Greenford branch services this week

[rmt-driver]

Anyone think it's pretty poor how all services have been suspended to accommodate chiltern trains this week? It seems FGW use any excuse to cancel the Greenford services !

If I was say an annual season ticket holder from South Greenford to Paddington I would be pretty peed off! I assume FGW are not refunding ticket holders for the lack of service as they say tickets are being accepted on central line and local buses (amazingly poor they are not even putting on RRBS) .

Which would mean in my example, a fairly long walk to perivale station, central line to white city, get off leave the station walk down the road, then H&C to Paddington !

The best thing is if yo look on FGWs website the closure info isn't even
displayed prominently . Evev on the NR website you have to dig for it, it's under the Chiltern Railways engineering work area ( which one wouldnt think of checking if looking for info on FGW services ).

Poor show!

 

[Roylang]

Was it FGW's decision? I would have thought that as the suspension of services is to allow a different TOC to run its trains, this decision has been made at a higher level?

Roy

 

[NSEFAN]

I presume Chiltern aren't stopping their services at the intermediate stations? Obviously they can't stop at Greenford itself (anymore!)

 

[W-on-Sea]

I presume (as was certainly the case yesterday) the Chilterns are not running via West Ealing to Greenford, but up the line that branches off the Paddington main line at Old Oak Common and then runs parallel with the Central Line from North Acton tube station onwards - there are now no possible stopping places at stations before West Ruislip that way (at any rate the train I was on yesterday went through the middle, non-platform, road at South Ruislip, the only other station with working platforms on that stretch)

 

[rmt-driver]

I presume Chiltern aren't stopping their services at the intermediate stations? Obviously they can't stop at Greenford itself (anymore!)

I guess Greenford isn't SUCH a problem as it has other rail services, but still anyone wanting to travel from Say Greenford to West Ealing would have to change twice, once at North Acton then again at Ealing Broadway.

But I am sure Chiltern could stop two TPH at S.Greenford Castle Bar Park and Drayton Green
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
And another thought, Chiltern Railways usual one train per day, and on weekends when Marylebone is closed, have used the line that goes from South Ruislip / Northolt area and runs parallel to the Central Line to East Acton, then goes Behind OOC somewhere and emerges around Royal Oak area...

Why is this line not being used this time, which would leave the GFD branch available for regular services as usual??

Also I think Chiltern are only running 2tph in either direction along the GFD branch, surely the capacity is for more trains than just the 2thp.. even if the GFD service was cut back to 1tph.. better than nothing ?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I presume (as was certainly the case yesterday) the Chilterns are not running via West Ealing to Greenford, but up the line that branches off the Paddington main line at Old Oak Common and then runs parallel with the Central Line from North Acton tube station onwards - there are now no possible stopping places at stations before West Ruislip that way (at any rate the train I was on yesterday went through the middle, non-platform, road at South Ruislip, the only other station with working platforms on that stretch)

If that is true, then it makes no sense whatsoever why FGW Greenford services are cancelled to accommodate the Chiltern trains, as the two would not interfere with one another if the Chilterns are taking the route you suggest

 

[oversteer]

The diverted Chiltern train this morning ran via Hangar Lane and North Acton, as did my journey on Saturday.

 

[rmt-driver]

The diverted Chiltern train this morning ran via Hangar Lane and North Acton, as did my journey on Saturday.

So it really really is so confusing as to why it was necessary to cancel all Greenford FGW services...

Unless the signalmal in GE box is so used to just putting his feet up drinking tea and watching the telly, all the extra trains (all 4 ph of them) would have put him under too much stress, so he complained to his rep

 

[W-on-Sea]

The sign at Paddington (or at any rate my hasty reading of it) implied that the question was one of congestion on the lines into Paddington itself (at least during the peaks), rather than on the Greenford branch itself.

Two questions/thoughts: (i) Could it be the case that the Hanger Lane route is only accessible (without undue inconvenience) from platforms 13/14 at Pad (ie the old additional H&C platforms - which are also those generally used by the Greenford services)

(ii) would the problems of peak-hour congestion be not only at the mouth of Paddington, but also along the main line from as far out as West Ealing/Ealing Broadway?

If either or both of these are indeed the case, then the cancellation of the Greenford services seems more comprehensible - although one might then ask then why it was not possible to run services from Greenford to either West Ealing or Ealing Broadway, to connect with main line connections?

 

[NSEFAN]

Congestion/lack of platforms at PAD would explain it. Could a shuttle run from Greenford - Hanwell? I seem to recall this being done in the past during engineering work.

 

[rmt-driver]

Congestion/lack of platforms at PAD would explain it. Could a shuttle run from Greenford - Hanwell? I seem to recall this being done in the past during engineering work.

Like I have said before, FGW don't seem to care two hoots about the branch, or its season ticket holder customers ! Hence the lack of any information displayed on its website or even live updates section !!

 

[cjohnson]

Congestion/lack of platforms at PAD would explain it. Could a shuttle run from Greenford - Hanwell? I seem to recall this being done in the past during engineering work.

I think they ran a Hayes-Greenford hourly service for a while back in 2004 due to track/equipment damage (after a lorry hit a train at the crossing near West Ealing).

 

[jonb]

I think they ran a Hayes-Greenford hourly service for a while back in 2004 due to track/equipment damage (after a lorry hit a train at the crossing near West Ealing).

Would that have been the time when Hayes & Harlington bay platform was put to use? Last time I passed (which was a while back) there seemed to be quite a bit of work going on over there. Does anyone know if it's still connected?

 

[Bedpan]

Didn't the Greenford branch service terminate at Ealing Broadway or possibly West Ealing during the 1980s?

