Is The New Bay Platform At West Ealing Opening On August 1st?
I heard a rumour that the new bay platform at West Ealing station was going to open on the first of August, but I have just found a change in the timetable, that could mean that it is true.
If you look at the on-line timetables, you will find the following.
At present the first two trains after 07:00 from Greenford to West Ealing, are the 07:16 and the 07:46, which go on to Paddington in twenty-six minutes.
From the first of August, they are the 07:13 and 07:43 which are shown as only going as far as West Ealing, where you change for Paddington and do the journey in twenty-eight minutes.
The strange thing is that these two trains are the only ones before nine, that require a change for Paddington.
The times of trains from Hayes and Harlington to Paddington appear to change on the first too!
There is also an additional electric service leaving for Hayes and Harlington at 07:18.
Could it be that electric services are starting on the first of August too?
West Ealing Station – 4th May 2016
I took these pictures today, as I went past the bay platform at West Ealing station.
The details of what will happen here have not emerged yet.
I think it is pretty certain that the following will or could happen.
- Responsibility for the Greenford Branch will pass to TfL and/or London Overground
- The Greenford Branch will be served by a shuttle from the bay platform at West Ealing station.
- The Greenford Branch will lose its direct service to Paddington.
- The frequency on the branch will increase from two to four trains per house.
- It is unlikely, that the branch will be electrified.
- Although electrifying the bay platform would seem to be easy, if you look at the pictures.
The line will need to be run by either diesel multiple units or some form of IPEMU, that could be charged in the bay platform at West Ealing station.
As the journey between Greenford and West Ealing takes ten minutes, so two trains would be needed for a four trains per hour service.
West Ealing Station – 28th March 2016
I took these pictures as I passed through West Ealing station.
The only definite conclusion I made, was that I will have to visit to be able to make any conclusions about how the Greenford Branch will be run after it loses its direct connection to Paddington.
Wikipedia says this about how Crossrail will affect services on the Branch, in a Future section.
In 2017 Crossrail is due to begin using two of the four tracks of the Great Western Main Line and the Greenford service will terminate at West Ealing, rather than continue to Paddington, to obviate interference with Crossrail, and to create track capacity for increased services to Heathrow. In compensation the branch line service will increase from two to four trains per hour.
When this will happen, I can only guess that it will be at the same time, as electric services start between Paddington to Hayes and Harlington.
At present the trip between West Ealing and Greenford takes just seven minutes, so if one train was to work the branch, there would be no problem doing the four seven minute legs required for two trips per hour, but four trips with eight legs might be a bit tighter, especially if something delayed the train like say a party of thirty schoolchildren or a group of three or four in wheelchairs with their carers wanting to go shopping.
Given too,that a good service for passengers would probably need.
- Similar frequencies of the Paddington to Hayes and Halington service and the Greenford Branch line.
- The Greenford Branch train would probably arrive at West Ealing a few minutes before a train to Paddington.
- The train from Paddington would probably arrive at West Ealing a few minutes before the Greenford train left.
In my view good connections are essential, as a lot of people will not be pleased to have lost their direct service to Paddington.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the layout of the lines at West Ealing.
Lines At Wes tEaling
Note how there is a connection to the West.
This second map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the layout of the lines at Greenford.
Lines At Greenford
Given that to the West of Greenford, the lines connect to Chiltern, you just wonder if someone has a plan to improve connectivity in North West London.
But the branch does have some negative factors, that mitigate against development.
- There would appear to be no suitable Southern terminal to the West of the branch.
- Three of the stations on the branch can only handle two-car trains.
- The branch is not electrified.
- The terminus at Greenford is a bay platform, squeezed in between two Underground tracks.
A lot will depend on the trains and the operators of the Greenford Branch, as to what happens.
At present, the branch is run by GWR, but there has been talk about the branch coming under control of London Overground.
GWR would probably run the line as they do now, with a two-car diesel Class 165 train.
Would London Overground run the line with a IPEMU version of their new Class 710 train, as Aventras can be fitted with on-board energy storage?
West Ealing Station – 28th February 2016
Work is also progressing at West Ealing station, as these pictures show.
The bay platform for the Greenford Branch is also obvious and I wonder , what the eventual form, timetable and opening date for that line will be. In a section on the Future of the Greenford Branch, Wikipedia says this.
In 2017 Crossrail is due to begin using two of the four tracks of the Great Western Main Line and the Greenford service will terminate at West Ealing, rather than continue to Paddington, to obviate interference with Crossrail, and to create track capacity for increased services to Heathrow. In compensation the branch line service will increase from two to four trains per hour. Ealing Council desires to have the line connected to the south west to Clapham Junction via the West London Line, and to the north west to West Ruislip.
