Woodfood via Hainault VS. Hainault via Woodfood

But that is the point - pretty much no Hainault trains via Woodfood because they all run via Newbury Park! The only common through services for the Chigwell section run via Hainault and not Woodfood.

Note that the "Grange Hill via Woodfood Service" could also be "Hainault via Woodfood" - it is just the Central Line only seem to use the former for, as you pointed out, the trains to enter the depot. Whether they run to Grange Hill or Hainault is not too much of a problem as it will serve Roding Valley, Chigwell and Grange Hill, so long as it runs via Woodfood!

Woodford v Hainault services generally reverse in 21Rd at Woodford and return on the outer rail back WB via Hainault. A few services leave the Depot via Grange Hill and continue WB via Woodford. So for every Woodfor v Hainault there are pretty much the same number returning. The answer is to travel to Woodford and change if you want to get to Roding Valley.

Its probably just a simple matter of passenger numbers and logistics.

Roding Valley and Chigwell are not significant traffic generators. Every train sent from Woodford to Hainault would have to be either:

One less train sent to Loughton

or

One less train sent to Newbury Park

or

One extra train running through Central London, not needed off-peak, would not fit during peak.

Looking at an OS map, Grange Hill looks as though it has enough surrounding housing to generate a reasonable amount of traffic (same as Cockfosters?) but rather than chance a 20-minute interval, passengers go to Hainault instead. Improving the service to Grange Hill wouldn't generate much extra traffic, it would just take it away from Hainault.

At the other end of the Line, Roding Valley also has reasonable housing nearby, but rather than go the long way round or have an infrequent service and change trains, it's easier just to go straight to Woodford. Again, improving service to Roding Valley (or building a new station on the nearby main line) wouldn't generate extra traffic, it would just take it from nearby stations.

The only station where growth could be generated in theory is Chigwell, but the size of the settlement is not very large. Rightly or wrongly, LUL probably can't identify any reasons to improve service on the line (the stations have already been given very advantageous zoning) and I don't think Essex County Council care much either.

Does the 92ts and all newer trains for that matter, have a problem if they finish up "wrong way round"? If not wouldn't that make it possible to run trains around the loop without reversing at Woodford/Hainault or is that done more to give the t/op a break at the "end " of the line?

In regards to 92 stock no, but it could be an issue in a particular formation stables in the wrong location, ie in Loughton Sidings when its due at Ruislip depot for an overhaul.



Its very rare for a train to be 'turned' as 92 stock can be uncoupled into 4 separate units, and with the size of Hainault depot they can be shunted around to make a different formation if required. However if a train was required to be turned then it would exit Hainault depot via Grange Hill and run to Leytonstone, reverse and run back to Hainault via Newbury Park.

I think I read when they first came in that, mainly because of the Hainault Loop, the 1992 stock units are not handed but can couple to each other either way round, like A and (most obviously) C stock. When it operated on the Northern Line, the 1972 stock could do this (useful for the Kennington Loop, but not so important on their new home). I'm sure someone will tell us if the 1995 stock can do this trick.

It would be useful on the 1973 stock, but that was built before the T4 loop so it wasn't designed that way.

A couple of points here:

Firstly, lou7675, 1992 stock can display "Hainault via Woodford" and "Grange Hill via Woodford" on the front. The fact that the destinations aren't used much is nothing to do with it being confusing, but soley for operational reasons.

In previous timetables, some trains stabling in Hainault depot ran via Woodford and Grange Hill, stabling in the north end of Hainault depot. There are no trains in the current timetable booked to stable via Grange Hill, although some do start from the depot this way. The main reason for this is that trains stabling via Newbury Park and Hainault run through the train wash - it is difficult to do this the other way round.

Occasionally, during service disprutions, you will see "Grange Hill via Woodford" and "Hainault via Woodford".

The Woodford via Hainault service was introduced in the early 90s as a replacement for the previous shuttle service between Hainault and Woodford. It doesn't use any extra trains than previously, and provded a through service from Roding Valley, Chigwell and Grange Hill to other stations on the Hainault loop, and eventually to Central London. Most passengers from Roding Valley and Chigwell still prefer to change at Woodford, as this is usually quicker. Passengers from Grange Hill to central london tend to jump on the first train, regardless of which way round it is going.

1992 stock frequently gets turned, although not so much in service, but by trains stabling in one end of Hainault depot, and then entering service from the other. 1992 stock is made of 2 car units which can be coupled in any direction.

It is very unlikely that there will be regular timetabled trains to Hainault via Woodford, as the demand in this direction is much less than that towards Loughton and Epping.