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Post by redbond on Nov 14, 2014 8:53:05 GMT
All signalling on the route is controlled from the TfL owned and operated (via the LO concession) depot / control centre at New Cross gate - and I believe that even the signallers controlling the line are LO staff. The only involvement NR thus have with the core of the ELL is that they have been contracted to maintain and provide faulting cover for the infrastructure (in a similar manor to HS1) - mainly because the revitalised ELL uses traditional 'mainline railway' signalling equipment, etc and it makes more sense to have NR do it than have TfL do it in house so to speak (i.e. by the underground). Not quite correct. The East London Line is signaled by Network Rail signalers. Maintenance of the infrastructure on the "core" route is contracted out to Carillion.
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Post by redbond on Nov 14, 2014 8:44:54 GMT
The affected unit ran wrong direction back in to the platform at Sydenham, then ran ECS to West Croydon.
Affected trains either terminated at New Cross Gate and sat in depot, waiting to pick up return journey from Surrey Quays. Some were terminated at Highbury or Dalston and ran ECS straight to depot.
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Post by redbond on Oct 29, 2014 16:15:39 GMT
The first 5 Car train is back at NXG and safely tucked up in the maintenance shed!
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Post by redbond on Oct 22, 2014 13:47:02 GMT
Just an update since drivers are doing their 5 car briefing now.
Selective Door Opening will be in operation at the following stations only;
Whitechapel: Rear two doors will not open on both up and down. Wapping: Last door will not open on the Up, Last two will not open on the down. Rotherhithe: Last two doors will not open on both up and down. Canada Water: Last door will not open on both up and down.
The added coach will be a MOS, formation will now be (DMOS)-(MOS)-(P/TOS)-(MOS)-(DMOS)
First of the new 5 car trains will be introduced around the 7th November, then one a week thereafter.
PIS announcements will be added at NXG not Derby, after the first few 5 car trains have been introduced, therefore there will be a period with manual announcements being made.
Drivers are already in a period of transition, getting used to stopping at the new 5 car stop boards. From the 1st November all trains, irrespective of coach length, will stop at the 5 car boards.
Correct Side Door Enable (CSDE) is also being introduced with the fifth cars.
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Post by redbond on Oct 16, 2014 22:04:49 GMT
As Causton says it's a very slow line unfortunately. Out of Clapham it's 10mph, then up to 25 around to Wandsworth Road, 20 just before. Then it's back up to 45, down to 30, then back up to 45 between Clapham High Street and Denmark Hill. Between Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye there are two signals protecting junctions which are heavily used, so waiting for a red signal to clear at both of them isn't uncommon. Just before Peckham Rye the linespeed goes down to 20mph then back up to 60 after the station, which is pretty impossible to get up to if you're in service. Then it's 40 between Queen's Road Peckham and Silwood Junction. As the approach to the signal protecting Silwood is on a downhill gradient and always pretty much approaching a red signal, the drivers will be taking it very slowly.
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Guards
Oct 1, 2014 7:31:38 GMT
Post by redbond on Oct 1, 2014 7:31:38 GMT
I don't know about the 172s but on the 378 it's above roughly 4mph that the screens cut out.
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Post by redbond on Aug 25, 2014 16:14:47 GMT
Sorry, I only listed the gradients in the "down" direction. (uphill towards SCR). It is 1/29 there, however on the "up" (which is downhill) it is 1/30.
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Post by redbond on Aug 25, 2014 15:14:14 GMT
The top of Haggerston is actually 44/500.
From Surrey Quays to Queens Road (Down Direction) is the following: (\= downhill gradient and /=uphill gradient)
174\/100 100//170 (Silwood Junction & tunnel) 170/\63 63\/67 /67-Level (by Silwood Sidings) Level-/66 66//29 29/\500 (Surrey Canal Road Station Box) 500\\143 143\-Level Level-/83 83//234 (Old Kent Road Junction) 234//375 375//312 312//220 220/200 (QRP Station)
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Post by redbond on Aug 24, 2014 18:01:24 GMT
The route map I was given during my training. I'll have a look tomorrow when I'm on shift. I'm not disputing there is a third one, it just isn't shown on the map. I think whoever created it gave up doing the gradients as Highbury to the 43/44 board is there but nothing after until New Cross Gate.
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Post by redbond on Aug 24, 2014 10:25:51 GMT
My route map shows from Dalston to Haggerston as being LEVEL/43 then 43/44. It doesn't show a third one on my map though.
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Post by redbond on Aug 12, 2014 9:18:13 GMT
I think there are more Revenue staff based on the ELL than the other lines. Usually at least twice a shift I have them on my trains.
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Post by redbond on Aug 9, 2014 4:43:31 GMT
I wasn't in work yesterday, but NR Signallers and ELL Control are based at NXG OBC, which will have an effect on the operation.
