or Manchester airports.
As all cities are to the west, the weather is more likely to be sunny and warm, than some other places I could mention. The weather in Portsmouth yesterday was supposed to be of cloud and rain, but I ended in the sun all day.
Two things would improve your trip.
Some rail companies allow you to break your journey, provided you keep going in the same direction. So for instance, between Portsmouth and Bristol, you might like to break your journey at Salisbury for lunch.
But if you do, I suspect there’s no Left Luggage facilities at the station.
As to hotels, you would obviously pay your money and take your choice. I think that in each city, there are ones at all prices in the city centres or by the stations.
Remember if you’re over sixty, you can buy a Senior Railcard for a third off rail fares. If you are someone, who can stick to a timetable, the three tickets linking London, Portsmouth, Bristol and Liverpool, booked in advance over the Internet will probably cost around £30 each leg or £20 with a Railcard.
Judging by the number of foreign tourists, that I meet on trains, this type of holiday is getting much more common.
Conclusions On The Dudding Hill Line
Except for taking a trip in the cab of one of the freight trains on the line, I think I’ve had a pretty good view of the length of the The Dudding Hill Line from Cricklewood to Acton.
The line gives the impression of being well-built and well-maintained and probably except for the bridge-cum-tunnel at Craven Park would not be in the difficult and expensive category to open up to a loading gauge suitable for containerised freight trains and electrify, especially if you judge it against this post, which discusses the problems of electrification.
So I stick with my conclusion that the line should be electrified.
The main reason would of course be for the freight, but it of course opens up the possibilities for passenger services. How about?
Brighton-Gatwick-St.Pancras-Heathrow.
Southampton-Reading-Heathrow-Luton-Sheffield-Newcastle.
The list is pretty endless and depends very much on what passengers want and what an operator is prepared to try.
But did I get any answers to any of the other questions I had in this post?
1. I have found no information on how to get from the North London Line to the Midland Main Line. So it would appear that it will be a difficult rail journey from London Gateway to the new Radlett Freight Distribution Centre, unless you unload the containers onto trucks. One or other of the two ends of the journey is in the wrong place.
2. I looked at the Acton area of the North London Line and its proximity to North Acton station and came to the conclusion, it might not be a good idea, as it has the Brixton problem with one line on a high bridge and the other in a cutting. It looks like politicians are trying to design a railway.
I’ll leave the other questions, as most aren’t concerned with the Dudding Hill Line.
My last conclusion is a bit of a cop-out! Because of the lack of a sensible connection between the Midland Main Line and the North London Line, is holding back full utilisation of the Dudding Hill Line.
As the more I investigated the Dudding Hill Line, the more it hit me, that we need a line around North East London.
Come back Palace Gates Line, all is forgiven!
A Professional View Of The Problems Of Electrification
Anybody interested in the future of the railways should read this article from Global Rail News.
It is mainly about the electrification of the Great Western Main Line and is full of interesting and sometimes surprising information.
Take the important subject of getting electricity to the wires.
As an electrical engineer by training, I was surprised by the fact that the overhead wire all the way from London to Cardiff is fed from the main 400 kV grid at just four points; Kensal Green, Didcot, Melksham and Cardiff, with Kensal Green to be shared with Crossrail. My intuition and 1960s training said there would have been a lot more.
I think that this gives further credence to the thought behind the interesting snippet from Modern Railways I commented on here.
A project manager’s nightmare is also detailed. If you are connecting your new electric railway to the National Grid, then you have to program your work for one of their shutdowns, as you can’t for example, let London go dead. So as with all projects, good project management is essential.
The article also talks about a variety of issues like creating enough height under bridges, the problems of the Severn Tunnel and heritage problems.
The Anonymous Widower 