Of the various things said in this little section on Wikipedia, I think some might happen.
- Transport for London like fifteen minute interval turn-up-and-go services, so an increase in frequency to four trains per hour would be a serious possibility and make the line a good feeder service for Crossrail.
- Some have said that the branch will become part of the London Overground.
- I doubt the service will go past West Ealing, as that would interfere too much with the Crossrail service pattern.
- I don’t rule out, arranging schedules, stairs and lifts, so that the interchange between the two lines is an easy one, with the minimum of waiting time.
- If the Greenford Branch were to be extended past Greenford, it could create a link between Crossrail and Chiltern.
It would appear that Transport for London won’t get control of West Ealing station until perhaps some time in 2017, so I think it is unlikely, that Greenford Branch services will be changed before this happens.
I also think, that on their past record, Transport for London, might come up with something that is a lot better than any speculation can propose.
Things Seem To Be Moving On Crossrail’s Western Section
Returning from Windsor, I took the route via Slough and took these pictures.
Note.
- Slough station has a new fully accessible footbridge and a new bay platform seems to be being created at the London end of Platform 6.
- The overhead gantries certainly seem massive. They appear to be from Furrer + Frey.
- There is a loop line to the North side of Iver station.
- Hayes and Harlington station is getting a new platform.
- The bay platform at West Ealing station appears to be being readied for electrification and the Greenford Branch Line.
I shall have to go back in the next few days and check on progress.
But it does seem that things are moving along apace.
West Ealing Station – 4th July 2015
Work has started on the creation of the bay platform for the Greenford Branch at West Ealing station.
Some of these pictures were taken from a train that stopped at the station. The window intrudes on the right.
Ealing Council has also given planning permission for the new station and also for Southall station as is reported in this article on rail.co.uk.
It certainly appears that the builders have got of the marks quickly!
Could this be because it would make planning Crossrail and the station works easier, with the Greenford Branch just working a four times-per-hour shuttle to a bay platform well out of the way?
At Last, A Station For Crossrail With Style
With the exception of Canary Wharf and Custom House stations, a lot of the designs have been poorly-received by architectural critics.
So I was surprised and pleased to see this piece on the Crossrail web site describing the new West Ealing station. This picture of the new station building is shown.
West Ealing Station
It has style and I also believe that it is designed to fit the purpose for which station buildings are now needed. All a station building needs to be today is a shelter for the barriers, ticket machines, staff and perhaps a retail kiosk or two. Get the people flow through them correct and they can be even smaller and more affordable.
It is interesting to look at the layout of the lines. This Google Map shows the situation at present.
West Ealing Current Layout
Note the Greenford Branch curving away to the North. This branch is probably an operational headache for rail managers, as the trains currently have to join the line to get to their terminus at Paddington station. After West Ealing station has been rebuilt, there will be a bay platform for trains on the branch. It is shown in this drawing I found on the Internet.
West Ealing New Layout
You have to wonder if the Greenford Branch will be developed and Wikipedia has a section on the branch’s future. Should it be electrified and should as Ealing Council have suggested the line be extended to Clapham Junction via the West London Line?
Undoubtedly, it should be electrified and the published plan of four trains per hour would certainly improve matters. But as with many things, we’re waiting for Crossrail and the plans for Old Oak Common to be vcompleted.
It does seem to me that the design for West Ealing station has set a new standard for Crossrail stations.
But as the first comment received has shown, there is a problem with access to the station from the South. This Google Map shows an enlarged view of the current station.
An Enlarged View Of West Ealing Station
Note how the supermarket and the car parks, backed by the two fast lines of the Great Western Main Line create a barrier that is impenetrable to any access to the station. Even if access were possible, it would be a long walk between Alexandria Road and the new station.
It strikes me that the only way better southern access to the station could have been enabled, would have been if the new station had been designed in conjunction with the supermarket, when that was developed.
It should be noted that at present West Ealing station has no car parking and do many of the locals feel that this should be provided in the new station?
To sum up, West Ealing station has problems in resolving some design issues, as it was not properly designed, when the supermarket and the land south of the railway was developed.
In my view, it illustrates one of the problems of the surface sections of Crossrail, They have been left to rot for years, when they should have been upgraded well before construction of the line started.
Before Crossrail – West Ealing
An Untidy Smaller Station – Rating 3/10
West Ealing station is due a major refurbishment for Crossrail, with the details given here.
Crossrail also have their usual ambitious plans for outside the station. They say this.
Crossrail will relocate the station from its existing position on Drayton Green Road, which carries significant through-traffic, to Manor Road – a quieter side street.
This would seem sensible, as this would make the station entrance nearer to the shopping street.
The Anonymous Widower 