May 2 engineering works

Can the District not reverse via the sidings as well or is that where the track replacement work is?

Think it's for point replacement at Upminster.

The booked possession starts at Barking and some of the engineering trains need space to be shunted around etc. On top of that, I dunno if any class 66's are being used for this particular possession, but if they are they won't be trip cock fitted so there has to be a generous 'buffer zone' as protection.

The final nail in the coffin that rules out Dagenham East is some of the engineering plant being stabled in the siding there.

As well as the track work that is being carried out, station works are also ongoing between Barking & Upminster - these weekends being an ideal opportunity.

IIRC though, the bulk of the weekend work on the District will be moving soon; the section between Whitechapel and Barking is well behind the rest of the line in the track renewal department.

It's a bit hit 'n miss really; I'd say they're probably 50% there in terms of the whole District line. The six month track closure list details what's coming up, and it would suggest what I suspect - that the next big push is the missing part of the jigsaw....the Barking to Whitechapel section. That section is pretty much untouched at the moment.

Most other sections are almost there, with perhaps just the eastbound or westbound needing doing, though there are places like Earls Court, Parsons Green or Ealing Broadway which will have to be done at some point but appear to be getting left alone until there's no choice but to do 'em.

It'll most likely get worse (in terms of customer affecting closures) before it gets better, but it's gotta be done before S stock comes along and that's that really.

I look forward to the vastly-shortened journey times on the DR come the S Stock then, which will compensate for the reduction in seats-per-hour (I'm not interested in increased overall capacity if it means standing, as I can't read a paper, book, or carry out any other useful activity whilst in that position). Seriously, as mentioned before, as soon as the track work is finished, more closures will commence to accomodate the slightly longer S Stock in sidings, bay roads and general existing signalling berths. And when that is finally completed, they'll start on the new SSR ATO signalling systems; after which no doubt the track will need doing again. If they're looking at closing Whitechapel - Barking then the policy of "no rail replacement buses in Zone 1 or 2" better be revised because it's getting to the point where travel from east London to the central area is becoming next to impossible some weekends.

True - perhaps they have been taking advantage of c2c's good nature at the moment, given that historically they've often refused LU's requests to allow work that affects them

Another reason may be that as Hammersmith depot will be next to useless, and despite Neasden becoming the 'super depot', Ealing Common and Upminster depots will play a bigger part in S stock maintenance.

Or it may just be that the track at the east end of the District was deemed as needing priority treatment....