Extension of London Overground...

[BobUK45]

Over hearing two Southern train drivers talking about the Overground being extended along from West Croydon to Epsom Downs.

Would this make sense? Is this being looked into or just rumour chat by two drivers?

 

[swt_passenger]

TfL's declared eventual aim is to take over all inner suburban services, i.e. running entirely within the London fare zones (and with various logical extensions outside the boundary), so that's a yes. How soon it might happen is another thing altogether.

 

[physics34]

think it would be too much to rearrange in the end. I think its more likely that they may just extend the Dalston/Highbury & Islington to West Croydon to Sutton/Epsom Downs....

Id hope that we wouldnt have the awful longitudinal 378 seating on services south of west croydon!

 

[AM9]

think it would be too much to rearrange in the end. I think its more likely that they may just extend the Dalston/Highbury & Islington to West Croydon to Sutton/Epsom Downs....

Id hope that we wouldnt have the awful longitudinal 378 seating on services south of west croydon!

Why not, they would be very busy metro services in the peak hours? How many would travel from north of the thames to Sutton/Epsom?

 

[tsr]

Remember that Epsom Downs is on a partially-singled line which would in all honesty probably not hold a 3 or 4tph service! So it would seem that any LOROL turn-up-and-go frequency service down that line would need to be in line with infrastructure reinstatements. However, this might mean that considerable traffic was moved from Tattenham Corner over to Epsom Downs, which would probably ease some overcrowding via East Croydon, but may have the side effect of a good chunk of revenue being switched over to the LOROL side. And do we really need more passengers on the West Croydon route? I'm not sure there is an easy answer to that.

Why not, they would be very busy metro services in the peak hours? How many would travel from north of the thames to Sutton/Epsom?

I would think the flow would be somewhat more likely to be the other way round, for commuting purposes, but I may be wrong.

 

[swt_passenger]

think it would be too much to rearrange in the end.

But why would they need to rearrange anything?

The LO takeover of the West Anglia inner suburban routes, in just 6 months time, is basically a straightforward change of operator, and LO will run the same timetable into Liverpool St. as now.

There's no intention to link that lot to any of the existing LO network. So an LO takeover doesn't mean Epsom Downs has to be connected to the existing LO lines either.

 

[306024]

The LO takeover of the West Anglia inner suburban routes, in just 6 months time, is basically a straightforward change of operator, and LO will run the same timetable into Liverpool St. as now.

Hardly straightforward It involves a complete rediagramming exercise of units and drivers, including splitting Chingford drivers depot in two. Platform working at Liverpool St and Chingford is changed as a result of the unit rediagramming.

 

[swt_passenger]

Hardly straightforward It involves a complete rediagramming exercise of units and drivers, including splitting Chingford drivers depot in two. Platform working at Liverpool St and Chingford is changed as a result of the unit rediagramming.

Agreed - but that is background detail and should be transparent to the general public surely?

It is also still very much the case that the West Anglia part of LO will not be connected to the existing, which was the main point.

 

[physics34]

But why would they need to rearrange anything?

The LO takeover of the West Anglia inner suburban routes, in just 6 months time, is basically a straightforward change of operator, and LO will run the same timetable into Liverpool St. as now.

There's no intention to link that lot to any of the existing LO network. So an LO takeover doesn't mean Epsom Downs has to be connected to the existing LO lines either.

Well assuming LO take over all southern metro routes....as far as say Dorking, there would have to be a huge reorganisation of train crew, who sign a mix of metro and longer distance routes daily; a huge reorganisation of stock..... which work a mix of metro and coastal services all day.. ie A unit of a vic to sutton via crystal palace service will probably end up on a Brighton to Littlehampton service later in the day for example....

Like i said all i can see them running is maybe London Bridge to West Croydon/Beckenham/Sutton/Epsom Downs.

 

[otomous]

There isn't the capacity on LOROL trains to absorb the extra peak traffic from West Croydon to Epsom Downs I suspect. There may not be the line capacity to up the number of trains running that way either.

Most Southern Metro routes are already at least 4tph so I suspect if they were to be absorbed by LOROL the routes and trains would largely remain as now but painted orange - and as Physics34 says the biggest changes would be behind the scenes - ie you would no longer have drivers or trains that would operate a mixture of metro and coastal/rural routes.

Though ironically Beckenham Junction and Epsom Downs would probably get a Sunday service at last with the latter getting 2tph all day instead of just in the peak.

The dreaded mess room rumour mill is probably at work with the overheard drivers; it generates far more fantasy services and developments than any forum could manage!

It's SE metro that could really do with being taken over - as we've discussed before, there are plenty of unused paths in the evenings and on Sundays on SE network that could be used to give at least a 4tph service all week all day all routes.