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Post by redbond on Jul 24, 2014 12:01:31 GMT
I think you mean Emma Hignett
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Post by redbond on Jun 11, 2014 1:10:24 GMT
Being based at New Cross Gate depot, I 'sign' Highbury & Islington to New Cross/Crystal Palace/West Croydon/Clapham Junction/Battersea Park. After 3 years I kind of see it as all one route really as we do them all so often. We cross under the Thames about 8 times a shift. At the end of 2012 I did enjoy doing the Clapham route as it was new and exciting, but now it's just the usual. Personally I like driving south of New Cross Gate. It's green, it's open, we can go faster than the rest of the line ( I love opening up to 60mph...just because I can!). My favourite bit though is the Down Sydenham Spur. (From Sydenham to Crystal Palace). It's a single line, lined with trees and it feels like you could be in the middle of nowhere!
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Post by redbond on Jun 9, 2014 7:53:15 GMT
The TfL site says "A replacement bus service will run between New Cross, Surrey Quays and Canada Water. An enhanced London Overground service will operate between Crystal Palace and Canada Water during the peaks and an enhanced service will operate between Crystal Palace and Dalston Junction at all other times".
Nothing has been said yet but I really can't imagine terminating at Canada Water in the peak. That really would be too much hassle especially with it already going to be extra busy. I think they're just emphasising up to Canada Water for Jubilee Line interchange to London Bridge, which really is where all those extra passengers will want to be going.
Personally I'd say we will just continue in service and terminate at Dalston. The diagrams will have to be reworked though as New Cross and West Croydon services alternate.
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Post by redbond on Jun 9, 2014 7:03:11 GMT
It's more to do with what depot they work at. New Cross Gate is the depot for the East London Line. All drivers sign Highbury & Islington to New Cross, Crystal Palace, West Croydon, Clapham Junction and Battersea Park. Up until recently there was a link of senior drivers who did some NLL work between Willesden and Clapham Junction. They also sometimes do stock transfer via Crystal Palace/Streatham. This will be changed soon as well so that stock transfer is done via the platforms at Clapham to allow more drivers to do it.
The other driver depots are of course Willesden, Watford, Euston and Stratford. I'm not going to comment on where they sign as I can't remember.
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Post by redbond on Jun 1, 2014 12:28:13 GMT
*During peak hours on weekdays.
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Post by redbond on May 25, 2014 10:23:43 GMT
The station building as it is now will remain pretty much as it is and I think it will be much worse for congestion to be honest. The current doorway though to Platform 3/4 will be the only way to the platforms. You will walk through a short way, then there will be a footbridge over to Platform 5, which will be where the current structure, as it appears in the photos above, ends. On Platform 5 it will stretch over all the way to the outside railing against the Sainsbury's road. The stairs down will then approach the platform at an angle. The location of the lift for Platform 5 will be outside of the current building footprint. If you look at the photo below from the flickr set, on the right hand side you can see the space that is currently behind the building area and the road. Where the person with light coloured top and black bag is walking, the railing next to them is the angle at which the stairs will approach the platform. www.flickr.com/photos/unravelled/14225435441/in/set-72157644705359826The walkway to Platform 1/2 will connect up just in front of the lift for Platform 1/2 and across to the enlarged footbridge area on Platform 3/4 as seen on above photos. planning.lewisham.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=_LEWIS_DCAPR_70187
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Post by redbond on May 7, 2014 15:24:53 GMT
Bicbasher you are correct, it was proactive measure for the strike, however for some reason there is a fault which means they can not remove it.
A lot of the screens are now displaying "see front of train for destination".
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Post by redbond on Apr 9, 2014 19:36:03 GMT
The TfL press release appears to have counted Liverpool Street and Cheshunt among the stations transferring to TfL! Read it again, it clearly doesn't
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Post by redbond on Apr 5, 2014 10:32:35 GMT
With respect I meant the cab monitors - they still need to be docked correctly. I still don't know what you mean sorry. All of the DOO equipment is 'on board'. There is nothing whatsoever on the platforms for this, as we view images in the cab from cameras fixed to the side of the train. The platforms at Canonbury and Hoxton have been extended slightly with a metal walkway which will be where the stop board will be placed. If the driver needs to get out they will have to walk through the end platform gate. I think the same kind of work is being done at Canada Water. The same as Rotherhithe on the 'up'. The stop board there is beyond the gate, as is Whitechapel currently. The driver needs to be able to get out if needed through the side cab door, so extending slightly so that there is enough room for the cab door but not enough for the first set of doors kind of makes sense, which would put the first set of doors out of use at Canada Water. Approaching Canada Water from Surrey Quays, a new AWS magnet has been placed, ahead of the current one. I assume the signal (which protects the crossover) is going to be moved forward which makes me think that the crossover will be moved too.
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Post by redbond on Apr 5, 2014 7:46:38 GMT
The work will enable the driver to see monitors in the tunnel. I doubt it, we use internal screens to view images from cameras attached to the side of the train.
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Post by redbond on Apr 3, 2014 12:45:06 GMT
From what I've heard around the depot, don't know how true it is though, is that the first and last set of doors won't open at Canada Water.
