Crossrail - Through Running confirmed for November

[mrmartin]

Rode the newly connected line Paddington to Stratford, which was great to be honest - especially given it was running when tube was on strike!

Amazingly the train I was in didn't have the updated maps - nearly a week after the connected service launch. Really shoddy IMO as they say change at Liv Street for Shenfield etc. You'd really think given the money and time spent on this they could have had new maps printed off and put in all the trains on time.

PIS is also a joke, so buggy and glitchy. Again cannot understand how it is still so buggy after so long.

 

[Sunil_P]

The up to date one says Whitechapel is still core!

 

[Horizon22]

Travelling on the line earlier I’ve noticed that smaller stations such as Acton Main Line are considerably busier than last week, are passengers now making the switch from the Central line?

Almost certainly. Acton is also surrounded by Central Line stations, so probably even more pronounced there.

The up to date one says Whitechapel is still core!

View attachment 123707View attachment 123708

Because it is.

I spotted this en route from Manor Park to Farringdon earlier this week - the map implied Whitechapel is on on a separate branch. Very confusing.

That's the old map because Whitchapel was only served from Abbey Wood trains. The new ones have Whitechapel in the core

 

[Sunil_P]

Because it is.

Actually my comment was in response to 43066:

I spotted this en route from Manor Park to Farringdon earlier this week - the map implied Whitechapel is on on a separate branch. Very confusing.

 

[Basil Jet]

The up to date one says Whitechapel is still core!

View attachment 123707

The fare zone boxes are a mess. If they bunched Abbey Wood over to be beneath Goodmayes, and relocated the text labels at Heathrow, they could have made every zone boundary vertical on the entire map.

 

[Acton1991]

Travelling on the line earlier I’ve noticed that smaller stations such as Acton Main Line are considerably busier than last week, are passengers now making the switch from the Central line?

I have definitely noticed this too - and it's a real turnaround as Acton Main Line used to be a complete ghost town! Would be interesting when we get full data to see how much of an increase in patronage it has received. Hopefully enough to increase service levels in the future so we really do get a turn up and go service.

 

[Sunil_P]

Someone on GENSHEET claims at least one westbound train heads through Westbourne "turnback A" (the siding with a connection at the west end).

 

[Thirteen]

I wonder how they're going to squeeze in Old Oak Common when that opens? I guess pushing everything slightly left. I suspect it'll be Zone 1 or Zone 1/2.

 

[swt_passenger]

I wonder how they're going to squeeze in Old Oak Common when that opens? I guess pushing everything slightly left. I suspect it'll be Zone 1 or Zone 1/2.

It’ll far more likely to be zone 2 given you'd be passing LU stations already in zone 2 on the way…

 

[345 050]

I thought there might be a better spread of services now that there are 2tph EL extra at Maidenhead (MAI). But no, they are pathed just behind the GWR fast. Is this the best it is going to get for MAI?

 

[Sunil_P]

I thought there might be a better spread of services now that there are 2tph EL extra at Maidenhead (MAI). But no, they are pathed just behind the GWR fast. Is this the best it is going to get for MAI?

When I went to Maidenhead on Sunday, there were four tph (2 tph to/from Reading, 2 tph starting/terminating), plus the GWR.

 

[Acton1991]

It’ll far more likely to be zone 2 given you'd be passing LU stations already in zone 2 on the way…

I am hoping they’ll also rezone Acton Main Line to Zone 2/3 given North Acton straddles both… wishful thinking I think!

 

[JonathanH]

I thought there might be a better spread of services now that there are 2tph EL extra at Maidenhead (MAI). But no, they are pathed just behind the GWR fast. Is this the best it is going to get for MAI?

Where one of the services in a 30 minute cycle is faster than the other two there has to be a some point on the route where those trains aren't evenly spaced.

Which direction do you want to see a better spread in?

Up departures off-peak are
xx10 Abbey Wood (Paddington xy02)
xx22 Paddington (Paddington xy09)
xx31 Abbey Wood (Paddington xy17)

Seems like a reasonable split while ensuring the Paddington times for Elizabeth Line services are 15 minutes apart.

Down departures off-peak from Paddington are
xx25 Maidenhead (Maidenhead xy12)
xx27 Didcot (Maidenhead xy01)
xx40 Reading (Maidenhead xy24)

Broadly even at the Maidenhead end and again the two Elizabeth Line departures are 15 minutes apart at Paddington.

The timings are primarily a function of the previous GWR service where a 15 minute frequency ran from Paddington.

Not really sure what you have in mind for different spacing. The GWR train already nearly catches up the Elizabeth Line Reading service by Maidenhead and logically the Elizabeth Line services should be 15 minutes apart at Paddington.

