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LO Chaos

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rmt-driver

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21 Dec 2010
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Another terrible day for LO with various broken down trains and signalling problems....

I think this has happened most days this week. Since all the signalling works and TfL taking over, does anyone think the NLL/WLL/Goblin lines have got far worse in terms of reliability ??

It seems all the time there is signally problems at Camden/Willesden or Gospel Oak.. and there is always broken down freight trains on the line, I rarely hear of broken down freight trains anywhere else though!
 
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Chris125

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Eh? TfL have transformed LO into one of the most reliable services in the country, usually one of the top 3 operators for punctuality - im amazed you have that impression, its at complete odds with virtually everything else ive heard and read about the Overground. Signal failures and freight trains sitting down are unfortunate but are going to happen every so often, and are not the fault of TfL/LO anyway.

Chris
 

Clip

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Indeed I believe period 13 was at 96.5% which is fantastic.

Though I have my own petty issues with the service itself having to use it most days overall im more than happy with it.
 

Bald Rick

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LOROL is consistently the first or second most reliable operator in the country, and the most improved, and has a trophy cabinet to prove it. It has a Right Time punctuality (defined as up to 59 seconds late) better than anything the Swiss or Japanese can drum up.
 

bronzeonion

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Totally agree with all the above posts (bar the first one!). London Overground is a fantastic network, turning the North London line into an attractive alternative to using the Jubilee line to Stratford from West Hampstead etc.

I remember before the upgrades, travelling from Camden Road - Stratford we boarded a packed out 313, baking hot and sitting on the filthy floor. The 313's were perfectly adequate when it was just a freight line with some scarcely served stations but with the traffic levels now the 378's are perfect for it.

Signal failures arn't really LO's fault and neither is a broken down freight train.
 

NSE

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I regularly commute to Kentish Town West from West Hampsted, and frequently use other routes too. Whilst I will say, it is often delayed by 1/2 minutes it's never more than that, and in their defence a slow moving freight usually crawls through just before, no doubt the reason. Also the 378's are perfect for the route because I'd rather stand than get left behind. The only downside in my eyes is that under silverlink it was more of a National Rail line, and it was unpredictable and kind of forgotten about. While LO has worked fantastically and changed its fortunes, to me it's abit like the tube now and very functional and predictable and not so interesting :P but that's simply from me being an enthusiast. I think that gets across what I'm trying to say :P
 

notadriver

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LO is a NR TOC just like Silverlink was. The North London side still has guards and there are diesels on the Gob line. Nothing tube like to me anyway.
 

causton

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Since all the signalling works and TfL taking over, does anyone think the NLL/WLL/Goblin lines have got far worse in terms of reliability ??

One word: no!

I believe the London Overground lines are so much better than their predecessors, I visited every single Overground station a couple of weeks ago which took me a good part of the day and the trains were right time all the way, except for a small delay on the DC lines out of Euston!

Plus the extensions have opened up London a lot more. I left Shoreditch High Street after a meal at a restaurant and I made it all the way to Hatfield before someone who lived in West Croydon thanks to the Highbury and Islington extension meaning I was at Finsbury Park NR in about 20 minutes!
 

Mutant Lemming

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I used to commute on this line in the old BR days and it was always a 'cinderella service' with 501's guaranteed to fail on a daily basis and often last trains cancelled. Staff were never anywhere to be seen and freight used to take precedence. It was no better under Silverlink. In spite of it being a NR TOC it is the TfL influence that has transformed the service over the past few years to the point of it now being a 'turn up and go' as opposed to a 'turn up and hope for the best' service.
 

NSEFAN

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Since freight seems to cause half the problems, are there any plans to shift some of the freightliners away from the NLL core?
 

ushawk

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Since freight seems to cause half the problems, are there any plans to shift some of the freightliners away from the NLL core?

Well for the Olympics, yes - no freight is running through Stratford i think - meaning it cant run over the NLL.
 

Bald Rick

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Since freight seems to cause half the problems, are there any plans to shift some of the freightliners away from the NLL core?

I wish my bit of the network had the problem of 96% PPM and 90% right time.
 

