Stevenage platform 5

SteveOfTheStow · 24 May 2019

It’ll start off as a bay but there’s provision to turn it into a through road if the BCR works - depends how long a 717 sits in it and when 700s/other slows turn up.

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Aictos · 25 May 2019

SteveOfTheStow said:
It’ll start off as a bay but there’s provision to turn it into a through road if the BCR works - depends how long a 717 sits in it and when 700s/other slows turn up.

Exactly, the other thing as well to consider are the freights as you could potentially have a TL service call on Platform 4 while a Freight overtakes though Platform 5 but that's way off in the future, I much rather they reopen Platform 4 at Gordon Hill first before making Platform 5 at Stevenage a though platform which could lead to a increase of metro like frequency.

Anyway, it's good to see progress underway!

adamedwards · 26 May 2019

Views from the train on platform 4 looking at the platform 5 works.

malc-c · 27 May 2019

More information on the infrastructure from the Network Rail website
https://www.networkrail.co.uk/runni...st-mainline-route-upgrade/stevenage-turnback/

The project will deliver a new platform with a passenger lift and stairs to the extended station footbridge. Facilities on the platform will include two waiting rooms, three sets of external seating, a help point, a ticket vending machine and ticket gateline with canopy.

We’re already on site to build the new turnback at Stevenage which will allow full train services to resume.

From a wider infrastructure perspective, the work to enable trains to access the platform includes the construction of almost 2km of new railway line from Broadhall Way Bridge to Stevenage station and a set of track points.

There will also be earthworks to the existing embankment and track drainage on the left-hand side of the track travelling north into Stevenage, as well as alterations to existing signalling infrastructure.

Additionally, new overhead line equipment will be installed and two existing overbridge structures (Broadhall Bridge and Six Hills Bridge) will be modified.

Network Rail and Govia Thameslink Railway are working closely together to complete this work as soon as possible. Completion is currently expected in 2020.

Aictos · 27 May 2019

One would hope that the lift is sited on the unpaid side of the barriers as otherwise it would just get used to bypass the gate line as been proven here before unless the lift can be remotely controlled with proof of ticket needed to use the lift.

JaJaWa · 29 May 2019

Aictos said:
One would hope that the lift is sited on the unpaid side of the barriers as otherwise it would just get used to bypass the gate line as been proven here before unless the lift can be remotely controlled with proof of ticket needed to use the lift.

Lifts to the other platforms are outside the gateline and you have to show your ticket to the camera to use them when the gateline is staffed.

Skimpot flyer · 29 May 2019

JaJaWa said:
Lifts to the other platforms are outside the gateline and you have to show your ticket to the camera to use them when the gateline is staffed.

Can’t help wondering just how closely gateline staff examine a ticket that is shown to such cameras.
A chancer could show *a* ticket, and not necessarily one dated that day?

Gagravarr · 30 May 2019

JaJaWa said:
Lifts to the other platforms are outside the gateline and you have to show your ticket to the camera to use them when the gateline is staffed.

In my experience, mostly you don't need to show any tickets, the lifts are normally active all the time. However, every so often, when the lift arrives there are half a dozen people waiting to check tickets of everyone in the lift (which is quite often lots of people...)

adamedwards · 30 May 2019

Which is how revenue inspection is done. Barriers plus random spot checks. I would guess most of the time the fare loss off the north end of the Hertford Loop is limited as passenger s only go that way if they have to.

Hadders · 30 May 2019

Gagravarr said:
In my experience, mostly you don't need to show any tickets, the lifts are normally active all the time. However, every so often, when the lift arrives there are half a dozen people waiting to check tickets of everyone in the lift (which is quite often lots of people...)

Worth pointing out that there's very little they can do with the layout at Stevenage. The ticket hall is cramped as it is and has a public right of way running through the station building between the barrier line and lifts. The lifts originally were goods lifts only so it wasn't a problem. It only became problem when they were converted to passenger use a couple of years ago.

In reality there are sometimes random checks. Also, as long as barriers are in use at one end of the journey then it does make sure that passengers have a ticket. Granted it might not be the correct ticket but it's probably appropriate given the risk and resources available.

Mcq · 14 Jul 2019

Anyone seen any progress at Stevenage?be nice to hear an update if anyone has one please.

malc-c · 14 Jul 2019

Mcq said:
Anyone seen any progress at Stevenage?be nice to hear an update if anyone has one please.

I've been watching things recently, and hope to do an update video this week. Near the A602 over bridge there was a large pile boring machine and crane last week, but other than that all I could see was landscaping work on the embankments.

Hadders · 14 Jul 2019

It’s getting there. Still lots of earth works going on.

Ianno87 · 14 Jul 2019

Hadders said:
It’s getting there. Still lots of earth works going on.

Still seems to be a fair amount to dig out at the Langley Jn end.

malc-c · 14 Jul 2019

Popped down there tonight...

Mcq · 15 Jul 2019

Thanks all for the update.
What's the guestimated in service date - May 2020 timetable?

malc-c · 15 Jul 2019

Mcq said:
Thanks all for the update.
What's the guestimated in service date - May 2020 timetable?

