District line turnback

[jopsuk]

this weekend, as I've seen announced before, there's a shuttle running on the outer reaches of the eastern and of the District line. Westbound, the trains are terminating at Barking, but Eastbound they start at Upney

Why can't passengers be carried on a turned-back service from Barking?

 

[Ivo]

I would guess that it is being done to avoid carrying passengers through the Sidings. I don't believe it is possible to access the eastbound line from Pfm 6, or Pfm 2 from the westbound line, without passing through the Sidings. Running through them in one direction or the other would be compulsory in that sense.

I do agree that it seems a bit pointless though; its not exactly a washing plant...

 

[jopsuk]

ah. Surely with this being a not uncommon reversal point it would "customer focused" to get the "siding" approved for passenger use?

 

[A60K]

I suspect the signaling doesn't meet passenger train standards, and realistically it won't be changed until the SSL resignalling gets underway in the next few years.

 

[rmt-driver]

They could have "double shunted" .. i.e. train arrives in BKG6 , tips out, travels into Siding, driver changes ends, leaves siding and arrives in BKG2, release doors change ends go off to merry Upminster.

Maybe they were concerned the drivers legs might ache (changing ends 3 times and all)

 

[Dstock7080]

Despite the advertised service being Upminster to Upney only today, the actual service is a repeat of yesterday - to Barking pfm6, into sidings direct to Upney.