Elizabeth Line / Crossrail Updates.

[TomJ]

2 hours ago, woodenhead said:

So it is possible that the tunnels could be up and running with passengers in March, just as the Government drop all Covid restrictions - so has Covid really just been a massive cover up to mask the delays and over runs on Crossrail?

Not correct at all I’m afraid. The reality is that Covid and lockdown were cover for changing the batteries. Many of the ‘pigeons’ you see are actually secret surveillance drones. After a few years the batteries need changing. But of course that has to be kept secret. Hence lockdown to keep everyone indoors 

[The Stationmaster]

I find it interesting, amd a little odd in my experience - that they are going in for shadow running without passengers.  Or are they simply not making public the fact that they will be carrying passengers?  A big benefit of shadow running is that you get to test your system with real people (usually invited along for that purpose) so it takes you forward from test running to a halfway house before public operation with the very useful involvement of real people behaving they way they want to behave rather than a controlled situation with passengers behaving the way you tell them to behave.

 

As ever the crunch will come once real people as 'everyday passengers' start to use the line and start (usually erroneously and not purposely) doing some of the  things that 'ordinary' passengers do.

[Ron Ron Ron]

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

I find it interesting, amd a little odd in my experience - that they are going in for shadow running without passengers.....

 

The shadow running follows the final trials and sign off for public service.

It's not strictly necessary but TfL have decided to add it as a confidence exercise.

The testing with passengers comes before that as part of Trial Operations, where a full service is being run and which is currently underway.

 

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[Ron Ron Ron]

Realtime Trains for Paddington Elizabeth Line station (PDX), today - 20/01/22

 

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:PDX/2022-01-20/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

 

 

 

 

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[Mike Storey]

2 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

I find it interesting, amd a little odd in my experience - that they are going in for shadow running without passengers.  Or are they simply not making public the fact that they will be carrying passengers?  A big benefit of shadow running is that you get to test your system with real people (usually invited along for that purpose) so it takes you forward from test running to a halfway house before public operation with the very useful involvement of real people behaving they way they want to behave rather than a controlled situation with passengers behaving the way you tell them to behave.

 

As ever the crunch will come once real people as 'everyday passengers' start to use the line and start (usually erroneously and not purposely) doing some of the  things that 'ordinary' passengers do.

 

True Mike, but also a little unrealistic. The opening of a brand new, intensive use railway, bar the odd branch line, has not occurred since the Channel Tunnel and later, HS1. I recall that, for the Tunnel, shadow running, in the form of evacuation exercises, and then some trial city-to-city runs, were done with staff and their invited families and friends (I was one of those) - these showed up a number of lessons to be learned (I am sure you will be familiar). For HS1, there were some initial staff and family trips before inviting the Great Unwashed. But these pale into comparison with the complexity, both technically and ergonomically, and the sheer volume of passengers that will be affected, should anything go wrong (or people do not behave as expected) on Crossrail. I believe the decision is very apt and will prove very worthwhile - imagine, after all this delay, that some catastrophic issue, unforeseen in all the planning and simulations, emerges when Joe Bloggs steps on to the fairway......

 

Maybe the key stages of Thameslink were a valuable lesson. This is, perhaps, not the time to be scrimping on final testing.

 

[Ron Ron Ron]

....and just to reiterate.

Shadow Running is not part of the testing, validation or certification processes.

It will only take part after everything is completed and the line is approved, fully certified and ready for operational revenue service with passengers.

 

Shadow Running is an extra level of convidence that TfL’s Commissioner, Andy Byford has said that he wants, where the whole line, trains and staff run the service as a full passenger line, minus the passengers. This final shakedown builds up the last phase of experience in the staff working on the line.

 

Of course they have been operating the full service, under operational conditions for some time already.

 

 

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[Mike Storey]

16 hours ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

....and just to reiterate.

Shadow Running is not part of the testing, validation or certification processes.

It will only take part after everything is completed and the line is approved, fully certified and ready for operational revenue service with passengers.

 

Shadow Running is an extra level of convidence that TfL’s Commissioner, Andy Byford has said that he wants, where the whole line, trains and staff run the service as a full passenger line, minus the passengers. This final shakedown builds up the last phase of experience in the staff working on the line.

 

Of course they have been operating the full service, under operational conditions for some time already.

 

 

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...and I think he is quite right to do so.

 

[Ron Ron Ron]

 

[ess1uk]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-60085498

 

 

[Ron Ron Ron]

The penultimate central London Elizabeth Line station, has been handed over to TfL.

Canary Wharf was the first station to be completed, but due to changes in the fire and H&S regulations, it did not comply and they have had to replace and update a load of stuff.

 

Bond St. is now the only station left to be handed over to TfL and ready for passengers.

From 18 months behind, Bond St. is now just under 3 months from completion and handover.

