Overground To London Bridge Under Consideration
The title of this post, is the same as that of a short article in the December 2023 Edition of Modern Railways.
This is the text of the article.
Transport for London is considering introducing London Overground services between Crystal Palace and London Bridge to help relieve overcrowding on the Sydenham corridor during the morning peak.
The move is one of two options outlined in a response to Lewisham’s Public Transport Liason Committee meeting on 4 October. The other is operating additional services on the existing route via the East London Line to Dalston Junction/Highbury & Islington. TfL acknowledges the London Bridge service would ‘represent a new routing for London Overground services that would necessitate significant changes to operational arrangements and driver testing’ and therefore further work is required ‘to establish the feasibility and business case for this change.’ There are no timescales for the implementation of either option.
The overcrowding follows the reduction by Govia Thameslink Railway of its Southern service to two trains per hour last September, when it replaced its East Croydon to London Bridge via Forest Hill stopping service with a Victoria to London Bridge via Forest Hill stopping service. In its response to the committee, GTR says the context to these changes is ‘the continued need to respond to the gap between our costs and revenues’, which it says is in the region of £15 million a year, with both demand and revenue having stabilised at around 80 % of pre-pandemic levels. It says its aim is to make ‘the most efficient use of the resources available to us,’ with the Victoria to London Bridge service designed to provide capacity for journeys to both stations’.
GTR says the current service has sufficient capacity and is lightly loaded outside peak times, and that while it will continue to keep passenger and feedback under review an increase from two to four trains per hour would require an increase in funding.
These are my thoughts.
Transport for London’s Long Term Plans
Plans exist to increase the frequency on various London Overground services and this graphic sums up what was planned a few years ago.
Note the extra two trains per hour (tph) between the following stations.
- Clapham Junction and Stratford
- Dalston Junction and Crystal Palace
- Dalston Junction and Clapham Junction
- Enfield Town and Liverpool St. via Seven Sisters
I think only Route 1 services have been increased.
I know signalling updates are holding up the extra trains on the East London Line, but are more trains needed to fully implement the extra services?
- Routes 2 and 3 services will need Class 378 trains because of the tunnel and these would be transferred from the North London Line.
- Route 4 would need Class 710 trains, as the service already uses them.
So there may be a need for more Class 710 trains.
This plan sees another two trains per hour (tph) running between Dalston Junction and Crystal Palace, which would help to reduce Lewisham’s overcrowding.
Would A London Bridge And Crystal Palace Service Be Easier To Implement?
It looks like the extra Dalston Junction and Crystal Palace services have been held up by two possible reasons.
- The required signalling update on the East London Line, that is needed to increase Crystal Palace and Clapham Junction services has not been performed.
- There are not a sufficient number of Class 378 trains to run the service through the Thames Tunnel. These will be released by running more Class 710 trains on the North London Line.
If two tph were to be run between London Bridge and Crystal Palace, this service would have these advantages.
- The train paths are available.
- The service would not be going through the Thames Tunnel, so the signalling upgrade would not be needed and the trains would not need to be able to evacuate passengers in the tunnel.
- The service could be run by any suitable third-rail trains.
- The service could be run by any length of train, that would fit all the platforms.
I believe the service could be run by eight-car trains to really get a hold on the current overcrowding.
How Many Trains Would Be Needed?
Looking at other services between London Bridge and Crystal Palace, I believe that the journey time would be about 24 minutes.
If the service were run efficiently, I suspect two trains would be needed to provide the required service of two tph.
An eight-car service would required four x four-car trains.
What Trains Could Be Used?
If the numbers are available, then third-rail versions of both London Overground’s Class 378 and Class 710 trains would be suitable.
But this would probably mean a number of Class 710 trains to be manufactured by Alstom. This would not be a short-term solution.
In Liverpool last week, I rode in a Class 319 train and these could be an interesting stop-gap.
- Several will soon be available as West Midlands Trains renews its fleet.
- They are already fitted with third-rail gear.
- They are 100 mph trains.
- Drivers seem to like them.
I believe they could fill in until more Class 710 trains were available.
Crystal Palace Station
This Open RailwayMap shows the platform layout at Crystal Palace station.
Note.
- Platforms 1 and 2 cross the South-West corner of the map and handle services like London Bridge and Beckenham Junction, London Bridge and London Victoria, and West Croydon services.
- Platform 3 is a little used bay platform, that can terminate trains from the East London Line or London Bridge.
- Platform 4 handles services between London Bridge and London Victoria.
