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I mean, it kinda still is. It's vastly cheaper opex and more energy efficient to have the wires up properly than to have to maintain batteries and secondary diesel provision. Capex however is another story...

My specific line of thinking was how do you enable regional services to use the fast lines in the most effective way, with a view to these then freeing up high level platform capacity by being sent through the TL core. I wanted to learn more about the technical aspects which you all have done...

I don't know what proportion of axles are driven on a 700, but I'm reasonably confident it's not all of them. Rather than having the complexity of full gearboxes, could you instead convert the required number of non-driven axles to driven axles, but geared for a different profile, with the...

Context: I was having a ponder about a reply to a thread on the MML recently, and it got me thinking about the situation with Thameslink where it runs on 125mph fast lines, but the 700s have a max speed of 100mph, costing capacity. Short of some pretty impressive infrastructure interventions...

I know that's the plan, but if you link that axis with a frequent LO service as part of the WLO service you could then start to reduce Thameslink calls to speed those services up. As planned, you will still need Thameslink serving Cricklewood and Hendon to link them otherwise passengers would...

Thanks for that, very helpful. I can appreciate why they have gone for that option - it would keep construction away from the Hendon lines, (and doesn't interfere with the reception siding) but it would also preclude serving the station on a direct service between Hendon and West Hampstead on...

Do I remember rightly that you can't lower the tracks as there's a sewer directly underneath?

Needs more tracks, and then those trains need somewhere to go once they reach Stratford. Hence the plan to hold off adding those tracks until there's a handy new tunnel from south of Tottenham Hale towards central London to take the trains.

Just for clarity: I'm not saying this is the absolute best location, just the sort of location/station spacing I think gives a good tradeoff...

FWIW, whilst I broadly agree with most of what's proposed for Bedford, I was wondering a bit about the changes proposed for the St Johns section. Feels to me that you would get better outcomes for Bedford by doing both options - not either/or. Move St Johns as proposed (with any passive...

The original plans had the up relief flying over the lines to Park Royal, to cut costs this was later deleted. In theory, it would be hugely disruptive, but you could probably build that flyover by sacrificing the turnback sidings to some temporary track geometry whilst you built it, so not...

Looks very much like were you to raise the roads over the railway you'd end up with ski jumps given the nearby junctions, so I suspect the railway would have to go over or under the roads. Perhaps a half and half approach might work, though. Or you just close off the junction. Not sure the...

AIUI, all new DC trains are in fact dual voltage trains, but with a block of concrete to simulate the transformer (that can be replaced with a real tansformer, if you have a source for the parts) so the suspension et al. don't need to be redesigned. So there's no gains to be had, efficiency wise.

There is if you want to use the same AC-only trains as you do everywhere else. Dual voltage trains have more bits, more complexity, more to go wrong, and thus more cost. Why is it any more heroic than wiring up Euston? Or Liverpool Street? Or Paddington?

The "doing away with" bit to me isn't a problem as such. Infrastructure has a finite lifespan. Equipment with useful life still in it can be recovered and used in areas further down the conversion pipeline as that equipment itself wears out. Rolling stock will all be dual voltage compatible, we...

It's only a problem if you see the eventual removal of the third rail as a negative. Eventually you will reach a tipping point where converting the rump becomes economically viable. Then at long last, it's all gone. Regardless, the smaller pool are in fact going to end up being dual voltage...

TBF, I think the argument that you can't possibly consider conversion until all the unelectrified lines have been upgraded is a fallacy. Each project should have to be considered on its own merits, and yes, the benefits of converting a third rail line to overhead AC will be likely lower than...

Not saying it's worthwhile doing, but presumably if you wanted to future proof a station like this in anticipation of massive demand, then building it as a pair of island platforms with one or two central through lines you could terminate in (or just have increased dwells with potential for...

Random aside, is there any reason why Cricklewood as never extended for 12 car trains? Looks to be plenty of space?

I was of the understanding it was intended to terminate at West Hampstead and Hendon?