 

[AM9]

Considering only 4 trains per hour go to Reading anyway. Would the would the people of Shenfield really put up with an hourly or less service to Reading

Considering a journey to Reading previously involved a Liverpool St transfer to an SSL train, plus at least 17 minutes on a circle line train, followed by another OOS transfer to whatever service was available, a single same platform change is a vast improvement.

 

[matt_world2004]

Considering a journey to Reading previously involved a Liverpool St transfer to an SSL train, plus at least 17 minutes on a circle line train, followed by another OOS transfer to whatever service was available, a single same platform change is a vast improvement.

Yeah it's better for everyone if all western services run on one branch of the Elizabeth line and one branch of the Elizabeth line is responsible for the Paddington terminators

 

[Sunil_P]

Until Sunday, I used to get the Central Line w/bound to Lancaster Gate and walk from there to Paddington, sub-10 minutes. LG has a lift, though there a few steps from there to platform level.

 

[DoubleLemon]

I spotted this en route from Manor Park to Farringdon earlier this week - the map implied Whitechapel is on on a separate branch. Very confusing.

I got confused with his the other day. Was fixed on the app the last time I looked.

 

[IainG81]

Nice to hear very clear announcements at Hayes about changing for Heathrow on a Reading service.

 

[Kilopylae]

It's a bit rushed, but this took me less than an hour: as others have said, something like this would look much better above the doors than the current offering.

 

[LeeLivery]

It's a bit rushed, but this took me less than an hour: as others have said, something like this would look much better above the doors than the current offering.

Much better. Would be even better if we just dumped print out CLDs entirely, replaced with screens

 

[Sunil_P]

Nice offering Kilopylae!

Saw these above the platform edge doors (ie. station-side, not inside the trains):

 

[AM9]

Much better. Would be even better if we just dumped print out CLDs entirely, replaced with screens

Then when the screens have problems, just take the train out of service!

 

[DC1989]

It's a bit rushed, but this took me less than an hour: as others have said, something like this would look much better above the doors than the current offering.

That looks great, they should give you a job!

 

[345 050]

Where one of the services in a 30 minute cycle is faster than the other two there has to be a some point on the route where those trains aren't evenly spaced.

Which direction do you want to see a better spread in?

Up departures off-peak are
xx10 Abbey Wood (Paddington xy02)
xx22 Paddington (Paddington xy09)
xx31 Abbey Wood (Paddington xy17)

Seems like a reasonable split while ensuring the Paddington times for Elizabeth Line services are 15 minutes apart.

Down departures off-peak from Paddington are
xx25 Maidenhead (Maidenhead xy12)
xx27 Didcot (Maidenhead xy01)
xx40 Reading (Maidenhead xy24)

That actually sounds quite reasonable. I thought I saw a departure at 2027 (GWR towards Paddington) followed by a 2031 (EL to Abbey Wood). I (wrongly) assumed that this was the pattern all day. My apologies! That pattern looks reasonable towards London.

The opposite direction is not quite as good, but I understand you can't have everything. I assume the xx27 very quickly overtakes the xx25, hence the wait for the xx25 at Westbourne Park Carriage Sidings.

 

[Basil Jet]

It's a bit rushed, but this took me less than an hour: as others have said, something like this would look much better above the doors than the current offering.

Great stuff! I'm not a fan of too many wheelchair symbols in general, but putting them on every station except Stratford is unfortunate.

 

[AM9]

Great stuff! I'm not a fan of too many wheelchair symbols in general, but putting them on every station except Stratford is unfortunate.

What do you regard as "too many wheelchair symbols"?

 

[Acton1991]

It's a bit rushed, but this took me less than an hour: as others have said, something like this would look much better above the doors than the current offering.

Send this to TfL immediately! Brilliant

 

[Basil Jet]

What do you regard as "too many wheelchair symbols"?

By the time every single station on a line guide has either a white wheelchair or a blue wheelchair, they have become clutter rather than information. The white wheelchair symbols should be removed.

The DLR map has no wheelchair symbols at all except in the key. https://content.tfl.gov.uk/dlr-route-map.pdf

 

[computerSaysNo]

Much better. Would be even better if we just dumped print out CLDs entirely, replaced with screens

Or something like they use on the New York Subway with a line map and LED indicators to show current/next station. Might be cheaper than full-on screens (though less flexible).
Example 1 (see top left of image)
Example 2
Example 3

 

[Basil Jet]

Or something like they use on the New York Subway with a line map and LED indicators to show current/next station. Might be cheaper than full-on screens (though less flexible).
Example 1 (see top left of image)
Example 2
Example 3

I'd rather two-digit LEDs (or similar) for each station to say how many minutes until you reach the station in question.