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Post by snoggle on Jun 27, 2014 10:52:33 GMT
The DfT have announced that national Express have won the new 15 year franchise for C2C. DfT Press releaseNational Express Press releaseHighlights - 17 new trains to give more peak services - all stations made accessible - automatic refunds for smartcard holders if trains are delayed - a weekend service to run via Stratford to access Westfield. Presumably the special Christmas time trains have been a success. - wifi on all trains and stations - higher reliability / punctuality targets - all stations to be refurbed with over £5m to be spent at Barking (it needs it!) - all peak trains call Barking, West Ham and Limehouse to give a "Metro" style service of a train every 3 minutes. That's an interesting bit of lateral thinking. - more off peak services too.
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Post by vjaska on Jun 27, 2014 11:51:20 GMT
The DfT have announced that national Express have won the new 15 year franchise for C2C. DfT Press releaseNational Express Press releaseHighlights - 17 new trains to give more peak services - all stations made accessible - automatic refunds for smartcard holders if trains are delayed - a weekend service to run via Stratford to access Westfield. Presumably the special Christmas time trains have been a success. - wifi on all trains and stations - higher reliability / punctuality targets - all stations to be refurbed with over £5m to be spent at Barking (it needs it!) - all peak trains call Barking, West Ham and Limehouse to give a "Metro" style service of a train every 3 minutes. That's an interesting bit of lateral thinking. - more off peak services too. Barking is an awful station - the signage there for changing trains is very confusing as I once spent a while trying to work out which platform was for the Hammersmith & City line back into Central London.
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Post by joefrombow on Jun 27, 2014 12:32:34 GMT
The Essex folk won't be two pleased with a stopping service during the peaks they changed the timetable back in 2006 and there was a big outcry ! However well done to c2c about the only franchise National express have consistently run well brilliantly run in my opinion , Barking is a state though it's still got Network southeast signage up !! .
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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Jun 29, 2014 17:34:22 GMT
Glad National Express Retained it, they do well. I wonder what they'll improve at Barking. First of all it needs a better roof and better signage
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Post by snoggle on Jun 29, 2014 18:25:20 GMT
Glad National Express Retained it, they do well. I wonder what they'll improve at Barking. First of all it needs a better roof and better signage If you click on the earlier link to the DfT Press release you will see there is a link in the release to "individual station benefits". That brings up an interactive map and you can click on any station name and see what will probably be done [1]. Barking is probably going to have the most work done. Signage is definitely on the list as are new lifts and changes to the booking hall area to create more space. [1] looks like the bidders have put in an indicative scope and sum of money for works. Once they work up the detail then they may wish to change and have to ask the DfT for approval for scope changes.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Jun 29, 2014 20:18:00 GMT
Had National Express lost c2c, they may well have lost interest in bidding for other rail franchises in future. So, at least the DfT have effectively safeguarded National Express as an available bidder for other franchises.
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Post by T.R. on Jun 30, 2014 23:40:48 GMT
I wonder if they'll keep the c2c branding?
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Post by snowman on Apr 13, 2016 20:28:28 GMT
It was reported today that six 4car class 387 electostars are to be leased from Porterbrook. They are some of the 80 cars speculative build that Porterbrook ordered.
It is due to increased passenger numbers causing crowding, and this means trains should be in service by end of the year. It increases the C2C fleet to 320 cars (80 units) which is still a lot less than the 100+ four car units after the line was first electrified.
A formal tender has been issued to get 68 more cars to ease crowding which are planned for 2019, the class 387 are being leased for just 3 years, so presumably are leaving when the 68 new ones are delivered. This takes number of units upto 91.
One problem is the current signalling only allows 20 trains per hour to Fenchurch Street, it used to be higher, at least 24 per hour so not clear how the crowding will be coped with.
