Crossrail - Construction updates and progress towards opening (now expected 24 May 2022)

[BayPaul]

Now there's an idea...

...but why stop there? With some skullduggery at Stratford EWR could run through the Crossrail tunnels at Paddington at turn off towards Cambridge.

An Outer Circle! What's not to like?

(PS - I don't think there was ever an 'aspiration' on the part of EWR to run through to Reading - more the result of a feverish imagination of a poster here or elsewhere or even, heaven forbid, a politician trying to look relevant).

Or indeed not bothering with building EWR, and just running direct Oxford - Cambridge trains via Bond Street. A government promise achieved below budget and ahead of time...

 

[Horizon22]

Depending on the situation with covid next year and whether London workers return to their offices or not, I wonder if there will even be a case for 24tph in the near future. Given TfL's coffers a the moment, might we see a lesser service that would only be ramped up when demand requires it?

Thameslink has never reached 24tph after all, I know there are pre-pandemic reasons for that, but it seems like any push to get to that level has been entirely muted by the pandemic. I bet the timetable will probably hover around 16-20tph for quite some time to come.

You should see the people tipping out at Ealing Broadway / Liverpool St for the Central line in the mornings! I agree 24tph may not be strictly necessary for the peak and perhaps 20tph would maybe do - and might improve reliability but if they have the stock, crew & money available and Trial Operations doesn't throw up major curveballs that prevent 24tph, it seems like it might as well run as planned. It probably won't be a few years until 24tph anyway and who knows what Covid / home working / travel patterns will look like then.

 

[mr_jrt]

Now there's an idea...

...but why stop there? With some skullduggery at Stratford EWR could run through the Crossrail tunnels at Paddington at turn off towards Cambridge.

An Outer Circle! What's not to like?

(PS - I don't think there was ever an 'aspiration' on the part of EWR to run through to Reading - more the result of a feverish imagination of a poster here or elsewhere or even, heaven forbid, a politician trying to look relevant).

It's wildly offtopic so I'll leave it there, but it does seem to be in here!

https://www.eastwestrail.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2013814_east_west_rail_leaflet_2.pdf

 

[Bald Rick]

With some skullduggery at Stratford

A transverser?

 

[coppercapped]

A transverser?

Ooh! I'd love to see a traverser 9 coaches long...

...the mind boggles!

 

[rebmcr]

It's clearly too difficult to close the loop at Stratford. Much easier to install a west-north chord at Farringdon.

 

[kevin_roche]

You should see the people tipping out at Ealing Broadway / Liverpool St for the Central line in the mornings! I agree 24tph may not be strictly necessary for the peak and perhaps 20tph would maybe do - and might improve reliability but if they have the stock, crew & money available and Trial Operations doesn't throw up major curveballs that prevent 24tph, it seems like it might as well run as planned. It probably won't be a few years until 24tph anyway and who knows what Covid / home working / travel patterns will look like then.

There is a further software update, known as ELR200, planned to the COS signalling at Easter 2022. At the recent Elizabeth Line Committee meeting it was said that the main reason for the ELR200 update was to allow 24 tph to turn around at Westbourne Park. I assume that will actually only happen when there is a problem on the GWML but it is good to know it is planned for.

 

[Snow1964]

Just to prove that TfL don’t yet consider the Eastern service and Western service part of the same line, they have decided to run different services between Christmas and New Year

eg on Thursday 30th December, Shenfield line gets Saturday service, whilst Reading line gets normal weekday service.

Christmas and New Year travel

Christmas and New Year 2021/2022 travel advice

tfl.gov.uk

It will produce a rather interesting service if this thinking happens after lines are joined up.

 

[Harold Hill]

'It will produce a rather interesting service if this thinking happens after lines are joined up'

I dare say joining-up is still a few years away, Snowy

 

[rebmcr]

Shenfield line gets Saturday service, whilst Reading line gets normal weekday service.

Is this an artefact of the MTR drivers being TUPE'd from differing GWR and GA contracts/T&Cs?

 

[iphone76]

Is this an artefact of the MTR drivers being TUPE'd from differing GWR and GA contracts/T&Cs?

No - not at all. We are all on the same conditions. All I can say in the East Saturday timetable is pretty much the same as the East weekday timetable, except it stays roughly 7/8 mins all day with no 5 minute service during the peaks.

