Thameslink: final state?

[Bald Rick]

Was there ever a plan for all 700s to be 12 cars?

Yes there was initially.

No, there wasn’t.

The reason Mill Hill, Elstree and Radlett have 12 coach platforms is because they were going to *some* 12 car services, nominally from somewhere on the South Central. But there was never a plan for Hendon, Cricklewood or Kentish Town to be served by anything other than 8s.

 

[Minstral25]

It wasn’t at all easy to get an 8th platform in, that was looked at (extensively).

Trains are booked to use alternate platforms at many times: 4/5 and 6/7. Yes, its not across an island, but as above, there was no easy way to do that.

It would be better if the Brighton trains all departed from one platform, but instead GatEx depart from 6 and Thameslinks from 7 - with total lack of useful passenger information screens when changing trains this means you can easily go to wrong platform and have to go back up and change again. (the one screen provided scrolls through 3 or 4 pages very very slowly)

Same with Victoria trains and Thameslinks with 4 and 5 but at least most Thameslinks (fast not via Redhill) go from 4.

 

[LBMPSB]

No, there wasn’t.

The reason Mill Hill, Elstree and Radlett have 12 coach platforms is because they were going to *some* 12 car services, nominally from somewhere on the South Central. But there was never a plan for Hendon, Cricklewood or Kentish Town to be served by anything other than 8s.

Well the Thameslink 2000 meetings I was part of in the 1990s and indeed those of the Thameslink Programme which took over, there was.

 

[Bald Rick]

Well the Thameslink 2000 meetings I was part of in the 1990s and indeed those of the Thameslink Programme which took over, there was.

Ok - fair enough. Not while i was there, and certainly not in the planning of the 700s.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Feb 2024 ==