The Anonymous Widower

‘No Constraints’ On Clapham Junction Tube Extension

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

This is the sub-heading.

There are no physical restrictions to extending the Northern line to Clapham Junction, an investigation has found.

These are the first three introductory paragraphs.

In a new report, Wandsworth council said there were “no engineering or geological constraints” that would prevent an extension.

The council is now carrying out a public consultation to see whether there is strong local support for the extension.

Clapham Junction, one of London’s busiest stations, is home to the Overground and National Rail services.

The Current State According To Wikipedia

This Wikipedia  section, says this about the current state of the extension to Clapham Junction station.

Provision has been made for a future extension of the Northern line to Clapham Junction station, with a reserved course underneath Battersea Park. During the public inquiry into the extension in 2014, the inspector noted that although an extension to Clapham Junction would be desirable, it was unnecessary to meet the needs of the Vauxhall Nine Elms Battersea regeneration area. Additionally, it was noted that an extension to Clapham Junction could overwhelm the extension, due to the high demand.

As part of consultations into Crossrail 2 in 2014, the developer of the Battersea Power Station site suggested that Battersea could be the location of a station instead of at King’s Road Chelsea. This would provide a link between the area and Clapham Junction station. Despite the proposal for the future Crossrail 2 project to serve the station, local residents and politicians have continued to request a future extension of the Northern line to Clapham Junction. In March 2023, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan stated that the “case for an extension is not readily apparent, given Clapham Junction’s existing high levels of connectivity”.

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the railways that lie between Battersea Power Station and Clapham Junction stations going via Battersea Park.

Note.

  1. Battersea Power Station station is in the North-East corner of the map.
  2. Clapham Junction station is in the South-West corner of the map.
  3. The rounded D-shape by the river is the Children’s Zoo in Battersea Park.

Going via Battersea Park is a rather roundabout and long route.

High Speed One and High Speed Two tunnels have and are being bored under existing railways.

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the railways that lie between Battersea Power Station and Clapham Junction stations.

Note.

  1. Battersea Power Station station is in the North-East corner of the map.
  2. Clapham Junction station is in the South-West corner of the map.
  3. The main line between Waterloo and Clapham Junction stations runs diagonally across the map.
  4. Branching North from this line is the line between Victoria and Clapham Junction stations.

Could an Underground sized railway be bored between Battersea Power Station and Clapham Junction stations?

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the railways around Battersea Power Station station.

Note.

  1. Battersea Power Station station is in the North-East corner of the map.
  2. The orange line going North-South is the line between Victoria and Clapham Junction stations.

I suspect if they used the Irish Tunnelling Method or hand digging, as was used recently at Bank, twin tunnels could be dug from Battersea Power Station station to deep under the Waterloo and Clapham Junction line.

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the railways around Clapham Junction station.

Note.

  1. Clapham Junction station is in the South-West corner of the map.
  2. Two deep underground platforms for the Northern Line would be built to the North-East of Clapham Junction station.
  3. Escalators and lifts would transfer passengers to and from the existing platforms.
  4. I suspect the Victorian infrastructure is fairly simple and elegant escalators can be threaded through, as they have been at London Bridge station.

I believe that a modern spectacular interchange can be built at Clapham Junction station to connect the National Rail lines with the Northern Line extension at Battersea Power Station station.

November 23, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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.

  1. Clapham Junction and Stratford
  2. Dalston Junction and Crystal Palace
  3. Dalston Junction and Clapham Junction
  4. 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.

  1. 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.
  2. Platform 3 is a little used bay platform, that can terminate trains from the East London Line or London Bridge.
  3. Platform 4 handles services between London Bridge and London Victoria.
  4. Platform 5 is a bay platform, that can terminate trains from the East London Line.
  5. Platform 6 handles services between London Victoria and London Bridge.
  6. 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.

November 22, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

From Denmark Hill To London Victoria – 12th August 2023

I took these pictures this morning on a Southeastern Metro train from Denmark Hill to London Victoria.

Note.

  1. The evidence of trespass; graffiti is everywhere.
  2. Banksy it ain’t!
  3. The security doesn’t seem to be top class.

Surely, improvements to security are needed.

August 12, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , | 1 Comment

Southeastern Keen On Battery EMUs

The title of this post, is the same as that of a small section in the August 2023 Edition of Modern Railways.

This is said.

Southeastern is to seek pre-qualification interest from manufacturers and leasing companies for a replacement fleet for the Networker Class 465 and 466 inner-suburban stock, now over 30 years old. The company intends to compare the price of new and cascaded stock.

Southeastern MD Steve White told Modern Railways his preference is for a bi-mode EMU, capable of working off both the third rail supply and batteries. Battery EMUs were originally proposed for the Networker replacements so they could work through services to the unelectrified Isle of Grain branch, after Medway Council put forward plans to restore passenger services on the Hoo peninsular to serve new housing there.

Despite the extension of services to Sharnal Street on the Isle of Grain having since been put on hold by Medway Council on cost grounds (p13, May issue).

Southeastern is still pursuing battery EMUs, even though the company’s existing network is all electrified on the third rail system.

Merseyrail is already adopting battery EMU technology, with seven of the new fleet of 53×4-car Class 777 units being equipped with batteries to enable them to serve the unelectrified extension to Headbolt Lane (p82, July 2022 issue).

Mr. White says there are a number of reasons battery EMUs are attractive.

    • Increasing levels of mental health issues in society have led to trespass being a major issue the railway: battery EMUs would make it feasible to keep trains moving at slow speed when the current supply has to be switched off to protect a trespasser.
    • Battery EMUs would be able to keep moving on occasions when the third rail supply fails, due to technical failures or ice on the conductor rail. This would avoid the compounding of problems, as when delayed passengers got out on the track at Lewisham in March 2018 when the third rail iced up, forcing Network Rail to cut the electricity supply and making it more difficult to get trains moving again.
    • Battery EMUs would make it feasible to remove third rail from depots, making them safer places in which to work. A train cleaner was electrocuted and died at West Marina depot in St. Leonards in May 2014, and the Office of Road and Rail has well-publicised concerns on safety grounds about any extensions to the third rail system.
    • Battery EMUs would be able to cater for service extensions on unelectrified lines, such as the Isle of Grain.