We have been told that the East and West services are getting lined up to how the final service will be so that when the COS opens, there will not be a massive upheaval to either side, with extra service fitting in with what already exists. (But I am not an expert on these matters).

 

[Snow1964]

TfL Board 8th December 2021 report on Crossrail

https://board.tfl.gov.uk/documents/s17050/board-20211208-item06-crossrail-update.pdf

Summary
1.1 This paper provides an update on the status of the remaining work on the Crossrail project (Crossrail) and of the readiness of the Infrastructure Managers (IM) for the operations and maintenance of the railway after handover from Crossrail.

 

[JN114]

Not aware that any drivers were TUPE’d from GWR, it was only stations staff that migrated from our side.

 

[306024]

Not aware that any drivers were TUPE’d from GWR, it was only stations staff that migrated from our side.

Yes only drivers from Gidea Park depot entirely, plus about half of Ilford depot were TUPE’d from GA. Ilford drivers had to chose which way to jump, stay with GA or move to what later became MTR. Drivers terms and conditions for MTR were based on the GA model for Great Eastern electric depots so the process was relatively smooth.

 

[Class 170101]

Just to prove that TfL don’t yet consider the Eastern service and Western service part of the same line, they have decided to run different services between Christmas and New Year

eg on Thursday 30th December, Shenfield line gets Saturday service, whilst Reading line gets normal weekday service.

Christmas and New Year travel

Christmas and New Year 2021/2022 travel advice

tfl.gov.uk

It will produce a rather interesting service if this thinking happens after lines are joined up.

c2c services diverted to Liverpool Street on 28, 29 and 30 December, if MTR and GA ran an SX service c2c wouldn't fit at Liverpool Street Station due to insufficient platforms (even if it still had 18).

 

[greyman42]

It's clearly too difficult to close the loop at Stratford. Much easier to install a west-north chord at Farringdon.

That sounds interesting, can you give me a bit more detail?

 

[kevin_roche]

The Jacobs report for Period 6 (21 August 2021 – 17 September 2021) has been published on the TfL website.

Some interesting points in the final section which won't make it easy to plan for the full timetable. Bold is my selection.

2.7 Future Stages

The RfLI led Elizabeth Stage 5 Oversight Group has held its third meeting and appears to have a good
understanding of the workstreams and challenges of Stages 5B and C. Our current observations are:

▪ The start date of Stage 5B is dependent upon Stage 3 opening approximately [redacted] in
advance, allowing personnel and systems to bed-in. This means that Stage 3 should open before
June 2022, to support Stage 5B opening in [redacted].

▪ System reliability (incorporating train reliability) should be in a state of continuous improvement
up to Stage 5C, to facilitate the doubling of train frequency and more complex service patterns.

▪ Stage 5C timetable modelling has so far not produced a viable model, due to interactions with
GW services and freight. Compromises are likely to be required from all affected parties.

Two initial Auto-Reverse functionality tests have been carried out as part of Trial Running and the
results are under review. Auto-Reverse is necessary to support Stage 5B performance and Stage 3
contingency operations, and must be successfully demonstrated before entry into Passenger Service.
CRL continues to pursue bookings for additional possessions for pre-commissioning testing of future
signalling software releases ELR200 and ELR210. These releases are important for the opening of
Stages 5B and 5C.

 

[hwl]

The Jacobs report for Period 6 (21 August 2021 – 17 September 2021) has been published on the TfL website.

Some interesting points in the final section which won't make it easy to plan for the full timetable. Bold is my selection.

Most informative Jacobs report for a while.

(Western region) GWML timetabling modelling has always been more generous than elsewhere, so there is opportunity given real rolling stock performance and allowances to have a re-think.

The interaction with GW slow services is the easiest to resolve (outside) compromising CR service levels and stopping patterns (or by handing to Crossrail).

 

[kevin_roche]

The Jacobs report for Period 6 (21 August 2021 – 17 September 2021) has been published on the TfL website.

