Oakydoke Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 The basic problem with Crossrail - if they have really made up their mind (and they have definitely been on shifting ground judging by 'information' on their website) is that they have said, in public, that their trains will be stopping at all stations.. The below suggests a certain amount of skip-stopping on Crossrail..... As far as I can remember, skipping stations, particularly in the off-peak, has been mentioned in Crossrail's suggested service pattern going back a number of years. If I recall correctly, Taplow, Burnham and Iver only get half the number of trains per hour in the off-peak (2 instead of 4tph); there are the peak only West Drayton terminators and Hanwell, West Ealing and Acton Mainline have always been only 4tph, although the skipping pattern there has only come to light more recently. There has even been a suggestion that the semi-fast, limited stop GWR residual service changes its stopping pattern between peak and off-peak. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted September 9, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 9, 2016 As far as I can remember, skipping stations, particularly in the off-peak, has been mentioned in Crossrail's suggested service pattern going back a number of years. If I recall correctly, Taplow, Burnham and Iver only get half the number of trains per hour in the off-peak (2 instead of 4tph); there are the peak only West Drayton terminators and Hanwell, West Ealing and Acton Mainline have always been only 4tph, although the skipping pattern there has only come to light more recently. There has even been a suggestion that the semi-fast, limited stop GWR residual service changes its stopping pattern between peak and off-peak. At a presentation to our local commuter group some time back the Crossrail representative when asked (by me as it happens because it had struck me as odd that Crossrail had been indicating on its website that such would be the case) made it very clear that all Crossrail trains would stop at all stations between Paddington and Maidenhead/Reading throughout the normal operating day. Also the promotional material he showed indicated the same. I can quite accept that there plans are a moving feast but if that is what the official 'community relations' rep has to say then it leaves people listening to him in little doubt. At the same meeting all Mark Hopwood could say about GWR's plans was that they were still looking at various options and need more information before making any firm decisions but they would have 2tph Reading - Paddington definitely calling at Twyford and Maidenhead although what the stopping pattern would be further east was not, at that time settled (with an implied comment that it partly depended on what Crossrail decided to do). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher125 Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 (edited) Thanks for that. This is why I used 'allegedly' - as it happens this is the fourth lot of information I have seen about Crossrail service patterns and the first from a non-Crossrail official source. Is that a 'non-Crossrail source'? The information in that post comes directly from this TfL consultation Edited September 10, 2016 by Christopher125 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted September 10, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 10, 2016 Is that a 'non-Crossrail source'? The information in that post comes directly from this TfL consultation Crossrail's website and see post 177 - that information was direct from a member of the Crossrail team whose task is to keep in touch with communities affected by the project and explain it to them. Now it is quite possible that he was useless at, or didn't understand his job and he certainly got himself in a knot over journey times when questioned by various members of the audience (which did not include me asking that particular question as it happens) but he was there as the official representative of the Crossrail project so one could logically have expected him to be properly acquainted with some very basic detail0. Information too on the official website has been misleading - the original (and long replaced) information on journey times which also made comparison with existing times) was a nonsense but again implied that all trains would call at all stations as had some of the information which replaced that sort of thing. I can accept that Crossrail can easily make stupid (and pretty drastic) errors when quoting comparative journey times purely as a result of not looking carefully at timetables. I can equally understand that they might not have the first idea of how to put together journey times over a mainline railway with timetable planning rules that they are not familiar with but they are supposed to be a professional organisation so I really would expect a bit more care and attention to detail. And it is of corse quite possible - but thoroughly reprehensible in this day and age - that the public face of their organisation which is talking directly to prospective passengers and those suffering the likely unfortunate by-products of their plans is not properly briefed especially when they have to face commuter groups which are concerned about their trains services suffering and about journey times being extended by a considerable percentage. In my long experience of dealing with them commuters are really only interested in three things - price, reliability/punctuality, and being able to get a seat -the first usually seems to sit at the top of their list but the other two depend largely on what is currently being delivered so move up & down the league table compared with each other. Off peak travellers tend to have slightly different priorities and while price obviously figures it is much more on a value for money basis assessed against comfort and on-train facilities compared with other modes (i.e they assume the seat will be comfortable) as well as reliability etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 (edited) On the other hand, people I know on the GEML are sick of their 315s and can't wait for the service to start. That may change once it does, but on that side at least the new trains will be welcomed excitedly. Just to give a non-GWML perspective to things... Of course, town side from Shenfield the Electric lines are pretty much exclusively all station stoppers, and the freights seem to split fairly evenly between the fast and slow lines on the country side of Ilford - that's just anecdotal from what I've seen with my own eyes, I expect to be wrong... Edited September 10, 2016 by Zomboid 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetmorgan Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 Not sure if this has already been posted but Crossrail tunnels now have rail lines http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/video_and_audio/headlines/37558715 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakydoke Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 Not sure if this has already been posted but Crossrail tunnels now have rail lines http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/video_and_audio/headlines/37558715 There have been rail tracks in the tunnels since earlier this year, although not all the way through. A photo of a class 66 in the tunnels has been linked to, somewhere in this thread. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted October 5, 2016 Author Share Posted October 5, 2016 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted October 5, 2016 Author Share Posted October 5, 2016 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 At what point in the middle do Romford ROC and TVSC had control over to each other? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