Mt. White says the trespass issue is the major driver, and if the principle of battery EMUs becomes established it might prove feasible to remove the third rail from platform areas at inner-suburban stations with a persistent trespass problem. He points out this approach might unlock extension of third rail to routes such as the Uckfield line, allowing station areas to be left unelectrified. Replacement of DMUs by electric stock on the Uckfield branch would eliminate diesel working at London Bridge, with air-quality and carbon removal benefits for the capital.

There are a 5-star hotel and a major hospital close to the diesel-worked plstform at London Bridge.

I will now look at some of the issues in detail.

Range Of A Battery EMU

I discuss range of battery EMUs in these posts.

Note.

  1. Both trains are built by Stadler.
  2. 135 km. is 84 miles.
  3. A Bombardier engineer told me eight years ago, that the prototype battery-electric Class 379 train had a range of sixty miles.

I feel it is reasonable to assume that a 100 mph battery-electric train, designed to replace Southeastern’s Networkers could have a range of at least sixty miles.

Distances Of Cannon Street Metro Services

These are distances of services from Cannon Street.

  • Erith Loop via Greenwich, Woolwich Arsenal and Bexleyheath – 28.5 miles
  • Gravesend – 24.5 miles
  • Orpington – 12.6 miles
  • Grove Park – 7.1 miles
  • Slade Green – 14.5 miles

Note.

  1. The Erith Loop services start and finish at Cannon Street station.
  2. The Gravesend service terminates in an electrified bay platform.
  3. The Orpington service terminates in an electrified bay platform.
  4. Grove Park and Slade Green are depots.

If trains could be fully charged at Cannon Street station, all services out of the station could be worked by a battery EMU with a range of forty miles.

Charging At Cannon Street

Consider.

  • All Cannon Street services arrive at the station via London Bridge station.
  • All Cannon Street services leave the station via London Bridge station.
  • Trains typically take 4-5 minutes between Cannon Street and London Bridge station.
  • Trains typically wait at least 7 minutes in Cannon Street station before leaving.
  • Typically, a battery EMU takes fifteen minutes to charge.

A train running from London Bridge to London Bridge would probably take a minimum of fifteen minutes, which should be enough to charge the train.

The track between London Bridge and Cannon Street would need a strong level of protection from trespassers.

I suspect that with some slight timetable adjustments, all Cannon Street services  could be run using battery EMUs.

Distances Of Charing Cross Metro Services

These are distances of services from Charing Cross.

  • Maidstone East – 38.9 miles
  • Dartford – 17.1 miles
  • Gravesend – 23.8 miles
  • Hayes – 14.3 miles
  • Sevenoaks – 22.2 miles
  • Grove Park – 8 miles

Note.

  1. The Gravesend service terminates in an electrified bay platform, which could be used to charge the train before return.
  2. The Maidstone East service terminates in an electrified platform.
  3. Grove Park is a depot.

If trains could be fully charged at Charing Cross station, all services out of the station could be worked by a battery EMU with a range of fifty miles.

Charging At Charing Cross

Consider.

  • All Charing Cross services arrive at the station via London Bridge station.
  • All Charing Cross services leave the station via London Bridge station.
  • Trains typically take 10 minutes between Charing Cross and London Bridge station.
  • Trains typically wait at least 7 minutes in Charing Cross station before leaving.
  • Typically, a battery EMU takes fifteen minutes to charge.

A train running from London Bridge to London Bridge would probably take a minimum of twenty minutes, which should be enough to charge the train.

The track between London Bridge and Charing Cross would need a strong level of protection from trespassers.

I suspect that with some slight timetable adjustments, all Charing Cross services  could be run using battery EMUs.

Distances Of Victoria Metro Services

These are distances of services from Victoria.

  • Gillingham – 37.2 miles
  • Orpington – 14.7 miles
  • Dartford – 18.9 miles

Note.

  1. The Orpington service terminates in an electrified bay platform.
  2. The Gillingham service terminates in an electrified bay platform.
  3. The Dartford service terminates in an electrified platform.

If trains could be fully charged at Victoria station, all services out of the station could be worked by a battery EMU with a range of fifty miles.

Charging At Victoria

Consider.

  • All Victoria services arrive at the station via Shepherds Lane junction.
  • All Victoria services leave the station via Shepherds Lane junction.
  • Trains typically take five minutes between Victoria and Shepherds Lane junction.
  • Trains typically wait at least 7 minutes in Victoria station before leaving.
  • Typically, a battery EMU takes fifteen minutes to charge.

A train running from Shepherds Lane junction to Shepherds Lane junction would probably take a minimum of seventeen minutes, which should be enough to charge the train.

The track between Shepherds Lane junction and Victoria would need a strong level of protection from trespassers.

Conclusion

It certainly appears that if the Networker Class 465 and Class 466 trains were replaced by new trains with the following specification.

  • 100 mph operating speed.
  • Range of fifty miles on battery power.
  • Ability to charge batteries in fifteen minutes.
  • Third-rail operation
  • It might be an idea to add a pantograph, so the trains could use 25 KVAC overhead wires where necessary and charge batteries on a short length of overhead electrification.

Then a substantial part of the Southeastern Metro network could be made safer, by selective removal of third rail at trespassing hot spots.

 

August 12, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

The Platform 1 End Of Victoria Station – 2nd August 2023

I took these pictures of Platform 1 at Victoria station and Wilton Road, which runs along the side of the station.

This gallery shows Platform 1, how it is accessed and the retail units that you pass to access the platform.

Note.

  1. The glass barrier between the retail units and the toilets and Platform 2.
  2. Passengers for Platform 1 have to walk down to gates that are at the far end of the retail units.
  3. The Victoria end of Platform 1 is set back from the other platforms.

