West Anglia main line local between Cheshunt and Tottenham hale

[Instinct04]

Hi all, just wanted to ask, why does Northumberland Park get more services that Ponders End and Brimsdown? It is far less busy, and I really don’t think it warrants 3tph. Surely this call could go to Brimsdown, as its more busy with demand increasing?

Please let me know your thoughts.

 

[enviro498]

There is not enough capacity on that section. It already has 10tph on it and most of them are fast so it is not possible to add more services.

From Meridian Water to Lea Bridge there is a third track which allows for a 2tph shuttle from Meridian Water to Stratford via Northumberland Park.

The only way to add more services is to make the line 4 tracks instead of 2, but that would be very expensive, so it almost definitely won't happen.

 

[Instinct04]

What I am saying is to remove the 1tph Stratford-Bishops Storford call from NP and move it to Brimsdown. Could that be possible?

 

[enviro498]

It looks like that would work, it shouldn't really delay any other services (unless there are other operating constraints). There might be a case for it since Brimsdown has higher station usage than NP.

 

[Instinct04]

Yes it should! Brimsdown desperatley needs a better service, 2tph is appalling and the extra train to Stratford would be useful for people travelling into Stratford for shopping and extra links with Tottenham Hale. Why this hasn’t been done is beyond me, NP is so underused but it’s gets more trains. GA is so weird with its skip stop patterns honestly.

 

[JonathanH]

Why this hasn’t been done is beyond me, NP is so underused but it’s gets more trains. GA is so weird with its skip stop patterns honestly.

Stopping the Bishops Stortford train at Northumberland Park allows connections to be made from Meridian Water that would otherwise involve a half hour wait at Tottenham Hale. There are numerous other stations on the national rail network other than Brimsdown which only have a half hourly service.

 

[cle]

It's probably possible because it's on the triple-track stretch, I agree if all things were equal, it would be less 'worthy' and giving more stations a quick Stratford service is a good thing.

Isn't there some additional work happening at Ponders End now, to increase capacity further?

 

[Instinct04]

Not sure of any work taking place at ponders end, but where anyone looking to travel north at meridian water can simply take a train tottenham hale, loads of nothbound trains there! That hourly strat-bish call at NP really needs to go to Brimsdown as the half hourly service does not suffice. Our 5 coach 720s every 30 minutes on both saturdays AND sundays are usually really full

It's probably possible because it's on the triple-track stretch, I agree if all things were equal, it would be less 'worthy' and giving more stations a quick Stratford service is a good thing.

Isn't there some additional work happening at Ponders End now, to increase capacity further?

 

[Instinct04]

Brimsdown's afternoon rush hour service is also appalling. All other stations on the WAML between Cheshunt and tott hale get at least 3-4tph, but why not Brimsdown?

There are large numbers of people travelling to/from there too, especially workers coming from the Brimsdown industrial estate complex.

 

[cle]

Rail upgrade to increase train frequency at Meridian Water station

A railway upgrade has been approved on one of the Lea Valley lines in northeast London to increase the number of trains that can serve a nearby housing development.

www.ianvisits.co.uk

 

[miklcct]

There are numerous other stations on the national rail network other than Brimsdown which only have a half hourly service.

But not many inside London.

Honestly, a station with a train only every half an hour in London isn't useful. Look at the decline of Hounslow loop. People now prefer the slow Piccadilly line instead.

 

[JonathanH]

Honestly, a station with a train only every half an hour in London isn't useful.

That isn't true. They are still useful to many passengers. Not everyone thinks in terms of high frequency being the only parameter in choosing to use a train service. Indeed, one of the points the previous poster makes about the half hourly service is that they consider it to be well used.

 

[Farigiraf]

I'd argue there are routes such as the Bromley North shuttle (and the connecting Sevenoaks-Charing X stopper) which would benefit from at least another tph. Many of the stations on the line are - akin to Brimsdown - mostly dead all day, except in rush hour when the 4 car 465 barely suffices!

 

[30907]

I'd argue there are routes such as the Bromley North shuttle (and the connecting Sevenoaks-Charing X stopper) which would benefit from at least another tph. Many of the stations on the line are - akin to Brimsdown - mostly dead all day, except in rush hour when the 4 car 465 barely suffices!

You can only run 3tph to Bromley N with the one unit, and offpeak it's probably
better to stick with 2tph as the main line has 4tph except in the morning peak.

 

[Farigiraf]

You can only run 3tph to Bromley N with the one unit, and offpeak it's probably
better to stick with 2tph as the main line has 4tph except in the morning peak.

Considering the line is 2 track and SE are looking for new metro stock (and already have some with the 707s), it should be possible to cascade an extra 465 to run on the line. If upping the service from Grove Park is an issue (which could be fixed by diverting some long-distance services e.g Hastings, to Victoria) then could the shuttle be extended to Lewisham, for further connections?

RE Brimsdown & the WAML slows, until the designated Meridian Water track is extended to at least Cheshunt, I don't see there being any space for more services amongst the Stansted Express and Cambridge Norths. OP's best bet would unfortunately be to wait out Crossrail 2, which will almost definitely involve 4-tracking the WAML.