Pyromaniac

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I must admit I only used the NLL/Goblin a few times in their previous guises with 150's and 313's and although never dissatisfied with the service, thought it just about adequate but this didn't bother me as I used them once maybe twice a year. However I was well aware of the Goblin and its issues as my father worked in Upper Holloway for 6 years and I used to text him every morning before he arrived at Barking letting him know whether the Goblin was fine to use or whether to head into London and get the Northern Line to Archway instead :)

Since LO I have used the NLL a couple times in the last year (not tried the Goblin with 172's yet) but IMO can safely say the whole operation seems like a brand new line. Its amazing what can be achieved if the money is there for a proper go at something. Thinking towards the LTS Rail/c2c overhaul and HS1 :) .
 

fgwrich

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Come to SWT land, we had another Class 70 failure to deal with on Wednesday, that's five in just over two weeks.

Yes...Usually with FL's locos sitting down / bug*ering up the Reading - Basingstoke branch services - Not as much of an intensive service as LOROLs, but causes a far wider impact...
 

Southern

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The few times I've used the ELL from Penge West, the train has normally been around 2/3 minutes late, before being held outside Sydenham so a Southern service can come down from Crystal Palace.
 

OxtedL

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Most ELL services (and probably most others as well) seem to have at least a minute of padding and about 2-3 minutes of public timetable differential (I believe that's the euphemism used).

I personally feel fine with this, but I hope they don't push it any further.
 

Clip

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Most ELL services (and probably most others as well) seem to have at least a minute of padding and about 2-3 minutes of public timetable differential (I believe that's the euphemism used).

I personally feel fine with this, but I hope they don't push it any further.

The NLL does too I believe - not once have I ever rolled into Stratford without a wait for a platform just outside the station. They really need to be addressing the capacity at the peaks too - sometimes its worse then many tubes.
 

tsr

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Apart from the niggles mentioned above, I must say that I continue to be very satisfied with LO on the rare occasions when I need to use it. I have a few niggles with signage at a couple of stations (the graphic and information design is generally fine on signage and so forth, in my opinion) and little things like the step in the middle of the island at Highbury & Islington, as well as a feeling that the branch off to New Cross could be better used with services extended further into SE London (although I am sure this has been discussed on here somewhere before). I have also noticed a few rather squeaky doors on trains. As for punctuality, apart from a few broken down freight trains and a couple of signalling problems on the Goblin, I haven't noticed any major problems. I find the choice of rolling stock perfectly pleasant. I also like the integration with LU, even though this is a TOC-run railway.
 

Clip

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I must remember to add that when your going towards Stratford there is an almighty bang that occurs by Homerton I think it is and ive no idea what is causing it but its on every train and startles the life out of me. They need to sort that sharpish as it really cant be doing the units any good.
 
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More than likely a Neutral Section to break up different power feeds to the OHLE, when a train passes through the section the Vacuum Circuit Breaker opens to prevent the train drawing a feed across the dead section, then re-closes after the train is clear. This is controlled by magnets alongside the track - but on Electrostar stock the VCB is rather loud, we had reports of similar noises when the 377/5 were first introduced on Thameslink.
 

MCR247

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Could all of the NLL stations take 5 cars? I can predict 378 lengthening, or increasing the frequency, which is pretty good atm
 
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The LO has transformed my local Goblin line. The frequency has doubled. You can use your Oyster card. The stations are now staffed. And service is reliable. Can only recall one 5 min delay.
 

313103

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I must remember to add that when your going towards Stratford there is an almighty bang that occurs by Homerton I think it is and ive no idea what is causing it but its on every train and startles the life out of me. They need to sort that sharpish as it really cant be doing the units any good.

East to West you will get that loud bang just west of Hackney Central Station, Just west of Camden Road station towards Richmond at Acton Central and between Bollo Lane Signal Box and Gunnersbury Station, towards Clapham Junction at or near North Pole Junction. Dont worry Clip it also startles me and i am expecting it.

The reason is that the unit is going through a Neutral section or the pan is being lowered. You will also get this and the unit deciding to shut down everything and reset which is a bloody pain the backside.

Dont why we have trains made in the 21st century making more noises and loud bangs then what we had from the 1970s.

Perhaps someone with a technical ability can answer that, as there should be no excuse.
 

Clip

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If thats it then cool - I always did wonder as its the only stretch of the line and any other where I have actually heard it and genuinly felt it whilst rising the railway.
 

313103

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Could all of the NLL stations take 5 cars? I can predict 378 lengthening, or increasing the frequency, which is pretty good atm

Class 378s are proposed to be extending to 5 cars but i am not sure if the budget has gone through the appropriate red tape yet.

Not all NLL stations can take a 5 car, but by the time this comes round the Selective Door operation on 378s will be activated.
 
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