Didn't the service run through to Maidstone West and/or Tunbridge Wells at some point in the 2000s?Quite so. Probably the one route in the south-east which has always been least-suited for electrification. It freezes up numerous times even during a mild winter, the third rail is so badly installed that it occasionally falls over (literally - last occasion was in Bletchingley Tunnel a couple of weeks ago), it’s got numerous foot crossings and entirely unstaffed stations where people have historically come to grief on the third rail - and virtually all the freight needs to be diesel-hauled anyway, with only an hourly passenger train service most of the time, too.
GTR and SE heading to the top of the "complex network"* performance stats...Thameslink, but specfically the Bermondsey fly-unders. Countless hours of delays saved.
GTR and SE heading to the top of the "complex network"* performance stats...
*i.e. simple network includes C2C and Chiltern
Indeed but that isn't a common perception!SE have been there for a while!
Didn't the service run through to Maidstone West and/or Tunbridge Wells at some point in the 2000s?
I remember when it was possible to travel from Strood as far as Three Bridges - possibly in the very late 90sDidn't the service run through to Maidstone West and/or Tunbridge Wells at some point in the 2000s?
I didn’t think Redhill would rate the description “large infrastructure project” anyway? On a scale of 1 to 10 I’d give it about 1.1...I thought that the idea of making Platform 1 at Redhill into a bay was to avoid any issues with overruns, overlaps or conflicting moves with Platform 2 in either direction...
Could P1 not be linked into the top half of Platform 0 and then have a midway signal on platform 0 to protect the points (if that makes sense). If a 12 car then needs to use Platform 0, it can do but P1 then can only be used southbound. If however it's a GWR 'reverse', it could be done on P0 still while allowing platform 1 to be used as a through platform.I thought that the idea of making Platform 1 at Redhill into a bay was to avoid any issues with overruns, overlaps or conflicting moves with Platform 2 in either direction. I presume that it would not be acceptable to have a 12-car running northbound into a through Platform 1 as a southbound train ran into Platform 2 and a train from the Reigate line arrived in parallel at Platform 0 for example.
Redhill station layout is appalling.
The new platform 0 is normally home to a reversing 3-car GWR turbo-star, thereby blocking through services using this platform.
Platform 1 is now a very long 10-car bay platform, home to the 3-car Electrostar shuttle to Tonbridge.
Platform 2 is a busy through platform for Northbound services.
Platform 3 is a busy through platform for Southbound services.
I travel on Thameslink services and the services are invariably always held outside the station awaiting a platform to become free.
The reason, there is only a single through platform for Southbound services.
Thameslink services complete with local Southern services to Reigate. And there is also crossing Southern and GWR services.
Platform 1 should become a through platform once again. This would allow northbound services to use this platform and free capacity on platform 2 to be used for more southbound services.
Platform 0 and 1 for Northbound and terminating services.
Platform 2 for Southbound and Northbound services.
Platform 3 for Southbound and terminating services.
Beginning to wander off topic, but I've always thought Redhill could do with some high level platforms and connect the Tonbridge-Redhill and Redhill- to Reading lines into one. (bonus frieght avoiding London as well if need be) The only problem in that plan being the geography, the station being situated in a rather steep valley.Redhill station layout is appalling.
The new platform 0 is normally home to a reversing 3-car GWR turbo-star, thereby blocking through services using this platform.
Platform 1 is now a very long 10-car bay platform, home to the 3-car Electrostar shuttle to Tonbridge.
Platform 2 is a busy through platform for Northbound services.
Platform 3 is a busy through platform for Southbound services.
I travel on Thameslink services and the services are invariably always held outside the station awaiting a platform to become free.
The reason, there is only a single through platform for Southbound services.
Thameslink services complete with local Southern services to Reigate. And there is also crossing Southern and GWR services.
Platform 1 should become a through platform once again. This would allow northbound services to use this platform and free capacity on platform 2 to be used for more southbound services.
Platform 0 and 1 for Northbound and terminating services.
Platform 2 for Southbound and Northbound services.
Platform 3 for Southbound and terminating services.
That was one of Dr. Beeching's ideas. About 55 years ago!Beginning to wander off topic, but I've always thought Redhill could do with some high level platforms and connect the Tonbridge-Redhill and Redhill- to Reading lines into one. (bonus frieght avoiding London as well if need be) The only problem in that plan being the geography, the station being situated in a rather steep valley.
That was one of Dr. Beeching's ideas. About 55 years ago!
Dr. Beeching of course was thinking about it as a trunk route for freight from Dover to the West Midlands and the North, not as a passenger railway. I doubt if platforms at Redhill entered his mind!And it wasn’t a very good idea then either.