This gallery shows Wilton Road.

Note.

  1. Wilton Road is immediately outside of the station
  2. Parts of the outside of the station has quality stonework.
  3. There is a bus stand close to the station.
  4. There is a taxi rank on the other side.
  5. There is an entrance to the station.
  6. There is also an entrance to the Underground station, if you walk to the front of the station.

This gallery shows Hudson’s Place.

Note.

  1. The shops inside the station by Platforms 1 and 2 are behind the three-story Victorian facade.
  2. An M & S sign is in one window.
  3. There is an entrance to the station.

What is happening behind the hoardings in the middle of Hudson’s Place?

This gallery shows Platforms 1 and 2.

Note.

  1. Platform 1 is surprisingly long,
  2. I’ve seen steam specials in the platform with the engine at the country end.
  3. Platform 2 is also long.

This gallery shows the gateline upgrade and a few odds and sods.

Note.

  1. The platforms 3 and 4 would appear to be shorter and can only take eight-car trains.
  2. The gatelines in the two halves of the station are being upgraded and new destination boards are being upgrade.

This table gives the platform lengths for Platforms 1 to 7.

  • Platform 1 – 270 metres
  • Platform 2 – 359 metres
  • Platform 3 – 180 metres
  • Platform 4 – 203 metres
  • Platform 5 – 247 metres
  • Platform 6 – 245 metres
  • Platform 7 – 286 metres

Note.

  1. Platforms 3 and 4 will only take eight-car trains, which are 160 metres long.
  2. All other platforms will take twelve-car trains, which are 240 metres long.
  3. A single High Speed Two Classic Compatible Train os 200 metres long.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms at Victoria station.

Note.

  1. The platforms are numbered starting with one on the right.
  2. The blue numbers give the platform numbers.
  3. Platform 1 is stepped-back from all the others.
  4. Platform 2 is the longest platform.
  5. Platforms 1 and 2 share an island platform.

This second OpenRailwayMap shows the North-East corner of the previous map to a larger scale.

Note that there are retail units for WH Smith, Cards Galore, McDonalds, M & S Simply Food and Starbucks, toilets and a reception area for British Pullman.

Could this area be revamped to be a Customs and Immigration are for passengers going to and from Europe?

  • I estimate the area available  is about twenty-five metres wide over a hundred metres long.
  • There are also two extra floors above the ground floor.
  • It might be possible to build over part of Hudson’s Place outside of the station.

I suspect that, if the space is efficiently used, that a secure and efficient Customs and Immigration facility, that would handle perhaps four trains per hour (tph) could be created.

 

 

August 2, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | 6 Comments

National Express Owner Plans To Launch Eurostar Rival

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Financial Times.

I have documented a few attempts to start a competitor to Eurostar.

Note.

  1. None of the proposals seem to have got past being announced.
  2. The only useful fact given in the article, is that the service will be called Evolyn.

Searches of the Internet reveal virtually no more facts, rehashes of the FT article and a lot of waffle.

These are my thoughts.

Would Eurostar Give Up And Slots At St. Pancras International?

I use slots deliberately, as British Airways don’t seem keen to ever give up slots at Heathrow or Gatwick.

And I suspect Eurostar would be the same!

St. Pancras International Doesn’t Have Enough Space

This article on Kent & Surrey Bylines, which is entitled Why Are There Such Queues At St Pancras For Eurostar?, is typical of many you can find on the Internet.

This is the sub-heading.

Eurostar no longer stops at Ebbsfleet or Ashford International, and the queues at St Pancras are becoming intolerable

This is the first paragraph.

Passengers are complaining. The queues at St Pancras are now intolerable. The lines stretch back into the main hall. It is like an airport with the slow shuffle towards the security kiosks. Then, once you are through that, you go to the departure lounge. However, there is not enough seating for the waiting passengers (see picture above taken this month). Because you have to check in 90 minutes before the train starts, one can be stuck standing in this waiting room for an hour. Unless, that is, one is white-haired and venerable, in which case one is usually offered a seat by someone younger and fitter.

It was written on the 9th of last month. But the problems have been bad for some years, as St. Pancras station is too small.

Could Ashford International Station Be Used As A Terminal?

The station has platforms  on High Speed One, but the Financial Times says the service will be run between London and Paris.

I doubt even Ryanair would stretch it to say that Ashford was in London.

Could Ebbsfleet International Station Be Used As A Terminal?

It might be possible to say that Ebbsfleet was in London, but then it is not well-connected to Central London.

Does That leave Just Stratford International?

In Platforms 1 And 4 At Stratford International Station, I came to this conclusion.

I have come to these conclusions about Platforms 1 And 4 at Stratford International station.

  • The platforms are designed to take the longest Eurostar trains.
  • The access to Platforms 1 And 4, doesn’t appear to be designed for continuous heavy use.
  • The diamond crossover at the Eastern end of the station would allow Stratford International station to be used as an emergency terminus.

The track layout at the London end of High Speed One appears to have been designed for all eventualities.

But I suspect that Stratford International station will need a lot of money spent to provide Customs and Immigration facilities.

Could Victoria Station Be Used As A Terminal?

National Express is primarily a coach company, so could they be planning a service to connect the long distance coach networks of London and Paris?

This OpenRailwayMap shows the link between High Speed One and the Chatham Main Line.

Note.

  1. Ebbsfleet International and Northfleet stations are at the top of the map.
  2. High Speed One is the red line going through Ebbsfleet International station.
  3. The orange line going across the South-West corner of the map is the Chatham Main Line between Victoria station and Chatham.
  4. The Chatham Main Line is connected to High Speed One, by the Waterloo Connection or the Fawkham Junction Link.

This route was the original route for Eurostar to Waterloo.

But it could just as easily go into Victoria.

Note that the two Kent On The Cusp Of Change posts were based on an article in the July 2017 Edition of Modern Railways.

I am convinced that Victoria could be used as a terminal for Continental trains.

