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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Dec 26, 2017 19:54:53 GMT
A quick question to anyone in the know. Once the Goblin goes electric would I be right in assuming that the service that goes to Willesden will stop? Because in the mornings it has to cross onto the District Line and then goes out again via Platform 8 at Barking. I'm not too sure if the crossover onto the District will be electrified, and if the that part of the District is compatible with the compromise voltage when 4th rail and 3rd rail trains operate. Does it really make that move? I thought trains would use the flyover and turn back via P7/8 at Barking. I've seen that move in the evenings. I can't believe there is any capacity on LU's tracks to allow a diesel to access them in the AM peak. TfL have said that once the route goes all electric then all the peak time extras and supplementary workings will cease. This is on the assumption that the 4 car trains will be more than able to take the peak loadings at a 15 min headway. As ever the line user group are more than a little sceptical about this but then they would be. It all depends on how quickly people return to the route when it reopens and whether the "better" service pulls in latent demand or not. My sense of things is that the closures over the last year have dented usage quite badly so it will take some time for it recover especially as rail demand is weakening anyway. I suspect passengers may be expecting some sort of miracle in a couple of weeks time when it reopens when they see all the wires and will wonder where the new trains are ..... I always was under the assumption it made the switch onto the District Line for it then to reverse via the sidings, but you may very well be right in that it goes through P7 then out again through P8. Talking of which today I did see workers fiddling around with the wires on the flyover which connects P7/8 to the Goblin. In terms of demand I think it will eventually pick up again, while the Goblin was open during the Autumn and all the time I barely managed to get a seat or had to resort to standing through the whole journey. Although that was the peak and I've heard it can get far worse than I experienced.
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Post by snoggle on Dec 26, 2017 21:32:58 GMT
I always was under the assumption it made the switch onto the District Line for it then to reverse via the sidings, but you may very well be right in that it goes through P7 then out again through P8. Talking of which today I did see workers fiddling around with the wires on the flyover which connects P7/8 to the Goblin. In terms of demand I think it will eventually pick up again, while the Goblin was open during the Autumn and all the time I barely managed to get a seat or had to resort to standing through the whole journey. Although that was the peak and I've heard it can get far worse than I experienced. It definitely turns at what is called Barking Upney Junction which is single track siding east of Barking off the line to Rainham. I have caught the evening PM peak train from P8 having seen it arrive on P7 and then disappear and then come back again. The Woodgrange starter does the same move in the morning - I've just checked Opentraintimes for Mid Jan when the service restarts.
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Post by snoggle on Jan 11, 2018 13:14:03 GMT
First electric train on the GOBLIN has been out this morning. A class 378 has been doing the honours on the western end of the route.
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Post by rmz19 on Jan 11, 2018 13:24:06 GMT
First electric train on the GOBLIN has been out this morning. A class 378 has been doing the honours on the western end of the route.
Well that's an anti-climax... Thought it would come zooming past in an impressive fashion!
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Post by snoggle on Jan 11, 2018 18:01:36 GMT
Well that's an anti-climax... Thought it would come zooming past in an impressive fashion! I appreciate your comment is light hearted but can you imagine if it did whizz through, snag the overhead and rip it all down? A lot of egg on a lot of faces. There would appear to still be some issues at the east end of the line as this was routed no further east than South Tottenham. It then used the freight tracks down to Stratford. I've read elsewhere that an engineering hours train is going to run - that might be the special "Mentor" Network Rail carriage that is specially equipped to test overhead wires. Anyway it is nice to see demonstrable progress being made.
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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Jan 12, 2018 12:19:54 GMT
Well that's an anti-climax... Thought it would come zooming past in an impressive fashion! I appreciate your comment is light hearted but can you imagine if it did whizz through, snag the overhead and rip it all down? A lot of egg on a lot of faces. There would appear to still be some issues at the east end of the line as this was routed no further east than South Tottenham. It then used the freight tracks down to Stratford. I've read elsewhere that an engineering hours train is going to run - that might be the special "Mentor" Network Rail carriage that is specially equipped to test overhead wires. Anyway it is nice to see demonstrable progress being made. A Class 378 did make it to Barking today I've heard, so it suggests that the infrastructure is certainly ready to handle the trains but it might need a few minor tweaks if they picked up on any issues during testing.
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Post by snoggle on Jan 12, 2018 14:31:46 GMT
A Class 378 did make it to Barking today I've heard, so it suggests that the infrastructure is certainly ready to handle the trains but it might need a few minor tweaks if they picked up on any issues during testing. Yes it did. Ran about 0230 or so. The signalling map of the GOBLIN on Opentraintimes had "5 car" showing at Barking platform 1. The runs yesterday were at the western end of the route. EDIT Some more tweets from the testing company
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Post by snoggle on Jan 14, 2018 16:33:50 GMT
As planned the class 172 test / driver refamiliarisation runs on the GOBLIN are now running this afternoon. Visible on the Open Train Times signalling map of the GOBLIN.
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Post by snoggle on Feb 4, 2018 23:45:30 GMT
Seems GOBLIN class 710s are now being sent to France by road for testing as not enough testing capacity in the UK! I assume the problem is related to the class 345s for Crossrail taking up a lot of test track capacity at Old Dalby. There are several photos so place cursor on image to get scroll button. Found via the District Dave forum. http://instagr.am/p/Bev4B0WgDq1
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Post by snoggle on Feb 8, 2018 23:34:48 GMT
More electrical testing with a class 378 on the GOBLIN.
Seems to have gone well
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Post by snoggle on Feb 9, 2018 14:20:50 GMT
Another little photo montage from DPE Rail. 3 nights of successful testing. I assume this may (not being overconfident) mean that the evidence collation process for the ORR sign off is going reasonably well.
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Post by routew15 on Mar 14, 2018 8:02:59 GMT
I wonder why theyre still having to advertise the existence of a service that has been back for quite a few weeks?
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Post by T.R. on Mar 14, 2018 21:24:50 GMT
I wonder why theyre still having to advertise the existence of a service that has been back for quite a few weeks? Maybe ridership has dropped significantly as a result of the constant closures?
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Post by snoggle on Mar 14, 2018 22:04:31 GMT
I wonder why theyre still having to advertise the existence of a service that has been back for quite a few weeks? The obvious answer is that patronage hasn't recovered as fast as expected. I suspect some people have found alternative routes that work just as well for them so have not gone back. Recent reliability issues with conking out trains and repeated signal failures (yet another one today) don't help either. I understand why TfL are not yet trumpeting the electrified line as there are no new trains yet BUT they could do a simple thing of saying there are no more planned blockades / closures or weekend engineering works other than the cyclical ones that Network Rail have every couple of months and usually only for half a Sunday. Not that I was ever a very regular user of the line I haven't been on it since November and not since the line fully reopened. I think I used it 3 times last year - partly because the closures were such a nuisance. It can be a very useful service for some trips but it's no good if the reliability is poor.
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Post by snowman on Mar 14, 2018 22:42:44 GMT
I wonder why theyre still having to advertise the existence of a service that has been back for quite a few weeks? Maybe ridership has dropped significantly as a result of the constant closures? content.tfl.gov.uk/board-20180320-item06-finance-report.pdf4th paragraph page 5 Ridership is only 80% of pre closure levels, so yes has lost 20% and is printed in report for Board, so effectively escalated to top
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