London Underground frequencies and timetables during part line closures.

[stadler]

Does anyone know what normally happens to the District Line timetables when Turnham Green to Ealing Broadway is closed?

Normally the Ealing Broadway branch gets 6tph (every ten minutes) in each direction and the Richmond branch gets 6tph (every ten minutes) in each direction.

I see that in just under a month on the 13th of September and on the 14th of September the line between Turnham Green and Ealing Broadway is closed.

So will the Ealing Broadway trains simply be diverted to Richmond and that branch will get 12tph which is double the usual frequency? Or do they terminate and turn the Ealing Broadway trains around somewhere else at an intermediate station? Or are the trains just scrapped altogether and the line frequency is reduced?

 

[Mojo]

A reduced service through the central area operates during this time with trains running Upminster - Richmond every 10 Min, Upminster - Wimbledon every 10 Min, Edgware Rd - Wimbledon every 10 Min, and High St - Olympia every 20 Min.

 

[Harsig]

Remember also that a reduced service frequency is virtually unavoidable with this sort of closure as one of the two main depots on the line becomes inaccessible, which in turn places a limit on the number of trains available to provide services on the remainder of the line.

 

[stadler]

A reduced service through the central area operates during this time with trains running Upminster - Richmond every 10 Min, Upminster - Wimbledon every 10 Min, Edgware Rd - Wimbledon every 10 Min, and High St - Olympia every 20 Min.

Remember also that a reduced service frequency is virtually unavoidable with this sort of closure as one of the two main depots on the line becomes inaccessible, which in turn places a limit on the number of trains available to provide services on the remainder of the line.

Thank you for the replies. Certainly not good for passengers when 6tph in each direction through the Central London core are removed but i suppose it can not be avoided.

Out of interest what happens when the opposite happens and Turnham Green to Richmond is closed for engineering work but Turnham Green to Ealing Broadway is open? On these occassions do they just cancel the Richmond services entirely or do they divert them to Ealing Broadway and double the frequency on that branch?

 

[Class15]

Richmond can’t take the extra trains I think as the overground service is pretty intensive these days.

 

[stadler]

Richmond can’t take the extra trains I think as the overground service is pretty intensive these days.

London Overground to Richmond is only 4tph in each direction. So normally the Richmond branch gets 10tph in each direction (6tph LU + 4tph LO). Diverting all of the Ealing Broadway services would result in the Richmond branch getting 16tph in each direction (12tph LU + 4tph LO). I would say that is perfectly feasible. That is approximately one train every four minutes. Plenty of other lines get just as frequent service. Richmond also has five terminus platforms which is enough to turn around a 16tph service.

 

[Class15]

London Overground to Richmond is only 4tph in each direction. So normally the Richmond branch gets 10tph in each direction (6tph LU + 4tph LO). Diverting all of the Ealing Broadway services would result in the Richmond branch getting 16tph in each direction (12tph LU + 4tph LO). I would say that is perfectly feasible. That is approximately one train every four minutes. Plenty of other lines get just as frequent service. Richmond also has five terminus platforms which is enough to turn around a 16tph service.

Do you know what the minimum headway is?

Do you know what can be accommodated on the signalling system?

Have you worked out the crossing moves at Richmond and Gunnersbury?

It sounds easy but isn’t.

 

[stadler]

Do you know what the minimum headway is?

Do you know what can be accommodated on the signalling system?

Have you worked out the crossing moves at Richmond and Gunnersbury?

It sounds easy but isn’t.

I would be surprised if the Richmond branch could not cope with 16tph which is approximately one train every four minutes. I would think that is a standard headway that any major line like this and its signalling system should be able to cope with. Yes you have the two conflicting junctions but you would think they could make it work.

 

[LU_timetabler]

Thank you for the replies. Certainly not good for passengers when 6tph in each direction through the Central London core are removed but i suppose it can not be avoided.

Out of interest what happens when the opposite happens and Turnham Green to Richmond is closed for engineering work but Turnham Green to Ealing Broadway is open? On these occassions do they just cancel the Richmond services entirely or do they divert them to Ealing Broadway and double the frequency on that branch?

With Richmond closed the normal operation is 6tph Ealing - Upminster, 6tph Wimbledon- Upminster, 3tph Wimbleware, 3tph Wimbledon- Tower Hill and 3tph Olympia - Edgware Rd. This keeps the Central area reduction to only 3tph.

 

[stadler]

With Richmond closed the normal operation is 6tph Ealing - Upminster, 6tph Wimbledon- Upminster, 3tph Wimbleware, 3tph Wimbledon- Tower Hill and 3tph Olympia - Edgware Rd. This keeps the Central area reduction to only 3tph.

Thank you for the information. That is interesting that they run the Kensington Olympia services to Edgware Road instead of the usual High Street Kensington terminus. That is certainly very rare. I do not think i have ever seen an Edgware Road train to or from anywhere other than Wimbledon before.