Old Oak Common to South Ruislip Opportunity

[Peregrine 4903]

If HS2 gets built and the Old Oak Common Interchange is built, I've noticed that surely this would be a good opportunity to re-double the South Ruislip to Old Oak Common line, re-open it for regular passenger use and build a terminating station at Old Oak Common interchange.

Obviously at the minute there is no point in re-opening the line as there is no capacity at Paddington station for Chiltern services. However once Old Oak Common Interchange opens providing an alternate terminating station for London Maylerbone which is quite a restriced terminus with only 6 platforms seems like a no brainer.

London Maylerbone only has 6 platforms with not much room for expansion and more services are likely to be needed to run on the line especially with the opening of East to West Rail. With the opening of the Old Oak Common interchange a large portion on train services could be diverted to the Old Oak Common Interchange meaning Maylerbone can become more focsued on Aylesbury, Milton Keynes and Birmingham train services. It could also mean longer trains could run.

Old Oak Common could be more focused on the commuter services running to Gerrards Cross, High Wycombe, Princes Risborough, Bicester, Banbury, Stratford Upon Avon and possibly Oxford but that would likely clash with GWR services so those could continue running into Maylerbone.

Not only that but Old Oak Common interchange would be far better connected than Maylerbone anyway with regular trains to Paddington, Euston, Crossrail services, Overground services and other national rail services to all variety of destinations.

It could also greatly improve travel opportunites for the residents of Greenford and Perivale, as well as providing links to the Central Line.

It would require some significant infrastructure work and the remodelling of the South Ruislip junction, but overall I think it would increase capacity and seems like a really good idea.

I've just seen Network Rail have released a report saying this should happen and I definetly agree with them, I think it should happen earlier than 2043 is possible.

 

[pdeaves]

The various design teams working on Old Oak Common are making provision for 'Chiltern line' access, though as it's unfunded at present it is not more than provision. I believe the intention for HS2 trains is set down only towards Euston/pick up only to the north (and ticket policy with compulsory reservations will enforce this), thus whatever else may be good or bad changing at OOC for Euston will not be feasible.

By the way, it's 'Marylebone', not 'Maylerbone'!

 

[Peregrine 4903]

The various design teams working on Old Oak Common are making provision for 'Chiltern line' access, though as it's unfunded at present it is not more than provision. I believe the intention for HS2 trains is set down only towards Euston/pick up only to the north (and ticket policy with compulsory reservations will enforce this), thus whatever else may be good or bad changing at OOC for Euston will not be feasible.

By the way, it's 'Marylebone', not 'Maylerbone'!

I always spell Marylebone wrong, I can't beleive I continue to make the mistake. I suspected HS2 would do a policy like that but there will still be plenty of trains to Paddington instead.

I hope this project gets funding as it seems a good project to invest in and is one of the few cases where re-opening a railway line for passenger use in London will actually increase capacity as it providing a new terminus station.

 

[swt_passenger]

...I believe the intention for HS2 trains is set down only towards Euston/pick up only to the north (and ticket policy with compulsory reservations will enforce this), thus whatever else may be good or bad changing at OOC for Euston will not be feasible.

I call speculation on reservations. No one has ever provided firm evidence that HS2 will be reservation only. Pick up and set down restrictions as appropriate are definitely sensible though.

 

[mr_jrt]

Still think it makes more sense to build OOC as was planned with a flyover so the Chiltern suburban services could be lengthened, electrified, and added as a Crossrail branch.

 

[The Planner]

Not sure a flyover was ever planned. Any Chiltern extension won't even have a connection to the reliefs either from what Ive seen.

 

[mr_jrt]

DELETED

 

[mr_jrt]

The flyover took the up relief track over the three turnback roads that curved along the NNML alignment. The plan was for two of these to be extended to become the WCML spur, but they could just as easily have been linked the NNML instead. You can see the plans here: http://parkroyaltown.blogspot.com/2015/09/high-speed-two-ap2-wcml-crossrail-link.html

 

[The Planner]

The flyover took the up relief track over the three turnback roads that curved along the NNML alignment. The plan was for two of these to be extended to become the WCML spur, but they could just as easily have been linked the NNML instead. You can see the plans here: http://parkroyaltown.blogspot.com/2015/09/high-speed-two-ap2-wcml-crossrail-link.html

They were nothing more than drawings, Crossrail to the WCML was binned very early on. The fact they didnt even make the second additional provision shows it wasn't a serious proposal.

 

[Flinn Reed]

Still think it makes more sense to build OOC as was planned with a flyover so the Chiltern suburban services could be lengthened, electrified, and added as a Crossrail branch.

I would alternatively suggest introducing a High Wycombe branch to Crossrail, but instead leaving the existing route at West Ealing. This would take over the Greenford branch (a current anomoly in the London network), then call at South Ruislip, West Ruislip and all stations to High Wycombe. Though this would of course require the Greenford branch and Chiltern main line to be electrified.

Though also currently unelectrified, could Crossrail even take over the one-stop Windsor branch?

 

[Flinn Reed]

They were nothing more than drawings, Crossrail to the WCML was binned very early on. The fact they didnt even make the second additional provision shows it wasn't a serious proposal.

I think WCML services would more logically be better as a Thameslink branch than part of the Elizabeth Line. Tring services, as proposed, could divert via Camden Junction and into the ThamesLink core at St Pancras.