FCC Finsbury Park - Alexandra Palace (Non-stop Peak Hour)

[ChristopherJ]

This evening my FCC service took an unusual route that I wasn't expecting.

I boarded a GN inner suburban service at Essex Road at approx 16:50 and I expected it to call at stations but it went non-stop from Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace on the Down Goods Line (?) which avoids both Harringay and Hornsey stations and passes Ferme Park yard behind the other side of the flyover at Hornsey.

Never done this before, can't see it in PSUL either - is it a common routing?

 

[causton]

I believe this is part of work to increase capacity on that stretch. Non-stop services started not too long ago but I don't know if they used the Goods lines, however I know a lot of work has gone on to make the Goods lines available for passenger use, so either this work is now complete or trains were always using those lines and I never knew! There is also another platform (or 2?) being reopened at Finsbury Park on the up side.

 

[Bald Rick]

The route taken is via the Down Slow 2 (passenger status), it's been there a long time, and is regularly used.

 

[D1009]

Work is taking place to upgrade the up goods line to passenger status and to reinstate an old platform at Finsbury Park. It's all in preparation for Thameslink Key Output 2, when the ECML is connected to St Pancras Low Level.
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This evening my FCC service took an unusual route that I wasn't expecting.

I boarded a GN inner suburban service at Essex Road at approx 16:50 and I expected it to call at stations but it went non-stop from Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace on the Down Goods Line (?) which avoids both Harringay and Hornsey stations and passes Ferme Park yard behind the other side of the flyover at Hornsey.

Never done this before, can't see it in PSUL either - is it a common routing?

Some evening peak inner suburban trains not calling Harringay or Hornsey are booked to use the down slow 2, not sure whether its all of them. The Down Slow 2 has a sharp curve requiring a permanent speed restriction in the Ferme Park area.