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Post by redbond on Mar 15, 2014 9:46:07 GMT
The SouthEastern staff at New Cross are a good bunch of guys and girls. They're always there waiting with a ramp when it has been rung through when I've pulled in. The LUL guy at Canada Water would have radioed the station control room, who would have then hopefully called New Cross, although I'd imagine it would have gone via LOROL control.
There's only about 8 minutes between leaving Canada Water and pulling in to New Cross, so by the time they've pulled in the message might have only just got through. I'm not in any way distracting from the fact that issues like this really must make traveling in a wheelchair on public transport a nightmare.
That guy is not a ticket inspector, I think he's station staff on his way to work. The driver is just getting out of the cab so the train had only just stopped.
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Post by redbond on Feb 7, 2014 12:35:42 GMT
Canada Water was closed both days, so it was still correct
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Post by redbond on Feb 6, 2014 15:20:38 GMT
H&I closure was a temporary one which happened quite late in the day, it was open today. Drivers make announcements at Shoreditch High Street and Rotherhithe on the 'down' and New Cross, New Cross gate, Surrey Quays and Queen's Road Peckham on the 'up'. Shadwell hasn't been too bad to be honest, on the up passengers have been directed to leave via the side emergency exit during the peak hours. Station announcements, ticket hall white boards and CIS screens have all been showing that Canada Water is closed.
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Post by redbond on Feb 2, 2014 11:50:22 GMT
For some reason we are now being issued with diagrams and not schedule cards. This was brought in after the NLL went DOO. The drivers complained about the schedule cards having too much information, depsite ELL having used them without any issue for four years now. Instead of showing arrival and departure times for all stations, it just shows times for 'key' stations. We have to wait for the correct time at these stations only. From memory, the key stations are Highbury, Dalston, Surrey Quays, New Cross, New Cross Gate, Crystal Palace, Norwood Junction, West Croydon, Queens Road Peckham, Peckham Rye and Clapham Junction.
I personally don't agree with it, and I will keep to the times at each station, especially on the SLL, either from memory or glancing at the CIS screen on the platform when I pull in. Before I could see that I would have 6 minutes between Peckham Rye and Denmark Hill and drive along at about 25mph, however now I will travel at as fast a permissible speed I can and suffer a longer dwell time as I don't know how long we have.
Also not forgetting that we don't drive to timetable on the 'up' between Surrey Quays and Dalston Junction. There's also some anger from drivers about a 'trial' management are trying to do on a few specific trains departing Crystal Palace and West Croydon in morning and evening. On these if we have a proceed signal and are ready to go we are to depart early. There's something going on behind the scenes between LOROL and Southern I'm sure, so management think that creating a SPAD risk is acceptable. If we leave Crystal Palace early, all we are doing is leaving the platform early, we will still be held at the signal on the Up Sydenham Spur to join the Up London Bridge Slow waiting a Southern train. ASLEF told us to go by the diagram's departure time. We do, hasn't stopped some managers waiting on the platform to ask drivers of said trains "are you ok to depart early?".
Either have the service timetabled or not, mixing and matching as they please is unacceptable in my opinion. If there's issues with the delay fines they're having to pay then that's a scheduling issue that needs to be taken up not pushed down on to the drivers.
If your train departs early, complain to TfL, it's not the drivers fault though, they're just following instructions.
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Post by redbond on Jan 26, 2014 22:00:41 GMT
We are allowed to travel in the rear cab as part of our duties. Occasionally some spare drivers are required to run a test train after maintenance, they'll have a driver in the rear cab, run up to Highbury or Dalston and then change ends straight away to get out as quickly as possible.
The 378s won't allow you to 'liven up' a cab if there is a key in the other cab, although they won't always tell you. I once got caught out by this after relieving a driver at Dalston. I walked up to the platform end cab, put the key in, nothing happened and all I could hear was the passcom alarm sounding. Odd I thought, there were no BIL lights flashing. I keyed off and on a few times, same thing. I then walked down through the train to check all the alarms and it wasn't until I got to the rear carriage that I could hear the fault alarm sounding in the rear cab. The other driver had left the key in and train on, obviously distracted by my presence when he pulled in.
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Post by redbond on Jan 6, 2014 15:05:22 GMT
A lot that passengers can't see has been completed too. The points connecting to the new Silwood Sidings have been installed and also a crossover to get from said sidings on to the Down just after the bridge has been put in too.
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Post by redbond on Dec 31, 2013 21:30:36 GMT
It would also take a lot of work with the unions to bring it in, would require recruiting a hell of a lot more drivers. In order for drivers to resume having breaks at Dalston instead of nearly all taking place at New Cross Gate, LOROL would have to recruit a lot more drivers, which they're not willing to do. It would mean a hell of a lot more to do 24 hour running, I just don't think they can justify the cost of the extra drivers for running a few more trains, not to mention paying NR for track access etc. It's completely different than the Tube's closed system.
Also I highly doubt the union would be up for it, nor the drivers. We have given up a lot over the last few years, putting Sundays in to the working week, taking away bank holidays etc that we now have pretty much nothing to negotiate with for any future negotiations. You can be sure that 24 hour working and also not running on Boxing Day are our only things we have to hold on to.
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