Moorgate Thameslink Platforms

[HSTEd]

As I understand it, Moorgate Branch is now closed as part of the all-singing all-dancing (and nigh on fifteen years late) Thameslink 2000/Programme.
What has happened to the Thameslink platforms, are they still out of use or have they been pressed into service for the other Moorgate commuter services?

If not, is there some infrastructural reason why they cannot be used to relieve capacity at King's Cross or for additional trains such as those platforms not having access to the ECML or whatever?

 

[OxtedL]

http://carto.metro.free.fr/cartes/m...x.php?gpslat=51.52149&gpslon=-0.095332&zoom=4

Platforms 9 and 10 are the Northern City (ie Great Northern services like Hertford Loop)
Platforms 5 and 6 were the Thameslink ones.

Hope this clears it up.

 

[ole man]

As I understand it, Moorgate Branch is now closed as part of the all-singing all-dancing (and nigh on fifteen years late) Thameslink 2000/Programme.
What has happened to the Thameslink platforms, are they still out of use or have they been pressed into service for the other Moorgate commuter services?

If not, is there some infrastructural reason why they cannot be used to relieve capacity at King's Cross or for additional trains such as those platforms not having access to the ECML or whatever?

I was there 3 weeks ago, the platforms are OOU, no decision has been made about what to do with the platforms.
They are in good condition still.

 

[OxtedL]

This may be worth a peruse...

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=48250

 

[swt_passenger]

I was there 3 weeks ago, the platforms are OOU, no decision has been made about what to do with the platforms.
They are in good condition still.

One decision has been made - I read somewhere they are no longer part of the national network, and are now under LU ownership.

As HSTEd will have found if he's followed the link above ^^^ the branch to the Thameslink Moorgate platforms is completely inaccessible to main line services.

 

[Minstral25]

The Thameslink platforms at Farringdon is being extended to 12 coach where the junction used to be for the Barbican/Moorgate branch so is no longer accessible by trains from Kings Cross/St Pancras from the Thameslink tracks

They could be accessed off the Metropolitan/Circle and Hammersmith lines but are unlikely to be used as there are already two Metropolitan terminating platforms at Moorgate which I don't believe are used by timetabled trains as they all seem to continue to Aldgate which is sensible as there would be many passengers for Liverpool Street and Aldgate. I guess they are available if there was a blockage on the line.

 

[317666]

If you look next to the old Thameslink platforms at Moorgate, you can see a 1980s Metropolitan line timetable, and an old Jimmy Saville British Rail poster! There's also a few old NSE signs left on the platforms, such as one of the portable "Front train beyond this point" ones.

 

[Simon11]

The Thameslink platforms at Farringdon is being extended to 12 coach where the junction used to be for the Barbican/Moorgate branch so is no longer accessible by trains from Kings Cross/St Pancras from the Thameslink tracks

They could be accessed off the Metropolitan/Circle and Hammersmith lines but are unlikely to be used as there are already two Metropolitan terminating platforms at Moorgate which I don't believe are used by timetabled trains as they all seem to continue to Aldgate which is sensible as there would be many passengers for Liverpool Street and Aldgate. I guess they are available if there was a blockage on the line.

The met additonal platforms you describe are for all lines but only used during disruption to get trains back to the normal timetable.

At the old kings x on the met lines there are a few old posters on the old station which I would love to see!

 

[tom1649]

The met additonal platforms you describe are for all lines but only used during disruption to get trains back to the normal timetable.

At the old kings x on the met lines there are a few old posters on the old station which I would love to see!

There is actually one booked train into one of the bay platforms (Platform 3) at Moorgate. Train 245 arrives on Monday-Friday at 1621, and departs westbound at 1644.

 

[Metrailway]

There is a proposal to use the whole disused stretch from Farringdon to Moorgate for stabiling LUL units.

 

[NightatLaira]

Is it were possible to build a new tunnel from Old Street to Moorgate and make the approach to platforms 5 and 6 from the Northern City approach the sidings that normally terminate at 9 and 10, i.e. by knocking through the wall and creating a subterranean 'dive under' to link the northern city line with the start of the old Thameslink spur then I could forsee future medium length ECML services being routed into Moorgate to relieve pressure on LKX. If Hull / Teeside / West Yorkshire ever gets electrified then the future successors to First Hull Trains and GC could use it as a terminus. Hey, for that matter - they could even run through Moorgate and terminate at Barbican!

 

[wildcard]

As I understand it, Moorgate Branch is now closed as part of the all-singing all-dancing (and nigh on fifteen years late) Thameslink 2000/Programme.
What has happened to the Thameslink platforms, are they still out of use or have they been pressed into service for the other Moorgate commuter services?

