London, Tilbury and Southend Railway linespeed

[absolutelymilk]

Apologies if this has been asked before, but what is the reason the linespeed on the LTS is so slow? It's only 75mph, despite the 357s being able to reach 100mph. Is it planned to be upgraded anytime soon?

 

[Bald Rick]

Apologies if this has been asked before, but what is the reason the linespeed on the LTS is so slow? It's only 75mph, despite the 357s being able to reach 100mph. Is it planned to be upgraded anytime soon?

The OLE is a big part of it. No plans to upgrade.

 

[The Planner]

Could you actually get to 100mph between a lot of the station stops?

 

[absolutelymilk]

Could you actually get to 100mph between a lot of the station stops?

Certainly between Barking & Upminster, Upminster & Laindon, Benfleet & Leigh-on-Sea you would be able to. I agree it's not worth upgrading the most of the rest.

 

[edwin_m]

There are some limited-stop trains that could run faster, and the possibility of bouncing peak workings back as non-stop ECS to do a second peak-direction passenger working.

 

[Alfie1014]

It was looked at during re-signalling in the 1990s but trains with faster accelerations and better braking were deemed to deliver greater benefits. I also think the previous franchise had a commitment to look at it, but again I think the benefits weren't really worthwhile. One other issue in addition to the OLE is the condition of the earthworks around Laindon bank which sometimes result in speed restrictions.

That said during the Southend 125 celebrations in 1981 an HST https://www.flickr.com/photos/8673209@N04/15569770719/in/album-72157642809837825/got up to (just over) 100mph on a special run to celebrate the centenary of the line.

 

[Class 170101]

NR also wanted additional maintenance access to the infrastructure beyond the Section 4 times

 

[Bald Rick]

NR also wanted additional maintenance access to the infrastructure beyond the Section 4 times

As was said to me by a well respected track engineer about the railway in another part of East Anglia: "getting the track to 100mph is easy, keeping it there is rather difficult"

 

[b0b]

That said during the Southend 125 celebrations in 1981 an HST https://www.flickr.com/photos/8673209@N04/15569770719/in/album-72157642809837825/got up to (just over) 100mph on a special run to celebrate the centenary of the line.

Odd celebration --- look how much my faster diesel train runs because it doesn't use the OHLE ....