St. Simon Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 (edited) At what point in the middle do Romford ROC and TVSC had control over to each other? They don't technically, there is to be a seperate controller for the central operating section between West Bourne Park / Portobello Junction and Abbey Wood / Pudding Mill Lane Junction. Whilst this controller will sit within Romford ROC, they are in effect a seperate control centre meaning that TVSC (or GWROC) and Romford ROC will not directly hand over control to each other. The two boundaries are based on train detection sections, so I'm not sure of the actually boundary. It is easier to have a separate desk for the central bit as the central core is to be CBTC, where as the west will be ETCS Level 2 to Heathrow / NTC to Reading and the East will be NTC, it would be better for the control and signalling transitions to be made at the same point otherwise there could be confusion with operating rules within TVSC. There's more detail here: http://www.railengineer.uk/2016/01/08/signalling-crossrail/ As a side note, this year will see the final Christmas of major infrastructure changes on the Western for Crossrail (apart from the new Stabling Sidings at Maidenhead and the electrification), which will see the Down Airport brought into use at Stockley and the Acton Diveunder brought into use! Simon Edited December 11, 2016 by St. Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 Simon, Do you mean the Up Airport at Stockley, where it'll be connected to the Up Main via the new flyover? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
St. Simon Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 Simon, Do you mean the Up Airport at Stockley, where it'll be connected to the Up Main via the new flyover? Yes, I do Peter, thanks, I'm constantly getting the two mixed up, it's what happens when you rename lines every 6 months! Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted December 24, 2016 Author Share Posted December 24, 2016 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 Some pictures from Hayes & Harlington yesterday in the fog. Even if the sun were shining and with the best will in the world, Hayes & H station is looking rather down at heel at the moment. However, a new station is in the course of construction. Wonder if they'll retain the GW canopy? Engineers were busy, doing what they do, on the relief lines west of the station. The new ramp to the up main at Heathrow Airport Jn is now in use. Here an up HEX service heads for London, at the bottom of the ramp. Trains were busy, with all services using the main lines. However, 43002 in blue/grey livery brightened things up, as it flashed by at normal line speed - no slowing for the fog. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted December 31, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 31, 2016 No need for trains to slow for the fog - with AWS and decent road knowledge fog presents no problems at all nowadays, until a train comes up against a signal at danger (but that is probably not due to the fog anyway). As for the canopies I do hope they don't go the way Crosrail vandalism has striuck at Maidenhead where perfectly serviceable ex GW canopies have been removed and replaced by utterly useless monstrosities which make the weatherproofing abilities of the new Reading station look like the gold standard in station platform weather protection. The more I see of various facets of it the more I'm convinced that one of Crossrail's main ambitions is actually to reduce rail travel in the Thames Valley. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 The canopies at Maidenhead can't have been perfectly serviceable, or they would have been retained. Not that I'm defending the design of what was put in, but if leaving them had been an option then you can be sure they would have been left. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Siberian Snooper Posted December 31, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 31, 2016 Having succumbed to Reading station a couple of times since the remodelling, I think the place is bloody terrible, but not quite as bad as Three Bridges in the'60s ( sorry no recent recollections) or Westbury, mid noughties. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 1, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 1, 2017 The canopies at Maidenhead can't have been perfectly serviceable, or they would have been retained. Not that I'm defending the design of what was put in, but if leaving them had been an option then you can be sure they would have been left. I couldn't see anything wrong with them apart from the fact that they might have infringed ohle clearances but that is a simple job to deal with on that design of canopy has as already been shown elsewhere on the route where station works are part of the GWML scheme. The Up Relief island however definitely needed something more radical due to removal of the overall roof and screen alongside the bay but what has been put up in its place makes the average petrol station canopy design look better and more effective. I wouldn't be so concerned if the design actually showed any interest in trying to keep rain and snow off the platform and waiting passengers but the canopies are so high that is not going to be a feature of their design - unless there might be some vertical edging still to be added (which is taking a very long time if that is the case. Overall the weather protection they offer is even worse than that at Reading - hence my comparison although at least Maidenhead won't have torrents of water running down escalators when it rains heavily Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
St. Simon Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 There is still some work to be done on Crossrail West, but we are now down to the last swipe up of little jobs (apart from some Stan,I G sidings and the connection at Royal Oak!) Simon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Banger Blue Posted January 3, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 3, 2017 Talking of Maidenhead, on my return to work after the Christmas shut down, there was a rather noticeable addition to Maidenheads track diagram: 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted January 3, 2017 Author Share Posted January 3, 2017 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 No need for trains to slow for the fog - with AWS and decent road knowledge fog presents no problems at all nowadays, until a train comes up against a signal at danger (but that is probably not due to the fog anyway). As for the canopies I do hope they don't go the way Crosrail vandalism has striuck at Maidenhead where perfectly serviceable ex GW canopies have been removed and replaced by utterly useless monstrosities which make the weatherproofing abilities of the new Reading station look like the gold standard in station platform weather protection. The more I see of various facets of it the more I'm convinced that one of Crossrail's main ambitions is actually to reduce rail travel in the Thames Valley. There's been some discussion on the FB "Lost Boys" (BRloco staff 1968-1988) group recently about TOCs issuing drivers being told or allowed to run at reduced speed in the fog! This has been met with some derision by the old hands over training and recruitment methods, with a lot of the recent recruits to the footplate being called "boileys", boiled-in-the-bag, ready in 5 minutes! Lack of experience! But I digress... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 4, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 4, 2017 Talking of Maidenhead, on my return to work after the Christmas shut down, there was a rather noticeable addition to Maidenheads track diagram: IMG_0690.JPG So it has now been commissioned I take it from that screenshot? Although I didn't realise all the sidings were in as they required taking back some leased out land. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 4, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 4, 2017 There's been some discussion on the FB "Lost Boys" (BRloco staff 1968-1988) group recently about TOCs issuing drivers being told or allowed to run at reduced speed in the fog! This has been met with some derision by the old hands over training and recruitment methods, with a lot of the recent recruits to the footplate being called "boileys", boiled-in-the-bag, ready in 5 minutes! Lack of experience! But I digress... Bl**dy h*ll - how daft can the railway get. (presumably a result of having boil-in-the-bag managers?) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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