If not, is there some infrastructural reason why they cannot be used to relieve capacity at King's Cross or for additional trains such as those platforms not having access to the ECML or whatever?

As I remember from the 70's working near the Barbican - platforms 3 to 6 were used by the Bedford service peak times. All are now cut from the National Rail network by the Farringdon works . LU can ( and now do ) use 3 and 4 but can't access 5 & 6 - a short piece of tunnel is needed. This won't be cheap . However if built - it might make sense to terminate the Metropolitan here rather than Aldgate - or use for train storage as others suggested.

 

[swt_passenger]

LU can ( and now do ) use 3 and 4 but can't access 5 & 6 - a short piece of tunnel is needed...

LU wouldn't need a new tunnel though, they'd run all the way from Farringdon through the disused Barbican platform lines. The existing junction to the stabling sidings at Farringdon would be modified.

 

[W-on-Sea]

Is it were possible to build a new tunnel from Old Street to Moorgate and make the approach to platforms 5 and 6 from the Northern City approach the sidings that normally terminate at 9 and 10, i.e. by knocking through the wall and creating a subterranean 'dive under' to link the northern city line with the start of the old Thameslink spur then I could forsee future medium length ECML services being routed into Moorgate to relieve pressure on LKX. If Hull / Teeside / West Yorkshire ever gets electrified then the future successors to First Hull Trains and GC could use it as a terminus. Hey, for that matter - they could even run through Moorgate and terminate at Barbican!

A dream, I think. Not least as the stock that can go down the Northern City line is extremely restricted (313s only at present, I think). A marginally more feasible option might be a new set of tunnels (yes, another one) linking the ECML somewhere south of Finsbury Park with these lines (presumably joining them somewhere east of Farringdon). But I'd wager that too is unlikely to happen...

As I remember from the 70's working near the Barbican - platforms 3 to 6 were used by the Bedford service peak times. All are now cut from the National Rail network by the Farringdon works . LU can ( and now do ) use 3 and 4 but can't access 5 & 6 - a short piece of tunnel is needed. This won't be cheap . However if built - it might make sense to terminate the Metropolitan here rather than Aldgate - or use for train storage as others suggested.

Don't think it would make sense to terminate the Met line there, for various reasons.

(a) don't underestimate the demand for Met traffic to and from Liverpool Street, or for that matter (particularly but not solely in the peaks) to Aldgate (either for local workers, or for Fenchurch Street)

(b) The need for terminating trains to cross over the westbound track would cause delays (and potentially reduce capacity). I think this was one reason the bay platform at Liverpool Street Met fell out of use.

I think those platforms are a useful facility for use in contingencies/emergencies/engineering work, but far from ideal as a permanent location to terminate Met Line trains. Train storage? Maybe.

 

[mr_jrt]

I'd like to see the widened lines used for regulating Circle services. Connect up through the sidings at Farringdon, serve Barbican, and knock through the bays at Moorgate and link back up to the SSL lines under Finsbury Circus. Abandon the side platforms at Barbican and Moorgate and operate the Met services fast through them with the Circles serving the centre island, and that additionally enables the centre roads at Moorgate to provide non-conflicting terminating options.

If the Farringdon redevelopment had been thought about properly, then they could have pulled down the building on the site of the old Farringdon Street platforms and built new 12-carriage platforms there, then linked up to the Smithfield sidings to access the Snow Hill tunnel, enabling the Moorgate platforms to be retained for SSL use, in which case you could split the service west of Farringdon, enabling P1 - Met eastbound, P2 - Circle eastbound, P3 - Circle westbound, P4 - Met westbound, P5 - TL southbound, P6 - TL northbound.

That's the easy bits. Ideally, it'd be nice for Liverpool St. to get 4 platforms too so the Met could skip Moorgate as well, but knocking through the old bay would be hard enough, let alone widening the hole to enable another road and platform...

For context, here's how the area looked at the maximum extent of things.

 

[Class377/5]

One decision has been made - I read somewhere they are no longer part of the national network, and are now under LU ownership.

As HSTEd will have found if he's followed the link above ^^^ the branch to the Thameslink Moorgate platforms is completely inaccessible to main line services.

They were never part of the national rail network in this case. Farringdon national rail station is still LUL property just it's never likely to be returned for LUL only use.

 

[ole man]

They were never part of the national rail network in this case. Farringdon national rail station is still LUL property just it's never likely to be returned for LUL only use.

Correct Class 377/5 Farringdon is a LUL station, ive been working there and on Thameslink for last 18 mths.
Everybody who works at Farringdon has to have DC on there Pts card,and has it has 25kv you have to have AC on it as well