Where Would The Service Terminate In France?

Everything I said about congestion also applies to Gare Du Nord, so would it be better to use Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy station that serves Disneyland Paris and Charles de Gaulle Airport, which used to be used by Eurostar.

There are certainly possibilities to do something different.

What Trains Would Be Needed?

The FT article says that the consortium have talked to Alstom, who build the Class 373 trains.

The trains would probably need a specification like this.

  • Maximum speed of at least 200 mph, like Eurostar’s Class 374 trains.
  • Ability to run on tracks with a UK loading gauge.
  • Ability to use both 750 VDC third rail and 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
  • Less than 240 metres long, which are the platform lengths at Victoria.

Would a High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Train be suitable?

  • The trains will have a maximum speed of 224 mph.
  • It has been designed for a UK loading gauge.
  • The two partners in these trains; Alstom and Hitachi, have both built high speed trains capable of running at slower speeds using third rail electrification.
  • The standard length of the trains are 200 metres.

I suspect they would do nicely.

Conclusion

I suspect that the National Express service could use High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains between Victoria and Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy stations.

  • The trains would be standard with the ability to use third rail electrification
  • They would use a single International platform at Victoria and Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy.
  • Victoria station is well-connected to the Underground.
  • Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy station is connected to Charles de Gaulle airport and Disneyland Paris.

I feel that there is a feasible service that can be designed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 1, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

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.

  1. The station is Grade II Listed.
  2. There are four tracks through Clapham High Street station.
  3. Only the lines used by the London Underground have platforms.
  4. I don’t think it will be difficult to add platforms to the other two tracks.
  5. The platforms will probably take five-car trains.
  6. Access to the platforms is by a subway, which could probably be extended to the other side of the tracks.
  7. A second entrance would be closer to Clapham North station.
  8. I suspect step-free access would not be too difficult to install.
  9. 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.

  1. Clapham High Street station is in the North-West corner of the map.
  2. Clapham North station is at the Eastern edge of the map in the middle.
  3. 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.

  1. The Overground tracks are shown in orange and black.
  2. The fast lines, which are to the North of the Overground lines are shown in black.
  3. 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.

  1. tph means trains per hour.
  2. The London Overground services could be increased to 6 tph.
  3. Only the London Overground services stop in Clapham High Street station.
  4. The Dartford, Gillingham and Orpington trains are pathed for 90 mph trains.
  5. 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.

  1. It is likely that the London Overground service will go to 6 tph.
  2. Would 100 mph services always go through without stopping?
  3. 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.

  1. It is a very busy station.
  2. I’ve read somewhere, that it is the busiest station in the UK, without any step-free access.
  3. It could be a magnificent station.
  4. 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.

  1. Denmark Hill station is in the North-West corner of the map.
  2. Crofton Park station is in the South-East corner of the map.
  3. The route would be via Peckham Rye and Nunhead stations.
  4. It is not a very fast route with an operating speed of 50-60 mph.
  5. 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.

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

This Google Map shows Bellingham station.

Note.

  1. Bellingham station is at the top of the map.
  2. Bellingham station is on the Catford Loop Line.
  3. 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 | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Thoughts On Extending The Northern Line To Clapham Junction

As I wrote in Northern Line Could Be Extended To Clapham Junction In Regeneration Plans, the extension of the newly-built extension to Battersea Power Station station could be further extended to Clapham Junction station.

Railways Between Battersea And Clapham

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks that run between the two stations.

Note.

  1. Battersea Power Station station is in the North-East corner of the map.
  2. The orange and yellow lines going North from that corner go to Victoria station.
  3. The orange and yellow lines going North-East from that corner go to Waterloo station.
  4. The yellow line going West is the West London Line to Shepherds Bush and Willesden Junction stations.
  5. Clapham Junction station is in the South-West corner of the map.

I estimate that the distance between Battersea Power Station and Clapham Junction stations is about three kilometres.

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows an enlargement of the tracks around Battersea.

Note.

  1. The tracks going North over the River to Victoria station.
  2. The tracks going East to Waterloo station.
  3. The tracks going South West to Clapham Junction station.
  4. The tracks from Victoria pass over and then join the tracks from Waterloo to continue to Clapham Junction station.

Battersea Power Station station can be seen to the North-East of the junction.

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows an enlargement of the tracks around Battersea Power Station station.

Note how the tracks go through Battersea Power Station station and terminate just before the lines into Victoria station.

It should also be noted that the platforms at Battersea Power Station station are reached using two sets of escalators, so they could be over forty metres below the surface. This would surely make the construction of tower blocks with deep foundations easier over the Northern Line.

But the depth would also enable an extended Northern Line to be below any existing or future construction.

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the approaches to Clapham Junction station.

There are certainly a lot of tracks through Clapham Junction station.

Reasons For The Extension Of The Northern Line To Clapham Junction

These reasons come to mind.

To Enable Development In The Area

This is always a good reason.

In Network Rail To Outline Business Case For Clapham Junction Redevelopment, I said this.

The Rail Technology Magazine article talks of decking over the whole station and putting two million square feet of development on top. But it also cautions, it would be very expensive.

With that amount of development, there would be a need for as many transport links as possible.

To Improve Access To The Elizabeth Line For Passengers On Trains To And From Victoria

Victoria station does not have an Underground Line, that connects to easily the Elizabeth Line.

The best route to use is described in The Lizzie Line And Circle/District Line Interchange At Paddington – 1st July 2022, where you use the Circle to Paddington.

  • To go to the West on the Elizabeth Line, take the Circle/District Line to Paddington.
  • To go to the East on the Elizabeth Line, take the District Line to Whitechapel.
  • To go to Liverpool Street take the Circle Line all the way.

Getting to the stations between Paddington and Liverpool Street means a change at either of those stations.

At Waterloo, you can use the Northern Line, which has a direct connection to Tottenham Court Road on the Elizabeth Line.

Connecting to the Northern Line at Clapham Junction will give Victoria-bound passengers, the advantages of those going to Waterloo.

