TBTC Testing

It'll probably be here to stay now, and agree with what's been suggested about ironing out any problems on the hoof, but the acid test will be full loading on a Monday to Friday service I suppose. That said, there's always a high rate of 'infant mortality' on new equipment and anything takes time to settle down, so I doubt all the problems are quite out of the way quite yet.

The trains can get really close to each other with the new system, aren't they?
On Friday I saw train pull out from St. John's Wood (northbound) and the next one entered station at full-speed about 2 second afterwards. And it actually moved much faster in the station and slowed down quicker - for a few seconds I thought it is going non-stop ;D

TBTC was working well today,no delays and a good service. I think the train I was on earlier was in ATO because the driver wasnt moving the dead-mans hanlde.
My favorite bit was the section between Finchley Road and Swiss Cottage, because you have the descent all the way down the pipe and the train keeps accelerating, the speed is very impressive.

Used it a few times in the last few days whilst I've been in London, noticeably smoother ride and definitely an improvement to when I last used it when it took 15 minutes to get from Canary Wharf to North Greenwich

Well, my journey was noticeably faster - but then again, I travelled only one stop. What I found really great is that now trains go full speed between St John's Wood and Baker Street - previously there was a minute of slow crawl right before Baker Street (something about legacy signalling in that area as I was told on this very forum).

linus

there used to be a 30mph limit on that stretch, all the way into the platform. A temporary (but effectively permanent) 25mph speed restriction was introduced 5 or 6 years ago covering most of that area. The slight acceleration you describe is at the end of the 25mph limit on the approach to the platform.

I believe that the TSR was implemented for SPAD prevention reasons - 30 was really too fast to react to so most drivers went at 20-25mph anyway. However, I understand that dust is also an issue. The first train I drove in TBTC in the summer gave me a target speed of 47mph in that section. I questioned that (it is a long, sharp bend) but was told it was correct. However, unless things have changed yet again over the weekend they have put a very similar speed restriction in again.

I am surprised at some of the glowing reports given even before this morning's debacle. There are very few stretches on the line where you can go as fast as you could in tripcock. There are many seemingly arbitrary speed restrictions. These are, to be fair, more noticeable and irritating when driving the train in TBTC than in ATO. I am not sure whether unnecessary speed limits have been put in as way of testing how well the system works or as a way of regulating the timetable (which has not changed). Either way, I cannot see how anyone could really notice an improvement at this stage other than the odd burst of acceleration.

Alex T

Been on long weekend so maybe things have been tinkered with in places. Certainly were some bizarre 'speed calming' areas last week.

Re: suspension this morning. You really would think they'd have worked out where trains are liable to be gapped as they're no longer stopping at signals!

Has the new signalling played havoc with the departure boards on the TFL website? We're trying to figure out if there's any trains from Canary Wharf in order to get home from work, but there's no information!

Yes, they don't show any trains east of Dollis Hill (that is any trains in the new signalling area) - even though there are plenty.

Gapped I assume is being off juice, IE stopping on a current gap. Of course with the old signalling the gaps/signals would have been located so that a train stopped at a signal would be on power, but with TBTC that isn't necessarily the place as there is no fixed point other than the safety distance a train would stop at.

Gapped is indeed when a train is off juice. As linus has said, I would have thought that the system would have been programmed to ensure that trains would always be receiving power ie all traction gaps are known by the train and they stop accordingly. There is always the chance that the train in question may have been missing a collector shoe.

Can confirm that the speed has indeed now been increased approaching Baker Street on the south - allows train to go about 45mph and then 34mph (and other places like the approach to Canning Town westbound). But can also confirm that many areas of the line, particularly on the west/north (Bermondsey - London Bridge, for example) are not as speedy as before.

Overall I'm quite impressed - even though I don't like the frequent change from acceleration to braking where coasting would be preferable I didn't feel the need to apologise for the apparent 'bad driving' even though I wouldn't want to drive a train that way, especially when following close behind another train and getting stopped just before the entrance to a platform.

Of course the problem is that the line is only as fast as its slowest train and there's a lot of issues to be sorted out.

Nothing on the daily report regarding T302.

If you get a points failure in front of a train, surely it would stop a train anywhere it needs to with a system like TBTC, so not sure if the new signalling can be blamed for stopping the train at perhaps somewhere it wouldn't normally because of an unexpected points problem?
Evening peak seems to have gone OK - were there a few trains less than normal though? Seemed to be a few odd gaps here and there, but otherwise not bad considering its first day of peak loadings. Fingers crossed for the rest of the week.
Does anyone know if all the trains are in ATO now? Certainly the ones I went on today were as the on-off-on-off power rather than coasting between stations was evident (definite sea sickness setting in).