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Post by snoggle on Apr 13, 2016 21:11:49 GMT
It was reported today that six 4car class 387 electostars are to be leased from Porterbrook. They are some of the 80 cars speculative build that Porterbrook ordered. It is due to increased passenger numbers causing crowding, and this means trains should be in service by end of the year. It increases the C2C fleet to 320 cars (80 units) which is still a lot less than the 100+ four car units after the line was first electrified. A formal tender has been issued to get 68 more cars to ease crowding which are planned for 2019, the class 387 are being leased for just 3 years, so presumably are leaving when the 68 new ones are delivered. This takes number of units upto 91. One problem is the current signalling only allows 20 trains per hour to Fenchurch Street, it used to be higher, at least 24 per hour so not clear how the crowding will be coped with. The problem that C2C have is that it has changed from a London to Essex commuter service to three or even four different railways these days. It has the traditional Essex to the City flow plus Essex to Canary Wharf (and no doubt Stratford in due course) plus a Greater London express "tube" service with reverse flows into Southend in the morning. The nightmare flow is the express tube one because that's where a lot of growth has happened very quickly. I am sceptical that C2C can ever come up with a timetable that satisfies these varying needs. The commuters from Essex all want seats and don't want to stop "unnecessarily" in Greater London meanwhile demand in Outer London is growing like topsy. It will worsen when as new housing is built at Barking Riverside and Beam Park (between Dagenham Dock and Rainham) which is also due to get a new station. The saving grace is that the DfT have at least accepted C2C should be an expansionist franchise and new trains are included. However I'm not sure there's a long term strategy that can really deal with the likely scale of development along Essex Thameside corridor. Signalling and platform capacity at Fenchurch St will need attention before long but I'm not sure that's in anyone's plans.
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Post by john on Apr 14, 2016 9:05:30 GMT
It was reported today that six 4car class 387 electostars are to be leased from Porterbrook. They are some of the 80 cars speculative build that Porterbrook ordered. It is due to increased passenger numbers causing crowding, and this means trains should be in service by end of the year. It increases the C2C fleet to 320 cars (80 units) which is still a lot less than the 100+ four car units after the line was first electrified. A formal tender has been issued to get 68 more cars to ease crowding which are planned for 2019, the class 387 are being leased for just 3 years, so presumably are leaving when the 68 new ones are delivered. This takes number of units upto 91. One problem is the current signalling only allows 20 trains per hour to Fenchurch Street, it used to be higher, at least 24 per hour so not clear how the crowding will be coped with. The problem that C2C have is that it has changed from a London to Essex commuter service to three or even four different railways these days. It has the traditional Essex to the City flow plus Essex to Canary Wharf (and no doubt Stratford in due course) plus a Greater London express "tube" service with reverse flows into Southend in the morning. The nightmare flow is the express tube one because that's where a lot of growth has happened very quickly. I am sceptical that C2C can ever come up with a timetable that satisfies these varying needs. The commuters from Essex all want seats and don't want to stop "unnecessarily" in Greater London meanwhile demand in Outer London is growing like topsy. It will worsen when as new housing is built at Barking Riverside and Beam Park (between Dagenham Dock and Rainham) which is also due to get a new station. The saving grace is that the DfT have at least accepted C2C should be an expansionist franchise and new trains are included. However I'm not sure there's a long term strategy that can really deal with the likely scale of development along Essex Thameside corridor. Signalling and platform capacity at Fenchurch St will need attention before long but I'm not sure that's in anyone's plans. Whilst training at West Ham I noticed a few issues. West Ham station is a big pick up of c2c BUT the majority of people who get on are only going as far as Barking. IMO an alternating stopping service between Barking and West Ham could be an idea. Might push people onto the District Line. Another is the expansion of the Ockendon branch. Currently you only have a passing point at Ockendon but if you can double track the entire section then that can double capacity on that stretch of line and possibly take pressure off the Rainham line. There does seem to be enough room to do it but it's whether the DfT will spend the money on it whilst upgrading the signalling infrastructure as previously stated
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