According to this web site https://www.networkrail.co.uk/runni...dlands/east-coast-upgrade/stevenage-turnback/ The target seems to be summer 2020

bramling · 15 Jul 2019

malc-c said:
According to this web site https://www.networkrail.co.uk/runni...dlands/east-coast-upgrade/stevenage-turnback/ The target seems to be summer 2020

I wish they’d hurry up with it, today for the second time driving between Stevenage and Hertford got stuck behind one of the rail replacement buses crawling along at snail’s pace. Didn’t seem to have many people on it either.

It really is astounding that this extra platform wasn’t delivered in time for the Thameslink launch.

pdeaves · 16 Jul 2019

bramling said:
got stuck behind one of the rail replacement buses

I've got a bit out of step with happenings here. Can someone advise when rail replacement buses Stevenage <-> Watton began, please?

Ianno87 · 16 Jul 2019

bramling said:
It really is astounding that this extra platform wasn’t delivered in time for the Thameslink launch.

Would've been, had other CP5 schemes not got more expensive, so this was pushed back to pay for them...

Besides, the rest of Thameslink is working just fine and dandy without it now.

717001 · 16 Jul 2019

pdeaves said:
I've got a bit out of step with happenings here. Can someone advise when rail replacement buses Stevenage <-> Watton began, please?

They started when the summer timetable came in - 20 May

Hadders · 16 Jul 2019

Ianno87 said:
Besides, the rest of Thameslink is working just fine and dandy without it now.

Hmmm. It's better than the shambles we had this time last year but they're still not running all of the services yet.

edwin_m · 16 Jul 2019

Ianno87 said:
Besides, the rest of Thameslink is working just fine and dandy without it now.

Not too surprising, at least in respect of conflicts at Stevenage, because the via Hertford trains that aren't part of Thameslink are being turned back at Watton to remove any such conflict. Unlike Bedford, depriving Hertford of its link to the north doesn't appear to attracted much comment on here.

bramling · 16 Jul 2019

edwin_m said:
Not too surprising, at least in respect of conflicts at Stevenage, because the via Hertford trains that aren't part of Thameslink are being turned back at Watton to remove any such conflict. Unlike Bedford, depriving Hertford of its link to the north doesn't appear to attracted much comment on here.

Stevenage to Hertford was always pretty lightly loaded during the day, and even during peak hours was hardly busy. Nonetheless it’s an important local link, providing an alternative to an extremely nasty road journey especially at peak times. Many users will have already deserted the service for not running north of Stevenage through the day now - even before the bus service a local journey like Letchworth to Crews Hill has become a tedious experience, although to be fair the numbers doing such journeys will have been minimal.

As to overall Thameslink reliability, I wouldn’t say it’s wonderful. In a typical week of journeys to/from London it remains very rare to get a full week where everything goes to plan. I’d say at least two journeys out of five each way are typically affected by some kind of problem. Fortunately the Cambridge-KX service is currently planned in a way that allows it to run very resiliently as a backstop (albeit a slow one) for most GN journeys - this won’t be the case when or if it runs through the core. By contrast the Peterborough route doesn’t have this to fall back on, which is still a major issue for users north of Hitchin, especially during the middle of the day and in the evening.

pdeaves · 16 Jul 2019

717001 said:
They started when the summer timetable came in - 20 May

Thank you!

adamedwards · 16 Jul 2019

edwin_m said:
Not too surprising, at least in respect of conflicts at Stevenage, because the via Hertford trains that aren't part of Thameslink are being turned back at Watton to remove any such conflict. Unlike Bedford, depriving Hertford of its link to the north doesn't appear to attracted much comment on here.

.
The irony is the trains don't turn at Watton but travel empty to Langley Junction, turning round under the ECML. This led to lots of crayoning of temp platforms earlier in the thread.

Ianno87 · 16 Jul 2019

bramling said:
As to overall Thameslink reliability, I wouldn’t say it’s wonderful. In a typical week of journeys to/from London it remains very rare to get a full week where everything goes to plan. I’d say at least two journeys out of five each way are typically affected by some kind of problem. Fortunately the Cambridge-KX service is currently planned in a way that allows it to run very resiliently as a backstop (albeit a slow one) for most GN journeys - this won’t be the case when or if it runs through the core. By contrast the Peterborough route doesn’t have this to fall back on, which is still a major issue for users north of Hitchin, especially during the middle of the day and in the evening.

I must be imagining GTR's PPM routinely hitting ~90% these days then (particularly since Jan 2019)....

Oh, wait: http://trains.im/ppmhistorical/ET/monthly

(See the upward trend since before May 2018)

59CosG95 · 17 Jul 2019

A brand new mast has gone up at the southern end of the new alignment - looks like one of the 'hook-and-pin' masts seen on the GWML.

malc-c · 17 Jul 2019

59CosG95 said:
A brand new mast has gone up at the southern end of the new alignment - looks like one of the 'hook-and-pin' masts seen on the GWML.

I was down there tonight to video the 313 drag. Here's an photo below of the two masts.

I can only assume the track will be to the left of the masts, otherwise the existing masts will need replacing as tey would be in the way.

swt_passenger · 17 Jul 2019

By comparison with GW installations, the furthest mast looks to be positioned for the cantilever to go to its right, the hooks are facing the existing tracks and the holes for the securing pin are on the back.

Stevenage platform 5

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