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Post by phil on Aug 25, 2016 2:25:58 GMT
Yes - have a look at the previous post. The GWML off peak has to cope with a sizeable number of 'jumbo' stone trains from the Mendip quarries to Acton yard. Such trains have much the same characteristics of a supertanker - namely it takes a long time to get up to speed from a standing start - plus repeated stop starts puts more strain on the buffering gear etc. By having ALL Crossrail trains perform a skip stop pattern it is much easier to keep the freights rolling - which in turns means they actually clog up the line less. It begs the question, how far into the future will we see Acton yard packed up and turned into housing? It is inevitable. And what do you propose to do with all the stone trains then? The main function of Acton yard is to take the Jumbo sized stone trains from the Mendips then send them onwards to smaller stone terminals like Purley, Crawley, etc which cannot accommodate a whole 'jumbo train' (either in sidings terms or in respect of depot space to actually store / process the entire contents of said 'Jumbo' trains. Running the smaller trains directly from the Mendip quarries requires lots more train paths and crew - neither of which are exactly in plentiful supply Removing the stone trains completely would put thousands of lorries on the overcrowded roads of the southeast and is a non starter in political or environmental terms, so there is nothing 'inevitable' about Acton yard going. NR / DBS are fully committed to keeping it open - and unlike BR neither has the ability to flog off railway land without going through an extensive inquiry process to prove there is absolutely no chance that said land would ever be needed by the railway industry again. While yes you could in theory replace Acton yard with a similar facility on the GWML - where would you put it? The Thames Valley is populated itself is solid Conservative voting NIMBY territory with a large quantity of wealthy voters. There is no way they are going to accept having a large marshalling facility stuck in their midst just so someone can sell off Acton. Not for the first time I feel I have to remind people that contrary to TfLs 'Spin' and PR, once Crossrail trains join the GWML proper they are just another TOC and have to conform to what NR and the industry thinks is in the best interests of all operators - not what happens to suit the Mayor or London voters. If Londoners don't like it how about paying for 6 tracking through to Airport junction to give Crossrail its own dedicated tracks and allowing them to ignore the needs of other operators of our NATIONAL railway infrastructure.
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Post by norbitonflyer on Aug 25, 2016 5:54:13 GMT
how far into the future will we see Acton yard packed up and turned into housing? And what do you propose to do with all the stone trains then? At some date in the far future, the Mendips will be quarried out. But there's a long way to go.
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castlebar
Planners use hindsight, not foresight
Posts: 1,316
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Post by castlebar on Aug 25, 2016 19:57:38 GMT
Nonetheless, I wouldn't bank on those stone trains running indefinitely. Frome is being seriously "gentrified", and the environmentalists are stirring about the damage being done to the Mendips by excessive quarrying. There are even (wild) local ideas about re-opening old railways and routes for passenger use. They smoke interesting stuff near Glastonbury
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Post by phil on Aug 26, 2016 11:51:17 GMT
Nonetheless, I wouldn't bank on those stone trains running indefinitely. Maybe not - but given you can't build houses, offices, shops, roads and even railways without aggregates, London and the wider south east will still require large quantities of the stuff. As such, however much it might annoy the locals, pressure will remain to maximise extraction from current sites - or set up new ones. Thus the pressure for a London distribution hub (which is what Acton yard does today) won't disappear - if anything, given the difficulty in opening a new aggregate marshalling facility elsewhere in grater London, even if stone came in from somewhere else, Acton would still play a key role. Of course one of the things about aggregates is they vary considerably in their chemical make up depending on the type of rock being quarried - and that may be why one of the reasons why the rocks of the Mendips are so favoured by the sector.
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Post by snoggle on Oct 25, 2016 20:29:37 GMT
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Post by snoggle on Nov 24, 2016 22:35:00 GMT
Confirmation in new papers to the new Programmes and Investment Panel meeting as to how Crossrail services will build up and "transition". There is also confirmation that TfL are talking to the DfT about increased off peak services, more trains to Reading and running to Terminal 5. There is also a statement that overnight services at weekends are being considered but would need agreement with Network Rail. content.tfl.gov.uk/pic-161130-09-crossrail-services-and-transition.pdf
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Post by snoggle on Apr 4, 2017 11:30:52 GMT
TfL have initiated a further round of consultation on regulatory documents needed for the operation of Crossrail's central section. consultations.tfl.gov.uk/rail/ccos-access/This includes timetable planning rules, access rules, systems etc. As ever a lot of this stuff is quite technical but the timetable planning rules give the first glimpse on how long it will take for trains to run along along the section.
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Post by crusty54 on Apr 4, 2017 12:00:53 GMT
The station to station times are impressive.
I have witnessed the acceleration of the test trains at Maryland and Manor Park. Very smooth and quiet.
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