 

 

https://www.crossrail.co.uk/news/articles/canary-wharf-becomes-the-penultimate-elizabeth-line-station-transferred-to-tfl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 Years ago when construction was almost complete......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[The Stationmaster]

Interestingly they are currently inviting non-TfL staff to take part in various testing or trials things (might possibly be an evacuation test - I'm not sure without checking with an invitee my son knows).

[Ron Ron Ron]

Crossrail bosses may wait for Bond Street to be complete before opening Elizabeth line     (click the link)

 

 

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[woodenhead]

On 26/01/2022 at 12:13, The Stationmaster said:

Interestingly they are currently inviting non-TfL staff to take part in various testing or trials things (might possibly be an evacuation test - I'm not sure without checking with an invitee my son knows).

There is meant to be a massive evacuation test, one of the items put back until the final upgrades to ventilation that took place over Christmas.  Having the general public in is probably better than TFL staff as you want to know that it works with civilians...

 

Maybe that meant due to Covid restrictions they held off as it would have placed additional conditions on the mass gatherings required to facilitate the tests.

[woodenhead]

7 minutes ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

Crossrail bosses may wait for Bond Street to be complete before opening Elizabeth line     (click the link)

 

 

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Sounds like a useful decoy vehicle for delaying opening and allowing issues uncovered in testing to be ironed out without having to declare the railway not ready.

 

[Ron Ron Ron]

21 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

Sounds like a useful decoy vehicle for delaying opening and allowing issues uncovered in testing to be ironed out without having to declare the railway not ready.

 

Testing finished ages ago. and no, not a decoy. 

 

The Jacobs report suggested that there wasn't sufficient "wiggle room" if the earliest date in the window was chosen (mid-March), to address any potential issues that arose during Trial Operations phase 2.

There's also the question of building up enough reliability data and confidence for the introduction of the next stages (5b & 5c), due at the end of this year and in the spring of 2023, where the GE and GW mainline arms, are fully integrated to form the completed Elizabeth Line route network.

That would see an increase from 12 tph (each way) in the central core, to 24 tph.

 

Waiting for Bond St. to be ready, would place the opening towards the back end of the window (May/June) and it's been said, that would also assist with the preparation and work needed for implementation of those later stages (5b&c).

The downside of opening towards the back end of the window, would be a delay to TfL's desperately needed revenue stream coming on tap, i.e more bail-out money needed for TfL.

 

The opening window for stage 3  (Paddington to Abbey Wood) currently remains intact (from mid March to the end of June).

The decision to wait for Bond St. wouldn't be a delay, as it still falls between the opening window.

 

 

 

 

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[Ron Ron Ron]

Passengers using Woolwich Elizabeth Line Station, as part of the final stage of Trial Operations.

 

 

 

 

 

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[Ron Ron Ron]

Custom House Station.

What looks like passengers being evacuated from the direction of the Connaught Tunnel......

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Northmoor]

I was one of them, yesterday..... A good time was had by all.

It was good to spot Chris Green amongst the "passengers"; Crossrail must have been on his NSE wish-list over 35 years ago.

[Grovenor]

Have they been advertising for "passengers" at all? I've seen nothing.

[Northmoor]

22 minutes ago, Grovenor said:

Have they been advertising for "passengers" at all? I've seen nothing.

I think these trials have been advertised to TfL staff only, although their guests don't have to be.

So you need to get to know someone who works for TfL or Crossrail and is volunteering for the trials.

 

Geoff Marshall was on my train yesterday and he certainly doesn't work for TfL (neither does Chris Green for that matter) so they were obviously guests.

[Ron Ron Ron]

 

 

Geoff Marshall woz there.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Ron Ron Ron]

Out on the GWML, TfL's Burnham Station (west of Slough if you didn't know) new entrance and ticket hall has opened.

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.crossrail.co.uk/news/articles/new-station-entrance-opens-at-burnham-ahead-of-elizabeth-line-services-commencing-this-year

 

 

 

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[lyneux]

How does one 'apply' to be a trial passenger?

 

Guy

[Ron Ron Ron]

On 14/02/2022 at 13:00, Grovenor said:

Have they been advertising for "passengers" at all? I've seen nothing.

 

On 14/02/2022 at 14:09, lyneux said:

How does one 'apply' to be a trial passenger?

 

Anybody can ride on this new line.

Just wait for a couple of months (maybe a little longer if they choose to wait for Bond St.) and it'll be open to the public.

 

[edit:  The line will open for public passenger carrying service without Bond St. station being open. Bond St. will be open for business approximately 3 months later]
 

 

 

 

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Edited February 16, 2022 by Ron Ron Ron

[RJS1977]

4 hours ago, Northmoor said:

I think these trials have been advertised to TfL staff only, although their guests don't have to be.

So you need to get to know someone who works for TfL or Crossrail and is volunteering for the trials.

 

Geoff Marshall was on my train yesterday and he certainly doesn't work for TfL (neither does Chris Green for that matter) so they were obviously guests.

 

I would imagine TfL may well have invited Geoff along to make a video of it.