Blackfriars Depot

[mwest123]

Hi all,

Anyone know what happened to the Train Crew depot at London Blackfriars?

Last time I heard anything about it being open was 2017, so unsure when and why it closed.

Was it to do with the opening of Three Bridges depot?

Any help appreciated

TIA

 

[43066]

Hi all,

Anyone know what happened to the Train Crew depot at London Blackfriars?

Last time I heard anything about it being open was 2017, so unsure when and why it closed.

Was it to do with the opening of Three Bridges depot?

Any help appreciated

TIA

Closed as part of the TL “Big Bang”, back in 2018, with drivers transferred to other depots. Mostly to remove the risk of delays in the core due to drivers being relieved at Blackfriars.

 

[bengley]

It closed because relieving in the core was too much of a potential risk to the service (if a driver didn't turn up)

Drivers moved to new depots at St Albans, Cricklewood, Luton, Horsham etc

 

[Bald Rick]

IIRC it was a franchise obligation for GTR, for the reasons stated above.

 

[Aictos]

Yet you get some services which have a crew change at London Bridge, not many but they do exist.

 

[Bald Rick]

Yet you get some services which have a crew change at London Bridge, not many but they do exist.

Not many, and helped by having fewer Thameslink trains than in the core, and other platforms that can be used to work around a ‘stranded’ service if necessary with relatively little disruption - as is occasionally done.

 

[Aictos]

Not many, and helped by having fewer Thameslink trains than in the core, and other platforms that can be used to work around a ‘stranded’ service if necessary with relatively little disruption - as is occasionally done.

Exactly, I use the Core on a weekly basis and it's not often it happens but it does as to working around stranded services, in the last month my service arrived on Platform 6 and was held there as police asked for platforms 6/7 to be closed off with the other TL services using Platform 5 as usual.

 

[mwest123]

Yet you get some services which have a crew change at London Bridge, not many but they do exist.

They are mostly drivers passing from their depot to London Bridge or from somewhere like Bedford, St Albans, Three Bridges or Brighton, and then taking the train over due to some depots limited route cards (like St Albans who only do Sutton Loops! eek.)

 

[DPQ]

Thameslink drivers also require 90 seconds to relieve Class 700 trains. Calls at Blackfriars are only 60s whereas those at London Bridge (and in most cases Finsbury Park) are 90s.

 

[Need2]

Thameslink drivers also require 90 seconds to relieve Class 700 trains. Calls at Blackfriars are only 60s whereas those at London Bridge (and in most cases Finsbury Park) are 90s.

Why the difference?

 

[Bald Rick]

Why the difference?

Slightly back to front.

Dwells in the core are planned at 60 seconds max, as that enables 150second headways.

Thameslink Dwells at London Bridge are planned at 90 seconds, partly because of the higher number of people expected to board and alight, and partly as an extra buffer for services in/out of the core. Thameslink crew relief needs 90seconds, therefore train crew relief can not take place in the core, but can at London Bridge.

 

[Horizon22]

I know someone who was drafted in to work at Blackfriars in the 2018 debacle and one of their sole jobs was to check whether NB/SB drivers signed the sections ahead. Queue further chaos when they didn't - a Blackfriars change gives you practically zero contingency (much like anywhere in the core) if it goes wrong.