Could anything go beyond 12 car??

[Meerkat]

Back in the misty past I am sure I remember proposals about 16 car trains from Waterloo to Southampton.
Was that only relevant as a use for the Eurostar terminal, can domestic Waterloo take 16?

Are there any routes across the country with platforms ready or easily extendable to take 16, or is our railway maxed out at 12?

 

[JonathanH]

Back in the misty past I am sure I remember proposals about 16 car trains from Waterloo to Southampton.
Was that only relevant as a use for the Eurostar terminal, can domestic Waterloo take 16?

Are there any routes across the country with platforms ready or easily extendable to take 16, or is our railway maxed out at 12?

Euston platforms 1 or 15 could manage a 16 car train to a select few locations, in particular Edinburgh but it wouldn't be able to stop at many stations on its way.

 

[swt_passenger]

Back in the misty past I am sure I remember proposals about 16 car trains from Waterloo to Southampton.
Was that only relevant as a use for the Eurostar terminal, can domestic Waterloo take 16?

It wasn’t ever a serious proposal, IIRC the report was more to do with comparing the alternative benefits of train lengthening and double deck trains, over frequency increases. Or put another way mentioning it in order to explain why it shouldn’t be done.

The former Eurostar terminal platforms could take 16 car but were on the wrong side of the station for mainline trains, so they’d have needed more grade separation somewhere between Clapham Junction and Waterloo, and there’s really nowhere to do that.

But in any case the former international platforms were reduced to little more than 12 car length as part of the recent infrastructure works, to provide a higher train capacity in the approaches, and no platforms in the main station are any longer than that.

 

[VT 390]

Euston platforms 1 or 15 could manage a 16 car train to a select few locations, in particular Edinburgh but it wouldn't be able to stop at many stations on its way.

Could you not stop at more stations using selective door operation?

 

[sussexbythesea]

Common issues raised about trains in excess of 12 cars is a) they take longer to clear signal sections, and may be too long to fit into one section b) Issues of fouling junctions if stopped at certain stations or signals and c) Increased dwell times if four cars are not opened at a large number of stations

 

[gingertom]

Virgin West Coast ran a trio of 5-car Voyagers as a crowd-buster a while back when the WCML was closed north of Euston. Can't remember the details but I'm sure someone will have a link.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

How many services would warrant a full passenger complement on a 16-car train these days?

 

[Mainline421]

Obligatory mention that there are 16-car trains that run regularly every day on Eurostar from St Pancras and the Caledonian Sleeper from Euston (both videos are not mine).

 

[Bletchleyite]

How many services would warrant a full passenger complement on a 16-car train these days?

There are a few evening departures from Euston which were split in half (2x8) and could as easily be 1x16. The 1821 and 1830 are an example, they were one train (1824) but 12 weren't enough.

 

[Ianno87]

Virgin West Coast ran a trio of 5-car Voyagers as a crowd-buster a while back when the WCML was closed north of Euston. Can't remember the details but I'm sure someone will have a link.

Euston (Platform 1/15) to Birmingham International, calling at Coventry. Diverted via Acton Wells Jn, West Ealing and the Chiltern Route.

 

[telstarbox]

Not in GB, but Mumbai has some 15-car EMUs - are there any longer commuter trains?

 

[Snow1964]

Back in the misty past I am sure I remember proposals about 16 car trains from Waterloo to Southampton.
Was that only relevant as a use for the Eurostar terminal, can domestic Waterloo take 16?

Are there any routes across the country with platforms ready or easily extendable to take 16, or is our railway maxed out at 12?

There was also a variation considered in the early days of the desiro class 450s to make some 5 car.
Would have allowed some 13 or 14 car peak workings between Waterloo and Southampton. In the end having non standard fleet and needing to move signals and some turnouts made it not viable.

 

[WideRanger]

Not in GB, but Mumbai has some 15-car EMUs - are there any longer commuter trains?

Lots of 16-carriage commuter trains in Tokyo, along with most trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen.

 

[Ianno87]

The problem at most London end terminals is the single-end loading at most of them. On 12-cars today, you already often see the front carriage full and standing, but spare seats in the back carriage.

16-cars, the walking distance would be such that the back carriage would be half-empty due to the walk involved! Not to mention the time for an entire train to disgorge its passengers and the added strain this would put on the circulation capacity of the station and tube accesses.