An Alternative Way Of Connecting Victoria To The Elizabeth Line

The lack of an easy connection between the Victoria and the Elizabeth Line is a pain and I believe that it was a major omission in the design of the Elizabeth Line.

  • Dear Old Vicky has a frequency of upwards of thirty trains per hour (tph)
  • With some improvements at stations like Oxford Circus, Highbury & Islington and Walthamstow Central, the line could handle some more passengers.
  • More step-free access would also help increase capacity.
  • Engineers are a competitive bunch and I could see the day, when Vicky is running at 40 tph.

If Vicky was running at forty full tph, it would be moving 45120 passengers per hour.

This would mean that to match the passenger capacity of the older line, the Elizabeth Line would have to be running at a frequency of thirty tph.

As passengers at the ends of the line have difficulty getting to places like Paddington and Heathrow, a connection between the two Queens would really help.

Vicky was universe-class in the 1960s and now she needs updating to the 21st Century.

This map from cartometro shows the Lines through Bond Street and Oxford Circus stations.

Note.

  1. The Bakerloo Line is shown in brown.
  2. The Central Line is shown in red.
  3. The Elizabeth Line is shown in purple.
  4. The Victoria Line is shown in light blue.
  5. The Elizabeth Line is the deepest line.

In addition, consider.

The Eastern exit of the Elizabeth Line at Bond Street station has three escalators and lifts. It also opens onto Hanover Square, so it won’t suffer from overcrowding problems outside.

  • Hanover Square is just a garden, with no car park underneath, so pedestrian tunnels could pass under it
  • I also suspect there are no existing or planned buildings between the two stations with deep foundations that would block a pedestrian tunnel.
  • With the capability and ingenuity of three-D design software, I can see wide tunnels being created that would link Oxford Circus and the two Bond Street stations.
  • The new wide tunnels at Bank station have opened up the station’s capacity and all the tunnels were dug traditionally.
  • If it was felt to be needed, moving walkways could be added, just as they have been at Bank station.

I am absolutely sure, that by using the ideas and methods, that have worked so well in the upgrade of Bank station, that Oxford Circus and Bond Street stations could be turned into a London Superhub Station, that connects all the Underground lines together and has entrances all over the area.

The benefits of such a station would be.

  • It would provide a high-capacity link between London’s two highest-capacity Underground Lines; Elizabeth and Victoria.
  • It would provide a high-capacity link between the Elizabeth Line and Euston, St. Pancras and King’s Cross.
  • It would provide a high-capacity link between the Elizabeth Line and Victoria.
  • It would provide a high-capacity link between the Elizabeth Line and High Speed Two.
  • Areas like Brixton, Haringey and Walthamstow would gain a much needed link to the Elizabeth Line for Heathrow and Paddington.

Wikipedia says this about the building of the Bank Station Upgrade.

As part of the development of the scheme, TfL worked with potential bidders to improve the design of the station from TfL’s original design. The design proposed in the winning bid by Dragados was 9.7% cheaper than the original design (saving TfL £60m), took 10 months less time to construct than the original design (the proposed closure of the Northern line was also 5 weeks shorter), and the layout of the station was more efficient. This substantially improved the benefit–cost ratio by 45% to 3.5:1.

The Mayor should be knocking on the door of Dragados and asking them for a price for a design and build for a West End Superhub station.

A Possible Route For The Extension Of The Northern Line To Clapham Junction

I suspect that the simplest route for the extension of the Northern Line would be to bore or dig a twin-track railway underneath the numerous other railways in the area.

It could terminate in two underground platforms at Clapham Junction station.

This is the first map of this post and it shows the tracks that run between the two stations.

Note.

  1. Battersea Power Station station is in the North-East corner of the map.
  2. Clapham Junction station is in the South-West corner of the map.

The Western of the pair of orange Lines going off the map in the North-East corner of the map is the Brighton Main Line.

It passes through Battersea Park station.

It passes over the South Western Main Line out of Waterloo.

It then loops to the West and joins the lines to Clapham Junction on the Southern side.

It serves four platforms at Clapham Junction; 12 and 14 are up platforms and 13 and 15 are down platforms.

This Google Map shows an overview of Clapham Junction station.

Note.

  1. Platforms 1 and 2 at the top of the map, handle London Overground services.
  2. Platforms 3 to 11 handle South Western Train services.
  3. Platforms 12 to 17 handle Southern services.
  4. Platforms 9 and 10 have a Delice de France cafe.
  5. Platforms 11 and 12 have a Cuppacino cafe.
  6. Platforms 13 and 14 have the logos.
  7. All platforms have full step-free access with lifts to the wide footbridge that connects all platforms.

The platforms don’t seem to be very wide and putting stairs and escalators down to underground platforms could be a difficult proposition.

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows shows the platforms at Clapham Junction station and the track layout to the West of the footbridge.

Note.

  1. The tracks through the platforms are shown in orange.
  2. The blue dots are platform numbers.
  3. The bridge connecting all the platforms is shown shaded in the middle of the map.
  4. To the West of the bridge are Clapham Junction Sidings and Clapham Traincare Depot.

These pictures were taken from the bridge.

Note.

  1. The top row of pictures were taken looking West.
  2. The bottom row of pictures were taken looking East.
  3. Many of the tracks are electrified.
  4. There is a lot of space to park trains.

Will all the space be needed now, that a new depot has been built at Feltham.

Could Two New Surface Platforms Be Built For The Extension Of The Northern Line To Clapham Junction?

Consider.

  • The step-free bridge across all the platforms at Clapham Junction station works well.
  • It is connected to the streets around the station at both ends.
  • Clapham Junction station will be redeveloped and surplus depot land could be used for housing.
  • As the maps show, there is a large gap in the platforms between the South Western Railway and the Southern sides of the station.
  • As Battersea Power Station station can turn services on the Northern Line with only two platforms, there would only need to be the same number of Northern Line platforms at Clapham Junction.

