Barking station and Barking Riverside

[mr_jrt]

I've been having a think over the last day or two about how Barking station might be reconfigured once the GOBLin service is extended to Barking Riverside. It's just a bit of musing about how things could change - I'm clearly not being deadly serious here.

Given the platform 1 bay will get practically no use once the extension opens, I decided to have a poke around and I noticed that there appears to be daylight from the end of the platform tunnel, suggesting there is unexpectedly a clear route through to the other side (abet with some minor constructs in the way on the other side).

Can anyone confirm if that happens to be the case?

If so, I was musing that you should be able to shuffle the platforms over to either give the H&C another terminal platform, or more usefully, move the GOBLin platform over between the lines to Dagenham. Downside is that you would lose the cross-platform interchange between the NR service to Upminster and the Underground, which suggests to me it would ultimately be a non-starter.

If that wasn't an issue however, then conceivably you could manage:
Platform 1 - eastbound District
Platform 2a (new bay cut into current platform 1 island) - terminating H&C
Platform 2b - westbound District

Platform 3 - Eastbound c2c to Upminster
Platform 4 - Westbound c2c

Platform 5 - Eastbound c2c to Dagenham Dock
Platform 6 - Westbound c2c

Platform 7 - eastbound GOBLin
Platform 8 - westbound GOBLin

You could further refine that by cutting a GOBLin bay into platform 7 if desired, and perhaps by utilising the current grade separation you could manage platform 6 as a single westbound c2c platform, or 5&6 as a westbound c2c island - the difficulty being getting the road through platform 4 over to the up Tilbury.

All that would enable the GOBLin to run segregated on the southern side of a 4-track formation through Ripple Lane to the new riverside branch. If the desire was to have less change through Ripple Lane (i.e. for the GOBLin to use the centre goods roads), then the GOBLin would have to use platforms 6&7, with c2c's Dagenham service using 5&8. This would put paid to any notions of a combined westbound c2c platform though.

Thoughts?

 

[racyrich]

I know NR say that the proposed Riverside service can be catered for alongside the c2c and freight services without any changes to the station layout.

But but . . .

In my mind I foresee a new platform 9 on a reinstated loop outside the platform 8 up Tilbury line. I'd also properly quadruple the Tilbury line out of Barking at least as far as the Riverside junction, and have it fully bi-di, so in normal operation the Goblin trains were separated from everything else. Platforms 8 and 9 would then be used for Goblin, a new facing crossover being required somewhere west of Barking on the flyover. c2c Tilbury services could use 7 or 8 in either direction. I don't know if using 8 for down trains is signalled at present, though the track arrangement east of East Ham sidings allows it.
Passenger access to such a platform 9 is the tricky bit! Start burrowing to extend the subway. And this platform could never be more than 8 coaches, if that.

As for re-using platform 1, yes I'd make it another eastbound District platform, which would reduce the present backing up of trains when something terminates. OK, so such an overtake would mean no cross-platform interchange. Oh well, them's the choices. Spend the time walking under the subway or waiting outside the station for a platform.

P.S. If it ever becomes worthwhile running a Riverside - Barking shuttle, turn it round in a reinstated Woodgrange Park bay rather than at Barking itself.

 

[Class 170101]

I don't know if using 8 for down trains is signalled at present, though the track arrangement east of East Ham sidings allows it.

Platform 8 is bi-directionally signalled in both directions to / from Upminster and Fenchurch Street however I believe you cannot access Platform 8 from Woodgrange Park as this is doesn't look like a signalled move.

 

[Alfie1014]

Sounds a bit like a answer looking for a problem. The extension of the GOB services to platforms 7 and 8 will only result in a maximum of 8 tph through them at peak hours, (plus any limited frieght at these times). In the 1970/80s the peak direction Tilbury services ran at 7/8 tph through these platforms, so little difference to what will operate when Barking Riverside opens.

Expensive re-modelling for little real benefit is unlikely to have any business case especially with s&c located under/near overbridges and close to the ramp for the flyover. Whilst separate platforms may be a nice to have in an ideal world, the reality is having GOB and Tilbury services sharing will make same platform interchange, (especially in the peaks), a useful bonus.

Lastly freight trains heading westbound want the fastest clear run up to the flyover which plat 8 currently provides.

A platform face on the up goods line (a new 9) may be possible but would require some building demolition (the LU crew accommodation I think) plus loss of staff car parking for it to be of any worthwhile length.