Southeastern - Greenwich Line - Extending the platforms or not?

[blakey1152]

Noticed today that Southeastern looks to be extending the platforms at some of the stations on the Greenwich line.

I noticed what looks like rows of breeze blocks at the end of Slade Green, Erith and Plumstead stations

Does anyone know if it is to definately extend the platforms or some other reason and if there are any other Southeastern stations where this is also being done?

Chris

 

[MidnightFlyer]

They are all 10-car as things stand, so I assume they are being taken up to 12. If this is the case then Charlton, Woolwich Dockyard (good luck!), Woolwich Arsenal and Abbey Wood would also logically be extended. Belvedere is already 12-car.

(All info taken from Nov 2008 Quail Map.)

EDIT - Plus Deptford, Greenwich, Maze Hill and Westcombe Park too!

EDIT 2 - And to finish off the three Dartford lines: Bkackheath, Eltham and Mottingham, as well as Dartford itself.

 

[OxtedL]

Looking at Route A (2011 version) of this, the relevant bit is:

June 2012 C Suburban 12-car operations (routes to Dartford)
12-car operations west of Dartford. Scheme covers the Hayes, Grove Park, Sidcup, Bexleyheath and Greenwich/Woolwich lines, plus Dartford station itself.
Enables lengthening of certain services to Charing Cross/Cannon Street

So given that June 2012 implementation date, it probably is platform extension work, yes.

 

[burneside]

Given the number of shortformed trains that Southeastern are running at the moment I'd be very surprised to see a 12 car train on that line.

 

[OxtedL]

At least the thought is there. They're essentially just finishing off a job that was started a while ago.

Hopefully when this is done they'll reform/extend the 378s 376s.

 

[jopsuk]

376s, surely? For 12 car they'd either have to be lengthened to 6 car- surely reform and rebuild into 4 car would be even more work? To 6 car they could perhaps get a second TSO?

 

[WatcherZero]

When 12 car multiple operaration is rolled out all around London, what next? They are already boosting frequency to approaching maximum feasible, are we 10-15 years down the line going to see them planning for 15 car or more trains?

 

[Rational Plan]

Well, that's the thing. I think 12 car is the max any line can go to before things get really expensive.

 

[OxtedL]

This is the conclusion Network Rail have reached in their RUSes as well. Beyond 12-car and re-signalling to force more trains through, they only suggest making a break for double decker trains or creating massive tunnels under South London to free up metro capacity.

 

[callumbb]

This is the conclusion Network Rail have reached in their RUSes as well. Beyond 12-car and re-signalling to force more trains through, they only suggest making a break for double decker trains or creating massive tunnels under South London to free up metro capacity.

Will moving to double decker trains be prohibitively expensive at all? They seem to work pretty well in Sydney/New South Wales.

 

[jopsuk]

Every single bridge or other structure would have to be modified to alllow DD stock with significantly higher capacity and with low dwell times. Ideally the platforms would also have to be further from the rails, and the rails further apart, to allow wider as well as taller, trains.

There may well come a time when this is the only financially viable option.

 

[DVD]

Mottingham platform extensions have been under construction for a month or two - although work seems to have stopped in the past two weeks. I understand that New Cross can only take 10 coach trains so should be in line for extensions, but work here may be more complex and involve track and signal reconfiguration.

Main driver for platform extension to cope with 12 car stock on the Dartford lines (mooted in early Networker days, late 80s & early 90s) is supposed to be the London Bridge rebuilding which will cut capacity through London Bridge and mean that the main way to enable peak hour passenger levels to be maintained is to run fewer but longer trains.

Incidentally a few months ago I bought some ancient copies of rail mags (1950s) and was fascinated to note that there was talk of the need to run 10 car trains on what is now South Eastern lines. Over 50 years later and still the average SE train is 8 cars in peak hours, with only a handful of 10 car services.

 

[150222]

Every single bridge or other structure would have to be modified to alllow DD stock with significantly higher capacity and with low dwell times. Ideally the platforms would also have to be further from the rails, and the rails further apart, to allow wider as well as taller, trains.

There may well come a time when this is the only financially viable option.

Yes let's not take ideas from the 4-DD.

 

[jopsuk]

Well yes. the 4dd was too cramped, had very poor dwell times and didn't offer significant capacity improvements. THere's lessons to be learned there, for sure...