- Platform 5 is a bay platform, that can terminate trains from the East London Line.
- Platform 6 handles services between London Victoria and London Bridge.
- Platform 7 is a disused bay platform.
These pictures show Crystal Palace station.
Crystal Palace station has an adequate number of platforms.
Conclusion
A service between London Bridge and Crystal Palace looks to be a sound plan.
Silvertown Tunnel: Cracks In Mayoral Policies
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
It is an infrastructure project that is well-underway with the boring almost completed — but it has a very low profile.
These are the first three paragraphs.
Every step of the Crossrail tunnelling, the media were invited along. Not so with this project.
This is Silvertown Tunnel. It is more than 1km long and will be London’s first road tunnel in over 30 years.
Perhaps one of the reasons it isn’t being pushed publicity-wise, is it is very controversial.
Tom Edwards gives a detailed outline of why the tunnel is controversial.
Under a heading of HGVs Using Bus Lanes, this is said.
Instead of using the Dartford Crossing, larger HGVs will be able to use the tunnel — and its bus lane.
Campaigners said that will mean more HGVs going through Newham and Greenwich.
I’ve also never heard this before.
Sheila Keeble, of the Greenwich Society, said the tunnel “will be magnet for bigger traffic than we’ve got at the moment”.
“One of the issues we have is all the developers are now looking at building distribution centres,” she said.
“At the moment the Blackwall Tunnel protects us from bigger traffic… Silvertown won’t.”
That is all very logical and I suspect we’ll see larger trucks in Hackney and Waltham Forest too!
There was also this bit of nonsense from Transport for London.
TfL says the tunnel will lead to an overall improvement in air quality.
How will all those trucks through the two tunnels reduce pollution?
In 2024, London must vote for a Mayor, who understands hydrogen, mathematics and science!
London’s Cluttered Pavements Are A Chronic Issue, Report Finds
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Central London has “chronic issues” with street clutter, making it a worse place to live, visit and work in, a think tank has warned.
And this is the first paragraph.
A-boards, disused phone boxes and rubbish bags all make pavements unwalkable, especially for those who are mobility or sight impaired.
As someone, who was stopped from driving because of bad eyesight, I’ll agree with that paragraph.
But the biggest clutter are hire bikes just left anywhere in the middle of the pavement.
How do we stop idiots doing this?
This problem is one, where we need sensible action from the Mayor.
One of my criteria, in who gets my vote at the next Mayoral election, will be what they will be doing about street clutter.
Bikes left in places, where they shouldn’t be is easy to solve.
Transport for London should have a few trucks picking up bikes, that have been left in illegal places.
The hire companies would then need to pay an appropriate fine to get the bikes back.
I would also allow private individuals and companies to collect illegally-parked bikes. It could be a nice little earner.
Collecting National Rail Tickets
I took this picture at the Elizabeth Line entrance at Tottenham Court Road station this morning.
Transport for London are telling people they must go to a National Rail station to pick up National Rail tickets.
There are good reasons, why some passengers like to pick up their tickets at the station, where they enter the rail network.
If I go to Gatwick, as I have a Freedom Pass, I need to buy a ticket from East Croydon to Gatwick.
My normal way to get to Gatwick would be to take a bus to Moorgate and get the Elizabeth Line or the Metropolitan Line one stop to get Thameslink.
But I wouldn’t pass a ticket machine.
I count download the ticket to my phone, as my left hand can’t be relied on to retrieve it.
A better solution for me and many others with a Freedom Pass would be to link it to a bank card, so that the extra could be automatically charged.
Conclusion
Transport for London have no imagination.
Silvertown Tunnel Works – 24th September 2023
I took these pictures of the Silvertown Tunnel works on the North Bank of the Thames today.
I was on a train going to Woolwich Arsenal.
What Is The Silvertown Tunnel?
The title of this section, is the same as that of this article on the Londonist, which is an excellent description of the Silvertown Tunnel.
The article says this about tolls.
The new tunnel will require you to part with some pounds if you want to use it. Despite the consultation on this taking place a decade ago, the final details have yet to be publicised. We can expect something similar to the Dartford Crossing (currently £2.50 for cars etc, free for motorbikes/mopeds).
As there is a mayoral election next year, I doubt that Sadiq Khan will announce the charge on the Silvertown and Blackwall Tunnels before the election.
Let’s Play Accountants
This is a paragraph in the Londonist Article.
Construction of the tunnel is eating up something like £1.2 billion (2020 estimate). It’ll then cost another estimated £1 billion over 25 years to pay for maintenance, financing and operation. Riverlinx paid up-front costs and will be paid back by TfL through money collected from tolls.