So could an extra pair of platforms be built under the bridge, with stairs and a lift similar to the existing platforms?

  • The platform would have full step-free access.
  • The platforms could be long enough for any future trains.
  • There could be sidings for a few trains.
  • The tunnels from Battersea Power Station would surface just outside the station.
  • There would need to be a crossover or a turnback siding for operational reasons.

I also think, that once the depot and sidings at Clapham Junction have released the space, the new platforms and tracks could be installed without interrupting main line services through the station.

Would The Extension Of The Northern Line Be Electrified?

Consider.

  • Merseyrail were not allowed to use third-rail electrification to Headbolt Lane station and had to use batteries.
  • The Northern Line was extended to Battersea Power Station station using London’s four-rail electrified system.
  • Clapham Junction station has third-rail electrification everywhere.

I think that the authorities would be very churlish not to allow electrification to Clapham Junction.

Conclusion

I believe it is possible to extend the Northern Line to two new surface platforms at Clapham Junction station.

But I also believe that using similar methods to those used in the Bank Station Upgrade, that a full interchange between the Elizabeth and Victoria Lines can be built at Oxford Circus and Bond Street.

 

 

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February 4, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The 38 Bus And The Lizzie Line

London’s 38 bus is very convenient for me.

  • It is a frequent route, running most times every few minutes.
  • The stops are about a hundred metres from my house just round the corner.
  • To the East it goes through Hackney to the romantic Clapton Pond.
  • To the West it goes to Angel and across Central London to Victoria station.
  • The route connects to the new entrance at Hackney Central station, which makes it easy coming home from the East with heavy shopping.

Yesterday, I used the 38 bus to go to and from the Lizzie Line for a trip to Paddington station.

The Outrun

These pictures show the change to the Lizzie Line at Tottenham Court Road station.

Note.

  1. It was a walk of about a hundred metres.
  2. I took pictures of the entrance to the new @sohoplace theatre, which is still behind barriers.
  3. The walk could improve, once the works around Centre Point are finished.

It’s certainly a viable route from where I live and the Angel to the Lizzie Line, if you’re going West.

The Return

I took these pictures on my return.

Note.

  1. It was a walk of about a hundred metres.
  2. The two stops for the 38 bus are opposite each other.
  3. The walk could improve, once the works around Centre Point are finished.

It would certainly be a viable route to get from the Lizzie Line to the Angel, if you’re coming from the West.

It would also be a viable route for me to get to my house.

Although taking a 21 or 141 bus from Moorgate is a better route, as I suspect it is quicker.

Unfortunately, that route won’t be viable if Transport for London have their way and execute The Great Bus Robbery.

Which Route Does Transport for London’s Journey Planner Recommend?

Whoever wrote the current version of this is not a Londoner, as it recommends a route with three changes and doesn’t use the Lizzie Line.

If I type in my home address, it does recommend going via Dalston Junction and Whitechapel, which is better, but the walk is too much for me on some days.

I Wouldn’t Be Surprised To See Improvements To The Positions Of Bus Stops

They are not best placed at the moment, but the construction in the area is still going on.

So after construction finishes, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some stops moved to better places.

 

August 2, 2022 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

An Analysis Of The Train Service On The East Kent Line With Respect To The Three Options For Crossrail To Ebbsfleet (C2E)

Much of the analysis is an update of a post called Up To £3 Billion For Crossrail To Ebbsfleet, that I wrote in June 2019.

Current Services Along The North Kent Line

I shall start by looking at current services on the North Kent Line.

Thameslink – Luton And Rainham (Kent)

A Thameslink service

  • Two trains per hour (tph)
  • South of the Thames, the service calls at London Bridge, Deptford, Greenwich, Maze Hill, Whatcombe Park, Charlton, Woolwich Arsenal, Plumstead, Abbey Wood, Slade Green, Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe for Bluewater, Swanscombe, Northfleet, Gravesend, Higham, Strood, Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham.
  • Eight-car Class 700 trains work the route, which have a 100 mph operating speed.
  • The service calls at Northfleet for a possible interchange with services running from Ebbsfleet International station
  • The service calls at Abbey Wood for interchange with Crossrail.

If there needed to be more capacity on this service, I suspect Thameslink could run twelve-car trains.

Southeastern – London Charing Cross And Gravesend

A Southeastern Metro service.

  • Two tph
  • Calls at Waterloo East, London Bridge, Hither Green, Lee, Mottingham, New Eltham, Sidcup, Albany Park, Bexley, Crayford, Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe for Bluewater, Swanscombe and Northfleet
  • The service calls at Northfleet for a possible interchange with services running from Ebbsfleet International station.
  • The service calls at Gravesend for interchange with Southeastern HighSpeed services between St. Pancras International station and North-East Kent, East Kent and soon-to-be East Sussex.
  • Class 465 trains work the route, which have a 75 mph operating speed.

This picture shows a train for Gravesend in London Bridge station.

My feeling, is that the service would be improved by modern 100 mph trains, as these antique slow-coaches must restrict the speed of faster trains.

Southeastern – London Cannon Street And Dartford Loop Line

A Southeastern Metro service.

  • Four tph in both directions.
  • Calls at London Bridge, Deptford, Greenwich, Maze Hill, Westcombe Park, Charlton, Woolwich Dockyard, Woolwich Arsenal, Plumstead, Abbey Wood, Belvedere, Erith and Slade Green.
  • Two tph return to Cannon Street via Crayford and Sidcup and two tph return to Cannon Street via Barnehurst and Bexleyheath.
  • The service calls at Abbey Wood for a planned interchange with Crossrail.
  • Class 465 trains work the route.

As I said with the previous service, these 75 mph trains need replacing with 100 mph trains.

Southeastern – London Charing Cross And Dartford

A Southeastern Metro service.

  • Two tph
  • Calls at Waterloo East, London Bridge, Lewisham, Blackheath, Charlton, Woolwich Dockyard, Woolwich Arsenal, Plumstead, Abbey Wood, Belvedere, Erith and Slade Green.
  • The service calls at Abbey Wood for a planned interchange with Crossrail.
  • Class 465 trains work the route.

