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Post by snowman on Nov 8, 2017 15:09:27 GMT
Southerns class 455s are to be modified to PRM (Persons of reduced mobility) standard Railway Gazette LinkPresumably they are expected to be retained after the deadline if they are being modified. Dont think the 313s have been done, so the rumours of swapping them for 3 car 455s ex SWT might still happen.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2017 22:06:15 GMT
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Post by T.R. on Nov 13, 2017 14:20:14 GMT
Were there any issues on Thameslink today? I ask because a Bedford - bound Class 700 headed through Platform 12 at Clapham Junction today, in service...
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Post by ServerKing on Nov 13, 2017 19:17:58 GMT
Reactions to the ASLEF vote yesterday. Is it not just new branding and the initials for the new Franchise, Central Underground New Transit replacing the current Thameslink? ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/tongue.png)
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Post by snowman on Nov 21, 2017 9:56:54 GMT
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Post by snoggle on Nov 21, 2017 11:37:35 GMT
Based on informed comments on the London Reconnections blog it is evident that the deployment of enhanced train control and service management software is way behind schedule. This means it is not possible to guarantee the "pin point" scheduling and arrival of trains at the right time and at the required places to get through the Thameslink core smoothly. I think there has also been a belated realisation that going for huge "big bang" timetable changes is not terribly sensible given how much will change and also be affected if the slightest thing goes wrong. It is quite telling that the GTR ops bloke, Nick Brown, is ex LUL where rather more phased and considered changes are usually implemented off the back of upgrades. It is noteworthy that it is the East Coast services into the T/Link core and then (largely) into Kent that are those that are postponed to later phases. The use of London Bridge by Thameslink won't start in January in terms of stopping services as drivers have to learn the new route so the new schedules have timings for via Tulse Hill and via London Bridge depending on who is rostered. Until sufficient drivers have "signed" the new route then station stops at LOB won't be advertised even if trains run that way. If they do they will sit in platforms and then sit again near Blackfriars to wait time for their slot as the route via Tulse Hill takes much longer! Hopefully there will be some impetus to get London Bridge stops in place quickly or else the public are going to see or be sat in trains going that way but not able to board or alight!
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Post by snoggle on Nov 23, 2017 11:40:44 GMT
Seems the National Audit Office have been investigating the Thameslink project. It looks like part of the reason for the delay to the introduction of some Thameslink services is to allow more work to be done on other parts of the network to improve performance and resilience. There are different lenghts of report from the NAO about the issues on this link. www.nao.org.uk/report/update-on-the-thameslink-programme/
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Post by snoggle on Nov 29, 2017 11:34:50 GMT
Just worth mentioning that the DfT's Strategic Vision for the Railways includes splitting up GTR post 2021 into three franchises - Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern. What a waste of time, money and effort to put the thing all together, finish the Thameslink project, restructure all the services and hopefully get it running well only to rip it all apart. I know a lot of people are critical of GTR for a lot of good reasons but this just strikes me as ludicrous given the future integrated nature of the service pattern. Why pull it to bits and create a load of interfaces you spent 5 years of hard slog and a lot of money getting rid of? Do we really want competing operators again on the overloaded and overstressed Brighton Main Line? It didn't work before so why would it work in future? Seems that as part of trying to chop up Southern / GTR that Mr Grayling has swallowed hard and been able to utter the term "TfL" and concede that the DfT might devolve some fragments of the GTR franchise to TfL. This looks like an attempt to shove "difficult to run" services into TfL's hands so as to make other things run more smoothly. I can't believe for a moment that the DfT would allow TfL to run a service as far as Milton Keynes so this will end as a "blame game" with TfL being blamed for cutting the service back to Watford Junction and people being forced to change trains. It also means TfL being lumbered with running the current Southern peak time WLL shuttles which are done in marginal time and with marginal resource thus worsening the railway's efficiency. If these "plans" to involve TfL amount to anything more substantial than the above I will be truly gobsmacked even though the sensible thing is to give TfL the Great Northern locals into Moorgate and all of Southern's inner suburban services. That would leave faster, more remunerative services in the hands of a restructured Great Northern / East Coast Partnership and Thameslink franchise.
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Post by snoggle on Nov 29, 2017 14:20:24 GMT
Another round of consultation on the GTR timetables has opened - this time for Saturday, Sunday and overnight services. www.transformingrail.com/Haven't looked yet to see what's being proposed but it'll probably be rubbish. ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/tongue.png)
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Post by TNL33036 on Dec 12, 2017 15:42:27 GMT
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Post by snoggle on Dec 12, 2017 21:08:58 GMT
And what a shambles that is - forcing people from the north who want to stop at Bedford to get off at Kettering and get on a coach for 3 years. I think there will be a riot once people twig they are being forced onto Thameslink from Bedford and Luton with longer journey times. It looks like an appalling fudge to me to shove a load of revenue towards the GTR franchise before it expires but reducing the share of revenue that East Midlands Trains will get from Luton / Bedford tickets. One wonders quite what the commercial deal is that sits behind all of this and quite who is bagging a load of "compensation" from the DfT. Stagecoach must certainly be getting something out of this. I still can't fathom why EMT services can't call for 3 years. Plenty of works, far more involved than this, happen on the railway without forcing people on to coaches. Imagine if they'd done this for FGW while Reading was rebuilt? Would never have happened because of the political fall out.
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Post by TNL33036 on Dec 21, 2017 10:33:24 GMT
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Post by snowman on Jan 10, 2018 10:02:34 GMT
Has been announced today that the Brighton line and the Lewes line will be shut for a week in Autumn and another week early 2019 so that the 4 tunnels can be waterproofed and drainage improved. Some junctions will also be relaid. The Government is paying £300m for rail projects in South East including this once in a generation upgrade LinkThe National Audit office has on same day released report on how poorly the franchise has served passengers, and is not giving value for money Link 2
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2018 14:56:45 GMT
Went via London Bridge on 2W36 12:29 Three Bridges - Bedford this afternoon. First time on Thameslink in 3 years! Some videos:
Bermondsey Dive Under:
London Bridge:
Metropolitan Junction:
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Post by 700101 on Jan 27, 2018 22:13:19 GMT
From Mid February 700/0’s & some extra 700/1’s will be added to Great Northern services replacing the majority of the 365’s diagrams, including a small number of services to/from Ely.
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