The running costs would appear to be a billion over 25 years, which is £ 40,000,000 in a year.
This is said on this page on the Greater London Assembly web site.
Blackwall tunnels (northbound and southbound) each carry approximately 50,000 vehicles per day in only two lanes of traffic.
That means that each tunnel handles approximately 18,250,000 vehicles per year.
Dartford Crossing charges are according to the Wikipedia entry are as follows.
- Cars, motorhomes, small minibuses – £ 2.50
- 2-axle buses, coaches, vans, goods – £ 3.00
- Multi-axle goods, coaches – £ 6.00
The Wikipedia entry also says this about the capacity and traffic through and over the Dartford Crossing.
The design capacity is 135,000 vehicles per day, but in practice the crossing carries around 160,000.
My good friend; Bob from the 1970s had an impeccable cv.
- Chief Accountant of Vickers.
- Chief Management Accountant of Lloyds Bank.
He was also one of two outstanding practical accountants I have known.
Several of his practical tips on how to handle money in computers, ended up in Artemis; the project management computer system, I wrote in the 1970.
Bob and I would solve problems in Mother Bunches Wine Bar and I suspect, we’d come to the conclusion, that an average charge of £3 per vehicle will be charged in the Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels.
I also believe from my fluid flow experience, that a proportion of the excess traffic through and over the Dartford Crossing will divert to the new Silvertown Tunnel.
- Together the Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels will have four lanes in both directions.
- The Silvertown Tunnel will hopefully designed to modern standards and be more free-flowing, than the Blackwall.
- Sat-navs will direct drivers to the quickest routes.
Just as water finds its own level, an equilibrium will develop between the flows.
- I suspect that during the day, the flow over the Dartford Crossing will drop to the design capacity of 135,000
- At night, will vehicles divert through the free-flowing Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels?
- Will those living in North Central London inside the North Circular Road drive through the Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels?
- Will the free-flowing Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels encourage people crossing the Thames to use their car, rather than the train, as the car is more convenient and the toll will be less than the train fare?
- We should also beware that new roads, railways and tunnels generate new traffic, that no-one predicts.
My feeling is that combined traffic through the four lanes of the Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels will be upwards of seventy thousand per day.
I can now calculate revenue for different levels of combined traffic through the Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels.
- 40,000 vehicles in each direction per day is a total of 29,200,000 vehicles per year, which would raise £ 87.6 million per year in toll charges.
- 50,000 vehicles in each direction per day is a total of 36,500,000 vehicles per year, which would raise £ 109.5 million per year in toll charges.
- 60,000 vehicles in each direction per day is a total of 43,800,000 vehicles per year, which would raise £ 131.4 million per year in toll charges.
- 70,000 vehicles in each direction per day is a total of 51,100,000 vehicles per year, which would raise £ 153.3 million per year in toll charges.
- 80,000 vehicles in each direction per day is a total of 58.400,000 vehicles per year, which would raise £ 175.2 million per year in toll charges.
I am assuming the following.
- All days of a 365-day year have similar traffic.
- Everybody pays without fuss, by technology like number-plate recognition.
- The average toll chare paid is £ 3.
I am drawn to the conclusion, that the contract signed between Transport for London and Riverlinx, is a licence to print money.
Even, if the tunnels only attract 40-50,000 vehicles per day, the revenue is way in excess of the £40 million needed for maintenance, financing and operation of the Silvertown Tunnel.
I have a few further thoughts and questions.
Who Are Riverlinx?
This is said on the About Roverlinx page of the Riverlinx web site.
TfL awarded Riverlinx SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) the contract for financing and overseeing the design, build and maintenance of the Silvertown Tunnel in 2019.
The Riverlinx CJV (Construction Joint Venture) is contracted by TfL and Riverlinx SPV to complete the design and construction works, delivering the Silvertown Tunnel on time and on budget.
Riverlinx CJV is a joint venture, a partnership bringing together international, market leading expertise from three civil engineering and construction companies: BAM Nuttall, Ferrovial Construction and SK ecoplant.
In collaboration with TfL, our supply chain and other key stakeholders in the project, Riverlinx CJV will complete construction of the Silvertown Tunnel in Spring 2025.
Note.
- BAM Nuttall is a construction and civil engineering company, that is a subsidiary of the Dutch Royal BAM Group.
- Ferrovial Construction is the construction subsidiary of Spanish company; Ferrovial.
