ideas for a possible Hall Farm curve reinstatement?

[Bald Rick]

For people who live in that catchment area, it's as important as the rest of the journey. I don't know where you live or how often you use the Central Line north of Stratford but at peak times the trains are crush loaded between Leytonstone and Stratford. They come in three minute intervals, they're eight coaches long and it's difficult to get on! They're also pretty full off peak. As many passengers will be going to the points I mentioned previously, it would/will be sensible and constructive to extend the Victoria Line the two miles (as the crow flies) to Leytonstone.

I don’t know how often you use the Victoria line, but at Highbury and Islington each morning it is not unusual to let 4 or 5 trains go before you can get on. This is on a service with a train every 100 seconds. Stick a load of people on it from Leytonstone, and that problem goes back to Finsbury Park and Seven Sisters. In which case you’ve just spent a billion quid to move a problem from one part of NE London to another.

 

[Railwaysceptic]

I don’t know how often you use the Victoria line, but at Highbury and Islington each morning it is not unusual to let 4 or 5 trains go before you can get on. This is on a service with a train every 100 seconds. Stick a load of people on it from Leytonstone, and that problem goes back to Finsbury Park and Seven Sisters. In which case you’ve just spent a billion quid to move a problem from one part of NE London to another.

Pre Covid I used the Victoria Line frequently and I'm familiar with its stresses. It opened when I was in my teens and I've been using ever since. You may have noticed in previous posts I made a point of differentiating between Walthamstow Central to Seven Sisters and the rest of the line.

A bit of perspective is required here. The severe overcrowding lasts about two hours in the morning and a similar amount in the afternoon, five days a week. The benefits to those living east and north of Walthamstow will be enjoyed eighteen hours a day, seven days a week. The billion pounds or so will not be merely to rebalance the peak time overcrowding. It will also provide a major improvement for people living in LB of Redbridge.

 

[Bald Rick]

It will also provide a major improvement for people living in LB of Redbridge.

To the detriment of those living in LB Islington, Hackney, Harrngey and various places up the Enfield line.

 

[sjoh]

Realistically, the answer here is Crossrail 2, but that's looking less and less likely.

 

[Railwaysceptic]

To the detriment of those living in LB Islington, Hackney, Harrngey and various places up the Enfield line.

It's far too early to jump to that conclusion. First, we have to see the long term effects of Covid 19. Then, there is still a possibility that Crossrail will open within our lifetimes and will cause some adjustment of travelling patterns. If then we find that the the Victoria Line is severely over subscribed, the answer is to re-assess Crossrail 2. As that mooted project is now a very long way off, we have plenty of time to change it.

 

[Hey 3]

The people of Highams Park didn't want a big supermarket and Tesco had to push again and again before obtaining permission. That gives a good indication of how the local people would respond to a scheme for a bridge or underpass.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Sep 2020 ==


Why not? Such an extension would be a major benefit to people living in LB of Redbridge as well as to people in Leyton and Leytonstone. It would also reduce the severe overcrowding at peak times of Central Line trains between Leytonstone and Stratford which will probably intensify when Crossrail finally opens.

TFL know that the VL is too busy for extension

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Oct 2020 ==

Realistically, the answer here is Crossrail 2, but that's looking less and less likely.

Yep

 

[Ronnie268]

Why can't the track at Highams Park be lowered and the station rebuilt?

 

[Bald Rick]

Why can't the track at Highams Park be lowered and the station rebuilt?

It can. It would mean demolishing more homes than a road bridge though.

 

[Ronnie268]

What homes are those? Ones to the South of Larkshall Rd? I can't instantly see why any would need to be demolished

 

[PeterC]

What homes are those? Ones to the South of Larkshall Rd? I can't instantly see why any would need to be demolished

The shops and flats next to the signal box would need to go and probably some in The Avenue but I can't see that it would involve more demolitions than building a road bridge. A lot of houses would probably lose some garden and it would mean a long closure of the line.

 

[Bald Rick]

What homes are those? Ones to the South of Larkshall Rd? I can't instantly see why any would need to be demolished

When you are digging a mile long trench that’s 10-25 metres wide and 7-8 metres deep at its deepest point (which happens to be where it is widest, ie at the station), you need to do a LOT of piling and that means you need to have an awful lot of space around the piling area. And you have to shift a lot of muck with great big muck shifters. That means having excavation, haulage and piling space outside the 10-25 metre trench for most of its length. And then there’s the small matter of around 40,000 lorry movements to take the stuff out, and about half that many to bring in the construction materials. That’s one every 10 minutes, 12 hours a day, for 2 years.

A road bridge would be about 10% of the effort, and need rather less land.

 

[sjoh]

One option which would probably be more costly but potentially less disruptive would be to CPO the office block on the north side of the station (believe it used to be the local Guardian series offices - may well still be), and also the small block adjacent to the railway on The Avenue, and then drive a bridge through and up from James Yard, over the station itself, and landing at The Avenue. The small station carpark would need to go in order to widen the road, but I suppose this could be re-accomodated on the north side of the station using some of the land from the office block acquisition.
It's not an ideal solution either, but really there isn't one.