As I said with the two previous services, these 75 mph trains need replacing with 100 mph trains.

Southeastern – London Victoria And Dover

A Southeastern Mainline service.

  • Two tph
  • Calls on the North Kent Line at Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham.
  • Class 465 trains work the route.

As I said with previous services, these 75 mph trains need replacing with 100 mph trains.

Southeastern – London Victoria And Ramsgate

A Southeastern Mainline service.

  • One tph
  • Calls on the North Kent Line at Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham.
  • Class 465 trains work the route.

As I said with previous services, these 75 mph trains need replacing with 100 mph trains.

Southeastern – London St. Pancras And Faversham

A Southeastern HighSpeed service.

  • One tph
  • Calls at Stratford International, Ebbsfleet International, Gravesend, Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Rainham and Sittingbourne.
  • The service calls at Ebbsfleet International for an interchange with Continental services.
  • Class 395 trains work the route, which have a 100 mph operating speed on lines electrified using a third-rail.

This picture shows a Class 395 train at Gravesend station.

East of Ebbsfleet International, this service can be considered a 100 mph local train, that gets slowed by the 75 mph services.

Southeastern – London St Pancras International Loop Service

A Southeastern HighSpeed service.

  • One tph
  • Calls at Stratford International, Ebbsfleet International, Gravesend, Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Rainham, Sittingbourne, Faversham, Whitstable, Herne Bay, Birchington-on-Sea, Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate, Sandwich, Deal, Walmer, Martin Mill, Dover Priory, Folkestone Central, Folkestone West, Ashford International, Ebbsfleet International and Stratford International.
  • The service calls at Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International for an interchange with Continental services.
  • Class 395 trains work the route.

East of Ebbsfleet International, this service can be considered a 100 mph local train, that gets slowed by the 75 mph services.

Southeastern – London St Pancras International And Ramsgate

A Southeastern HighSpeed service.

  • One tph
  • Calls at Stratford International, Ebbsfleet International, Ashford International, Canterbury West, Ramsgate and Broadstairs
  • The service calls at Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International for an interchange with Continental services.
  • Class 395 trains work the route.

East of Ashford International, this service can be considered a 100 mph local train, that gets slowed by the 75 mph services.

A Summary Of Services By Station

I will look at the current number of trains at stations between London Bridge and Faversham.

  • Deptford – 6 tph
  • Greenwich – 6 tph
  • Maze Hill – 6 tph
  • Westcombe Park – 6 tph
  • Charlton – 8 tph
  • Woolwich Dockyard – 6 tph
  • Woolwich Arsenal – 8 tph
  • Plumstead – 8 tph
  • Abbey Wood – 8 tph
  • Belvedere – 6 tph
  • Erith – 6 tph
  • Slade Green – 6 tph
  • Dartford – 12 tph to London and 6 tph to the East
  • Stone Crossing – 4 tph
  • Greenhithe for Bluewater – 6 tph
  • Swanscombe – 4 tph
  • Northfleet – 4 tph
  • Gravesend – 6 tph to London and 5 tph to the East
  • Higham – 2 tph
  • Strood – 4 tph
  • Rochester – 7 tph
  • Chatham – 7 tph
  • Gillingham – 7 tph
  • Rainham – 7 tph to London and 5 tph to the East
  • Sittingbourne – 5 tph
  • Faversham – 5 tph

Note.

  1. This is almost a train every ten minutes all the way from London to Faversham.
  2. Between Gravesend and Faversham one tph is a Southeastern HighSpeed service.
  3. In addition Ebbsfleet International has four tph to and from London St. Pancras International.

This can be considered the base service to which Crossrail services can be added.

Service Frequency Of Option 1

The first option provides for an extension of Crossrail from Abbey Wood to Northfleet/Ebbsfleet and Gravesend, sharing the existing tracks with National Rail services.

  • Of the 12 trains per hour (tph) that are planned to run to Abbey Wood. four tph will terminate at each of Abbey Wood, Northfleet/Ebbsfleet and Gravesend.
  • Crossrail trains would call at all stations on the North Kent Line between Abbey Wood and Gravesend stations.

This gives a summary as follows.

  • Deptford – 6 tph
  • Greenwich – 6 tph
  • Maze Hill – 6 tph
  • Westcombe Park – 6 tph
  • Charlton – 8 tph
  • Woolwich Dockyard – 6 tph
  • Woolwich Arsenal – 8 tph
  • Plumstead – 8 tph
  • Abbey Wood – 20 tph
  • Belvedere – 14 tph
  • Erith – 14 tph
  • Slade Green – 14 tph
  • Dartford – 20 tph to London and 14 tph to the East
  • Stone Crossing – 12 tph
  • Greenhithe for Bluewater – 14 tph
  • Swanscombe – 12 tph
  • Northfleet – 12 tph
  • Gravesend – 10 tph to London and 5 tph to the East
  • Higham – 2 tph
  • Strood – 4 tph
  • Rochester – 7 tph
  • Chatham – 7 tph
  • Gillingham – 7 tph
  • Rainham – 7 tph to London and 5 tph to the East
  • Sittingbourne – 5 tph
  • Faversham – 5 tph

Note.

  1. Train frequencies between Abbey Wood and Northfleet have increased by 8 tph
  2. Train frequencies at Gravesend have increased by 4 tph.
  3. Train frequencies to the East of Gravesend are unchanged.
  4. Between Gravesend and Faversham one tph is a Southeastern HighSpeed service.
  5. Crossrail has a direct interchange at Gravesend with the Southeastern HighSpeed services.

I am fairly certain that signalling must be improved and train speeds must be increased for Option 1.

Service Frequency Of Option 2

The second option is to draw out Crossrail from south east London to Dartford using new dedicated tracks built next to the existing North Kent line, with increased rail service frequency between Dartford and Northfleet.

