Apologies if this has come up elsewhere, but couldn't see a thread devoted specifically to the post 2018 changes. I'm hearing talk of a recently confirmed massive shake up of GTR services and driver depots planned in time for the May 2018 WTT.
New GTR depot locations I've heard are Luton, St Albans, Cricklewood, Three Bridges, Orpington, Ashford and Gillingham. Blackfriars depot to close entirely and Brighton and Bedford to have a large reduction in work. Presumably Southeastern drivers will lose their current GTR work at the same time. What does this mean for drivers at those locations? I'm guessing a lot of people are going to have to move depot whether they want to or not.
I also hear that the Catford loop will be getting an extra two stoppers per hour (Blackfriars to Orpington) and that there will be a Luton to Rainham (Kent) half hourly service via London Bridge and Greenwich. Aside from the capacity issues raised by these proposals, the Luton to Rainham route is surely going to to cause huge congestion issues around North Kent East junction and appears especially odd, and dare I say counterproductive, given all the investment and ongoing work at Blue Anchor and London Bridge to eliminate the same problems there.
New GTR depot locations I've heard are Luton, St Albans, Cricklewood, Three Bridges, Orpington, Ashford and Gillingham. Blackfriars depot to close entirely and Brighton and Bedford to have a large reduction in work. Presumably Southeastern drivers will lose their current GTR work at the same time. What does this mean for drivers at those locations? I'm guessing a lot of people are going to have to move depot whether they want to or not.
I also hear that the Catford loop will be getting an extra two stoppers per hour (Blackfriars to Orpington) and that there will be a Luton to Rainham (Kent) half hourly service via London Bridge and Greenwich. Aside from the capacity issues raised by these proposals, the Luton to Rainham route is surely going to to cause huge congestion issues around North Kent East junction and appears especially odd, and dare I say counterproductive, given all the investment and ongoing work at Blue Anchor and London Bridge to eliminate the same problems there.