Also in section 2.4, something I have not seen reported elsewhere:

Trial Running has allowed the proper investigation of extreme
air pressures which prevent Platform Screen Doors (PSD) from opening. It has also highlighted the
absence of a local lockout facility; this would allow individual doors to be disabled, while retaining
full operational functionality of other platform doors. Local lockout functionality is normal in similar
metro systems and the current situation is currently being challenged by RfLI because it is too
operationally restrictive.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Dec 2021 ==

Most informative Jacobs report for a while.

(Western region) GWML timetabling modelling has always been more generous than elsewhere, so there is opportunity given real rolling stock performance and allowances to have a re-think.

The interaction with GW slow services is the easiest to resolve (outside) compromising CR service levels and stopping patterns (or by handing to Crossrail).

I did an exercise with a spreadsheet some time ago and found it possible to fit in the GW services and leave some freight paths but everything had to move a bit and the section Paddington to Heathrow was very tight with 6 Heathrow Crossrail services to fit into the available paths. I think the ETCS overlay will need some testing and other changes to ensure it works well.

 

[306024]

… to be revealed in due course, assuming it works.

Hopefully it does, as there aren’t many more cunning plans left

 

[hwl]

Hopefully it does, as there aren’t many more cunning plans left

I've got at least 5...

 

[yorkie]

Just a gentle reminder this is an infrastructure thread for updates regarding Crossrail construction.

Speculation regarding potential changes to service provision can be discussed at: https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...thames-valley-route-out-of-paddington.225647/

Thanks.

 

[londontransit]

I posted on my blog about today the new purple roundels at Canary Wharf (Elizabeth Line/Crossrail.)

These roundels have been up a few days. Clearly they're hoping to get this end of the line sorted out soon like the remainder of the line (unlike Bond Street - Davies Street side - if one can see inside, still shows little sign of progress.)

Canary Wharf’s purple roundels

 

[matt_world2004]

Last week they undertook trial operations of a person getting sick on a train (represented by vegetable soup) and rescuing a failed train . I believe the failed train test failed because the 18 car class 345 tripped the signalling safety features that activate during a spad

 

[snowball]

Last week they undertook trial operations of a person getting sick on a train (represented by vegetable soup) and rescuing a failed train . I believe the failed train test failed because the 18 car class 345 tripped the signalling safety features that activate during a span

I assume span is a typo for spad?

 

[matt_world2004]

I assume span is a typo for spad?

Yeah. My phones touch screen is broken and keeps registering random button presses sorry

 

[Horizon22]

Last week they undertook trial operations of a person getting sick on a train (represented by vegetable soup) and rescuing a failed train . I believe the failed train test failed because the 18 car class 345 tripped the signalling safety features that activate during a spad

Well this is why you run trail operations I suppose - to find out the issues now instead of live running in the tunnels during the peak!

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Well this is why you run trail operations I suppose - to find out the issues now instead of live running in the tunnels during the peak!

Indeed but the scale and duration of the testing is just extraordinary compared to anything thats gone before and questions should be asked about the benefits of this highly complex system compared to even the Jubilee line.

 

[Horizon22]

Indeed but the scale and duration of the testing is just extraordinary compared to anything thats gone before and questions should be asked about the benefits of this highly complex system compared to even the Jubilee line.

The Jubilee line wasn't brand new of course and runs in tunnels for much of the section pre-extension.

 

[Taunton]

Indeed but the scale and duration of the testing is just extraordinary compared to anything thats gone before and questions should be asked about the benefits of this highly complex system compared to even the Jubilee line.

I remember seeing the JLE trial running north of Canning Town; at first it only ran from Stratford to North Greenwich, unconnected to the rest. Couple of weeks test I think.

One really does wonder what is the point of all this high-tech if it takes so much effort to test. Why not choose something known to work out of the box instead. As I understand it a key sticking point is "auto reverse" at Westbourne Park to handle 24tph, apparently it must be auto because nothing else would do ... for information, this is just what was achieved by Westinghouse in 1903 at Liverpool Central with the Mersey railway electrification, which coincidentally was also 24tph (every 5 minutes to Rock Ferry, every 5 minutes to the northern branch), and which equipment was STILL functioning over 70 years later. All automatic signals and point changing, single headshunt, compressed air points changed 5 seconds after the train cleared into the headshunt, and of course quite simply manually driven. Same frequency, same manoeuvre. Cost a bit less though, and doubtless will have lasted quite a bit longer.