  • All the 12 tph, that currently are planned to run ro Abbey Wood, all will terminate at Dartford station.
  • Crossrail trains would call at all stations on the North Kent Line between Abbey Wood and Dartford stations.
  • I will assume that Southeastern run an extra 4 tph between Dartford and Northfleet.

This gives a summary as follows.

  • Deptford – 6 tph
  • Greenwich – 6 tph
  • Maze Hill – 6 tph
  • Westcombe Park – 6 tph
  • Charlton – 8 tph
  • Woolwich Dockyard – 6 tph
  • Woolwich Arsenal – 8 tph
  • Plumstead – 8 tph
  • Abbey Wood – 20 tph
  • Belvedere – 18 tph
  • Erith – 18 tph
  • Slade Green – 18 tph
  • Dartford – 24 tph to London and 10 tph to the East
  • Stone Crossing – 8 tph
  • Greenhithe for Bluewater – 10 tph
  • Swanscombe – 8 tph
  • Northfleet – 8 tph
  • Gravesend – 6 tph to London and 5 tph to the East
  • Higham – 2 tph
  • Strood – 4 tph
  • Rochester – 7 tph
  • Chatham – 7 tph
  • Gillingham – 7 tph
  • Rainham – 7 tph to London and 5 tph to the East
  • Sittingbourne – 5 tph
  • Faversham – 5 tph

Note.

  1. There is a big increase in services to between Abbey Wood and Dartford.
  2. There is an increase of 4 tph in services between Dartford and Northfleet.
  3. There is no increase in services at Gravesend.
  4. Between Gravesend and Faversham one tph is a Southeastern HighSpeed service.
  5. Crossrail has no direct interchange with the Southeastern HighSpeed services.

I am fairly certain that signalling must be improved and train speeds must be increased for Option 2.

Service Frequency Of Option 3

A third option consists of improving the National Rail service between Abbey Wood and Northfleet, combined with a new Bus Rapid Transit service.

  • It appears Crossrail services would stay the same at Abbey Wood, with all twelve tph terminating at the station, as are currently planned.
  • Southeastern services to Dartford via Abbey Wood would be extended to Northfleet. This would increase the number of Southeastern trains to/from London serving stations between Northfleet and Dartford for connection to Crossrail at Abbey Wood from four to eight tph.

This gives a summary as follows.

  • Deptford – 6 tph
  • Greenwich – 6 tph
  • Maze Hill – 6 tph
  • Westcombe Park – 6 tph
  • Charlton – 8 tph
  • Woolwich Dockyard – 6 tph
  • Woolwich Arsenal – 8 tph
  • Plumstead – 8 tph
  • Abbey Wood – 20 tph
  • Belvedere – 6 tph
  • Erith – 6 tph
  • Slade Green – 6 tph
  • Dartford – 8 tph to London and 10 tph to the East
  • Stone Crossing – 8 tph
  • Greenhithe for Bluewater – 10 tph
  • Swanscombe – 8 tph
  • Northfleet – 8 tph
  • Gravesend – 6 tph to London and 5 tph to the East
  • Higham – 2 tph
  • Strood – 4 tph
  • Rochester – 7 tph
  • Chatham – 7 tph
  • Gillingham – 7 tph
  • Rainham – 7 tph to London and 5 tph to the East
  • Sittingbourne – 5 tph
  • Faversham – 5 tph

Note.

    1. There is a 4 tph increase in services between Abbey Wood and Northfleet.
    2. There is no increase in services at Gravesend.
    3. Between Gravesend and Faversham one tph is a Southeastern HighSpeed service.
    4. Crossrail has no direct interchange with the Southeastern HighSpeed services.

I am fairly certain that signalling must be improved and train speeds must be increased for Option 3.

Conclusion

I have come to several small conclusions about future services on the North Kent Line.

Improved Signalling

To handle the number of trains required, I am fairly certain that modern digital signalling as used on the central sections of Crossrail and Thameslink, should be installed on the route.

Faster Trains

The operating speed of the North Kent Line is 90 mph, which is not a good fit to the operating speed of the trains.

I’m sure that train capacity would be increased if trains could operate at 90 mph or even 100 mph on the route.

 

Only Option 1 Allows Interchange Between Crossrail And Southeastern HighSpeed Services

Option 1 allows this interchange at Gravesend and it could prove useful, when travelling between North-East Kent and Crossrail stations, including Paddington and Heathrow.

More Services East Of Gravesend

I suspect that there could be extra paths to the East of Gravesend.

These could be either classic or HighSpeed services.

In Kent On The Cusp Of Change – Highspeed Routes, I said this.

The Kent On The Cusp Of Change article in the July 2017 Edition of Modern Railways talks about the Southeastern Highspeed routes through Kent.

Some principles are laid down.

The article gives an estimate that at least another twenty Class 395 trains are needed of which perhaps three would have batteries for operation along the Marshlink Line between Ashford International and Ore stations.

The new timetable proposed in the article is similar to that now, with the following changes in each hour.

  • All Day – A St. Pancras – Ashford – Dover Priory service runs once per hour and splits at Ashford with one six-car train going to and from Hastings and the other six-car train going to and from Dover Priory.
  • Off Peak – A new St. Pancras – Ashford – Canterbury West service runs once per hour.
  • All Day –  A new St. Pancras – Ebbsfleet service runs twice per hour.
  • Off Peak – A new St. Pancras – Gravesend – Strood – Maidstone West service runs once per hour.

In addition all trains passing Thanet Parkway station will stop after it opens.

Note.

  1. Southeastern HighSpeed services will serve Hastings.
  2. Gravesend gets a second Southeastern HighSpeed service to St. Pancras.

I also wrote Kent On The Cusp Of Change – Fawkham Junction Link, which is about a Network Rail proposal to use Victoria as a second terminal for Southeastern HighSpeed services.

Little has been said about using Victoria as a second terminal, but if it was, it could free up space on the North Kent Lines, which would allow more paths for Crossrail.

 

August 1, 2021 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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