- SK ecoplant is a subsidiary of the South Korean conglomorate; SK Group.
These companies should be capable of building the Silvertown Tunnel.
Where Will The Money To Build The Tunnel Come From?
In World’s Largest Wind Farm Attracts Huge Backing From Insurance Giant, using an article in The Times, I explain how Aviva invest our pensions and insurance money in wind farms.
Strangely, a tolled tunnel is a bit like a wind farm financially, in that if it’s working and the wind is blowing or the traffic is coming, it will continue to generate an income.
Built by quality construction companies, as most tunnels are, they will be the sort of investment, that would satisfy the Avivas of this world.
Will Riverlinx Get All The Tolls From The Tunnel?
Nothing is said about how the excess of income over expenditure will go.
I suspect, as the project is being designed, financed and built by Riverlinx, that they will not go unrewarded.
Will The Mayor Set The Toll Charges?
I suspect that the Mayor and TfL will set the charges.
These are some figures with different charges for 70,000 vehicles in each direction per day or a total of 51,100,000 vehicles per year.
- £3 in each direction would raise £ 153.3 million per year in toll charges.
- £4 in each direction would raise £ 204.4 million per year in toll charges.
- £5 in each direction would raise £ 255.5 million per year in toll charges.
- £6 in each direction would raise £ 306.6 million per year in toll charges.
Note.
- Some of the papers are talking of a four pound charge.
- A pound increase may not be much to the average driver, but they will certainly mount up.
Higher toll charges could be used by an unscrupulous Mayor to deter vehicles entering Central London or nudge people towards public transport.
What Happens If The Tunnel Springs A Leak?
I can remember the following tunnels being built under the Thames in my lifetime.
- Blackwall Tunnel – second bore
- Dartford Tunnel
- DLR to Greenwich and Lewisham
- DLR to Woolwich
- Elizabeth Line to Woolwich
- Jubilee Line – four crossings
- Victoria Line to Vauxhall
None of these seven seems to have sprung a leak recently. And neither have the older Victorian tunnels.
Tunnels with an income stream, appear to be a good risk, if they don’t spring a leak.
But London tunnels don’t seem to have a high likelihood of leaking.
Fines
Fines could be a problem, but this article on Kent Online, which is entitled Dartford Crossing Continues To Generate more Than One-Third Of Income From Fines As Profits Total More Than £100m, says otherwise.
Conclusion
This would appear to be a low risk venture and I suspect it will make Riverlinx and TfL a lot of money.
Cadent’s Hydrogen-Hybrid Solar Toilet
You see some strange sites on the streets of London, but this is one of the strangest I’ve seen for some years.
It describes itself as a Zero-Emission Support Unit, which is solar-powered with hydrogen back-up.
I suspect some of the conversation and banter amongst users is priceless to say the least.
But at least it doesn’t hide its achievement of a zero-carbon toilet under a bushel.
Ruislip Station – 16th July 2023
In TfL Announces The Next Tube Stations To Be Prioritised For Step-Free Access To Meet The Mayor’s Bold Accessibility Targets, it stated that Ruislip station will be made step-free.
So I went to have a look and took these pictures.
Note.
- The station is used by Piccadilly and Metropolitan Line trains, which are different sizes.
- There appears to be a well-preserved signal-box at the Eastern end of the station.
- The Eastbound platform has step-free access from the street.
- Crossing the tracks is by a Victorian steel footbridge.
- The station is Grade II Listed.
- The listing includes the the signal box and the footbridge.
This 3D Google Map shows the station.
Note.
- The footbridge in the South-West corner of the map.
- There is not much space to put a second bridge across the tracks.
- It might be possible to build a step-free footbridge with lifts by the road bridge.
If English Heritage and the Heritage Taliban dig in their heels, this could be a difficult station to make step-free.
But the London Underground has several bridges of this type, so perhaps this one is being scheduled early to test the reaction.
This second Google Map shows the road bridge and the Western ends of the platforms to an enlarged scale.
This picture shows the station side of the road bridge.
There could be space to put a steel bridge with two lifts by the road bridge.
Coupled with a comprehensive restoration of the current footbridge and a repainting of the road bridge, this could satisfy all parties.
TfL Announces The Next Tube Stations To Be Prioritised For Step-Free Access To Meet The Mayor’s Bold Accessibility Targets
The title of this post is the same as that of this press release from Transport for London.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Transport for London (TfL) has outlined the ten London Underground stations it will be reviewing for potential step-free access, as it progresses plans to further improve public transport accessibility in London.
