Hammersmith and City Line

[DavyCrocket]

That was the theory, but I have personally experienced more delays on the Circle since they changed it than I did before they changed it. Has anyone else had the same experience, or am I just unlucky?

There are certainly less cancelled trains now on the Circle and the trains run more often at the advertised 10 minute intervals.

Whether that could have been achieved by keeping it as it was and reducing the TPH to the now 6, I don't know. More trains were wanted on the Hammersmith branch though.

 

[trentside]

My understanding was that a major reason for changing the Circle to it's present arrangement was to improve service recovery, and reliability following any disruption. When the trains are simply running in a circle, it's very difficult for them to recover them timetable without being reversed and then you end up with an unbalanced service.

Now the Circle runs point to point it is apparently much easier to recover the service and maintain the timetable. I'm also told it has the added benefit of reducing wheel wear on the trains, as they are not always running in the same direction.

 

[jopsuk]

Are you sure about the wheel wear thing? The units don't turn around, so they return with the same side to the inside of the loop. Are some services still sent via Aldgate East to turn them?

if only: when the lines were being built, the Met and District had built the Circle as a separate pair of lines flanking the lines used by the District, Met and H&C, with all stations pairs of islands (to allow same-direction flat interchange) with the bay platforms along the line always an additional island in the middle and flyovers/dive unders to avoid conflicts.

Oh, with longer platforms and full mainline gauge

Obviously, rebuilding to this configuration would now be rather impractical.

 

[swt_passenger]

Of course, even when it is complete, the confusion (especially for eastbound Circle Line passengers) will remain.

Unless they bother to read the signage all over Paddington station, which directs them to the right platforms...

As discussed a couple of months ago:

The mainline station wayfinding signs pointing towards P15/16 direction read:

Hammersmith & City Line
Circle Line via Kings Cross

Signs towards the original Circle station read:

Bakerloo, District and
Circle Line via Victoria

Found some blog pictures, #2 shows what I mean:

http://www.lewminesce.co.uk/londonmoving/blog/?p=2160

 

[SwindonPkwy]

The signage is fair enough but it is still odd to have Circle Line trains operating from two distinctly different stations at Paddington.

 

[rmt-driver]

Its rubbish the only reason for the new service pattern was Westfield paid for the new station and other investment, in return they demanded 12 TPH through Wood Lane to/from Central London. This new service thing was the only way they could achieve it.

 

[MCR247]

Unless they bother to read the signage all over Paddington station, which directs them to the right platforms...

As discussed a couple of months ago:

But they don't have ticket machines at the H&C lines do they?

 

[NIMBUS]

Has S Stock roll out finished on the met? As I understand it the A stock can only go to Aldgate.

'S' stock has been running to Aldgate for several months now. There are about four regular diagrams out of Aldgate between 09:00 and 09:30.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The S8 train that visited Hammersmith wasn't actually an S8 during it visit. They removed a car so technically it was an S7 (which is what the other sub surface lines are getting) and was there for testing only. Not it's back at Neasden and I believe it's back to an 8 car.

It was there for staff familiarisation and was officially known as an S8-1, rather than an S7 set.

 

[jon0844]

But they don't have ticket machines at the H&C lines do they?

No. The ticket office (which I presume is now simply there for excess fares) is beyond the gates and the security people (who told my wife her Travelcard was out of date - with the date being totally correct!) aren't likely to let people through to buy a ticket on the other side.

 

[swt_passenger]

But they don't have ticket machines at the H&C lines do they?

Yes, although they have moved them to the joint NR/LU gateline further along the footbridge:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/sjp/PAD/objectvalues/2702-0000259.html

The old LU ticket office is an enquiry office only, no excess fares.

 

[jon0844]

That looks more like a museum of ticket machines over the ages!

 

[swt_passenger]

That looks more like a museum of ticket machines over the ages!

The LU freestanding machines are not at all common, they seem to have decided that wherever possible they'll be set in the wall - I can't think of anywhere else I've seen floor standing LU machines recently.

 

[TEW]

Those machines at the NR&LU barrier suffer from huge queues though. That said, the main LU ticket office area has huge queues to.

 

[Mojo]

The LU freestanding machines are not at all common, they seem to have decided that wherever possible they'll be set in the wall - I can't think of anywhere else I've seen floor standing LU machines recently.

They are QBMs and there are not an insignificant number of them dotted about. Mostly are on a wall or on the floor and a number are part of the Pom suite but are still serviced from the front.

Aside from Wembley Central group and Kew Gardens/Gunnersbury LU staff do not handle cash in public areas, hence QBMs are card only and the other Poms are all rear-loading so thus have to be against a wall.

 

[Wolfie]

Are you sure about the wheel wear thing? The units don't turn around, so they return with the same side to the inside of the loop. Are some services still sent via Aldgate East to turn them?

if only: when the lines were being built, the Met and District had built the Circle as a separate pair of lines flanking the lines used by the District, Met and H&C, with all stations pairs of islands (to allow same-direction flat interchange) with the bay platforms along the line always an additional island in the middle and flyovers/dive unders to avoid conflicts.

Oh, with longer platforms and full mainline gauge

Obviously, rebuilding to this configuration would now be rather impractical.

my bold and italics

When the Circle line operated as a Circle trains went either clockwise or anti-clockwise around the line all day.

As I understand it, and as has been reported in the media, Circle line trains now operate out of Hammersmith and into the city to complete one loop of the line (clockwise) before terminating at Edgware Road. They then reverse (anti-clockwise surely) through the loop back to Hammersmith. Hence your comment confuses me!

This was discussed on here some time age.

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=27936

 

[jopsuk]

travelling clockwise or anticlockwise, the same side of the train is still to the outside of the loop, suffering wear asymmetrically. Yes they reverse, but they don't turn around. The occasional reversal at Aldgate East corrects/corrected it.