"Accelerate TfL takeover of Southern train services"

[matt_world2004]

The western branch of crossrail will have fast services; Hanwell will be served by 4 tph and Hayes and Harlington 10 tph

 

[telstarbox]

I would imagine that capacity problems at Lewisham could be somewhat eased simply by running more of the Blackheath services to Cannon Street, and more of the Ladywell/Hither Green services to Charing Cross or Victoria - thus avoiding having so many trains cross each others' paths.

I get the Lewisham to Victoria trains occasionally and they're always much quieter than Charing Cross or Cannon Street ones, even in the peaks. AIUI more passengers want to go to CHX/CST, and this has been cited as a reason for Bromley Council's opposition of the Bakerloo line taking over the Hayes line.

 

[BuryBlue]

Could I point out that, to my knowledge, LOROL does not work the Hertford East branch.

I'm no expert on these matters but my impression is that, were TfL to take control of Southern/Southeastern services they would permit the 'London Elderly' to travel, without restriction, in peak hours. There was also some suggestion that this would be extended to children too, but I'm unfamiliar with the detail. If this is the case the immediate effect of a transfer would be additional passengers on already heavily loaded services.

Perhaps someone with greater knowledge of these matters would like to comment?

No, of course not, but I just couldn't think of the actual terminus - I kept thinking 'Chesterton'. Cheshunt, of course!

 

[Dr_Intoxicated]

Not quite. The Met runs fast between Baker Street and Wembley Park, and the Picc runs express between Acton Town and Earls Court.
(and some of the Liverpool St services are express from Bethnal Green to Hackney, IIRC)

Piccadilly is fast Acton Town to Hammersmith only. Some early and late services stop at Turnham green

 

[LLivery]

I would imagine that capacity problems at Lewisham could be somewhat eased simply by running more of the Blackheath services to Cannon Street, and more of the Ladywell/Hither Green services to Charing Cross or Victoria - thus avoiding having so many trains cross each others' paths.

Yes, but you have to also take the Kent fasts, Thameslinks and Chatham Main Lines into account if more trains are sent onto fasts north of Lewisham or to Victoria. Plus trains from all lines need to call at Lewisham at least 2tph, especially as its development continues. Ideally Lewisham needs to be fully grade separated.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

That's exactly how I see it panning out. It is dead easy for TfL and their various cheerleaders to suggest frequency improvements, but the Central and Southeastern areas of the old Southern Region (unlike the Southwestern division) have always provided this ability for direct travel to a choice of two or more terminals, and if that is what people prefer, then TfL's aims will have to be forced through after consultation tells them people don't want higher frequencies to a single terminus.

That's before you consider infrastructure changes needed which NR will take 15 to 20 years to process...

Exactly.

 

[Alfie1014]

Whilst acknolwedging that any MP has to be seen to be looking out for the interests of their electorate, I think any further changes to the 'management' of this part of the network at this time would be very unwelcome. All that would do would be divert effort away from day to day running to the detail of dis-agregation, after all it was Gerry Fiennes that said, 'when we reorganise do we not bleed!'

Such seperation is not going to be any easy task and best not rushed for short term political expedience. It needs to be planned properly, (a task as nation of late we seem not to be very good at!) The much smaller scale removal of suburban services from Greater Anglia caused some wobbles at first, (though now mostly settled down) and required the provision of an additional 7 EMUs to cover the loss of efficiency from spliting the fleet three ways.