 

[barrykas]

The diverted Chiltern services are using Platform 12 at Paddington, as they're running as seven car trains. This means they have to interwork with the Heathrow Connect services.

Picking a typical off-peak hour:

xx:03 - Heathrow Connect departs
xx:12 - Chiltern service arrives
xx:15 - Chiltern service departs
xx:24 - Heathrow Connect arrives
xx:33 - Heathrow Connect departs
xx:42 - Chiltern service arrives
xx:45 - Chiltern service departs
xx:54 - Heathrow Connect arrives

As can be seen, the Chiltern services use the Greenford branch path between Old Oak Common and Paddington, hence the suspension of the branch for the duration.

Cheers,

Barry

 

[anthony263]

Didn't the Greenford branch service terminate at Ealing Broadway or possibly West Ealing during the 1980s?

Yes and it is planned to re-open the bay at West Ealing for Greenford services when crossrail starts

 

[oversteer]

The divert used platform 14 at the weekend, I think.
Today definitely platform 12.

 

[TheWalrus]

Would this explain why i saw a 168 through ealing the other week?

 

[rmt-driver]

So there is absolutely no spare paths whatsoever into Paddington, to run the existing 2tph Greenford service, and the additional 2tph Chiltern between OOK and Padd ????

I somehow very much doubt that...

But if that is the case... why not connect the 2 car GFD onto a 3 car Reading/Oxford Turbo and split at EBY ???

 

[bb21]

... and split at EBY ???

You mean EAL?

 

[yorkie]

-
And another thought, Chiltern Railways usual one train per day, and on weekends when Marylebone is closed, have used the line that goes from South Ruislip / Northolt area and runs parallel to the Central Line to East Acton, then goes Behind OOC somewhere and emerges around Royal Oak area...

Why is this line not being used this time, which would leave the GFD branch available for regular services as usual??

I totally agree with you, and am not disagreeing but the line in question has a long single-track section, so it is not possible to exclusively use that line. When FGW diverted via Banbury, they had trains going westbound one way, and eastbound the other way. The same may be happening here, with both lines possibly being utilised.

Of course, if that line had not been made single-line all those years ago, this would not be an issue.

 

[thefab444]

As far as I can see, all the Chiltern services (2tph both ways) are running via the chord of which you speak. None are running via Castle Bar Park.

 

[yorkie]

In that case, this decision seems all the more bizarre, especially if we're talking only 2 trains per hour.

 

[Simon11]

Can some explain the engineering work that is going on? Went past neasdon where there are lots of people working on the track.

What are they doing? All the mainline and branch were double tracked?

 

[oversteer]

They are rebuilding Neasden Junction so that trains going to/from Wembley can do 75mph instead of 45. Amersham route trains will continue to do 60.

Next week they'll link up the new 'up' curve that's been built at South Ruislip, and activate/test new signals along the route.

It's all part of the Chiltern Evergreen 3 "Mainline" project.

 

[N Levers]

So there is absolutely no spare paths whatsoever into Paddington, to run the existing 2tph Greenford service, and the additional 2tph Chiltern between OOK and Padd ????

I somehow very much doubt that...

There isn't the capacity, nor the platform capacity at Pad, espically in the peaks.

But if that is the case... why not connect the 2 car GFD onto a 3 car Reading/Oxford Turbo and split at EBY ???

There's definately not the capacity for that

 

[yorkie]

http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/news/august-engineering-work-information

We are upgrading our line as part of our Chiltern Mainline project. We’re spending £250million so that our trains can be around 20% faster and run at 100mph across the route. We have our final phase of work taking place in August, this is to “commission” the new infrastructure and complete the final construction. This means there will be significant disruption for 15 days from Saturday 13 August until Saturday 27 August.....

Regarding Neasden Junction specifically it says:

During first week extensive work will be carried out at Neasden junction where the track will be realigned followed by the commissioning of the signals at the junction

 

[NIMBUS]

But I am sure Chiltern could stop two TPH at S.Greenford Castle Bar Park and Drayton Green

And another thought, Chiltern Railways usual one train per day, and on weekends when Marylebone is closed, have used the line that goes from South Ruislip / Northolt area and runs parallel to the Central Line to East Acton, then goes Behind OOC somewhere and emerges around Royal Oak area...

Why is this line not being used this time, which would leave the GFD branch available for regular services as usual??

It is. Hence the reason why Chiltern couldn't stop at Greenford branch stations! In any case, Chiltern drivers aren't trained on the branch - in fact, AFAIK, neither Marylebone nor Banbury drivers are passed out on the Joint line from South Ruislip into Paddington, only Aylesbury drivers are.

 

[cslusarc]

So Chiltern are using the Great Western and Great Central Joint Railway (now known as the New North Main Line) then and isn't it currently single tracked and will become part of the HS2 in the next 20 years.

 

[mallard]

So Chiltern are using the Great Western and Great Central Joint Railway (now known as the New North Main Line) then and isn't it currently single tracked and will become part of the HS2 in the next 20 years.

No, the GW & GC Joint line is the line from South Ruislip to Bicester (the southern part of the "Chiltern Mainline"), the NNML is the line between Paddington and South Ruislip. The NNML was built by the GC & GC Joint Railway Company, but was only used by GWR trains to access the GW&GCJ proper.

Only a small part of the NNML formation is planned to be used by HS2 and I don't think the line is to be closed completely.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

I doubt GW will piggy back a turbo to Ealing and detach it there, the time at the station required would be inconvenient when those on the Reading/oxfords want to get moving again (or could end up missing a slot on the Oxford section too).

The best idea would be going around the hanwell curve to Hayes.