These ten stations, spread across London, have been identified using an approach focused on the benefits to customers, such as reducing journey times for those needing to use step-free access and reflecting issues that impact the delivery of step-free access such as the feasibility of new lifts, sufficient space for work to be carried out and the depth of each Tube station.
The ten stations listed are.
- Alperton
- Arnos Grove
- Burnt Oak – Some work has been started, but paused because of the pandemic
- Eastcote
- Finchley Road
- Northolt – Some work has been started, but paused because of the pandemic
- North Acton
- Rayners Lane
- West Hampstead
- White City
The linked posts will show the latest status at the stations.
Other stations are named in the press release, where work will be done, if funds are available.
- Boston Manor
- Brondesbury
- Colindale
- East Putney
- Hackney Downs
- Hatton Cross
- Leyton
- North Ealing
- Park Royal
- Peckham Rye
- Queen’s Park
- Rickmansworth
- Ruislip
- Snaresbrook
- Surrey Quays
in addition, TfL will be looking at the Northern Line between Elephant and Castle and Morden, where there is a gap in step-free access.
These are a few thoughts.
The London Mayor Election In 2024
How many of these stations are in areas, where Sadiq Khan is short of votes for the 2024 election?
Arnos Grove Station
Work has already started at Arnos Grove station, as I showed in Are Arnos Grove And Northolt Tube Stations Going Step Free?.
The BBC Jumped The Gun
The press release now explains the BBC story from Mpnday, that I wrote about in Are Arnos Grove And Northolt Tube Stations Going Step Free?.
Khan’s Stupid Plan To Rename The Overground Lines
renamThis page on the TfL web site is entitled Naming London Overground Lines.
This is the first paragraph.
London Overground lines are to be named to make the network easier to navigate and ensure the Capital’s transport system reflects its rich and diverse history. We aim to make the changes by the end of 2024.
So why do I feel it is a stupid plan?
London Wouldn’t Stomach A Load Of Woke Names
When Khan and his fellow politicians choose the names, they will probably be a load of woke rubbish and this could cause problems with some political groups.
When The Lines Are Renamed, Will They Then Start On Station Names?
This could open a real can of worms, as some station names are totally unacceptable to some groups of people.
When Arsenal moved from Highbury, Spurs fans mounted a campaign to get Arsenal tube station renamed to its original name of Gillespie Road.
Londoners Use Their Geographic Names
I use the Overground regularly and use their geographic names like.
- Cheshunt Line
- Chingford Line
- East London Line
- Enfield Town Line
- Gospel Oak and Barking Line
- North London Line
- Romford and Upminster Line
- South London Line
- Watford DC Line
- West London Line
I also use The Drain for the Waterloo and City Line.
Thameslink And Moorgate Services
It is likely, that some or all of the Thameslink and Moorgate routes will go to Transport for London.
These would need more names.
Cost
Transport for London (TfL) have a financial crisis and I believe, that the money spent on signage and branding could be better spent on other projects like hydrogen buses or creating the West London Orbital Railway.
If Another Political Party Took Power Would They Rename Everything?
Probably! And this would be more cost!
Conclusion
Sadiq Khan is a vain and stubborn man. Renaming lines will open a nest of vipers.
With the mess Khan has got in over ULEZ, this could be another problem caused by his bad judgment.
Why Should I Pay For The ULEZ Scrappage Scheme?
The Mayor’s pet anti-pollution project the ULEZ scheme is controversial to say the least.
This article on the BBC is entitled ULEZ: Labour MPs In London Call For ULEZ Scrappage Scheme Review.
So even MPs in his own party don’t agree with the current policy!
Consider.
- I am a non-driver after a stroke ruined my eyesight.
- The only possible benefit, that I might get, is slightly less pollution around where I live.
- But the jury is out on that and the current evidence is dubious, as the Mayor has paid for it to be collected.
- In 2021, the population of London had the chance to remove Sadiq Khan, but decided to re-elect him, despite his ULEZ policy.
- So I have no sympathy for those, who have to rely on a non-compliant car or van to go about their daily business.
- They knew they had to either get a compliant vehicle, pay the £12.50 per day or move to somewhere with a friendlier transport policy.
- If the Mayor wanted to cut pollution in London, he could at least have a hydrogen policy, which allowed large trucks based in London to use this clean fuel.
We have another Mayoral election in 2024!
I shall not be voting for any candidate, who proposes to use London taxpayers’ hard-earned money for a scrappage scheme or who doesn’t have a feasible hydrogen policy.
The Anonymous Widower 