S stock delivery & introduction - discussion

Newbies on Circle line today 6/7:-
T200 21461/2 &
T210 21469/70

Well, I've just seen (albeit momentarily) s stock occupying all 4 platforms at Wimbledon, and another one has just gone past on approach to Wimbledon park. Is it good timing/coincidence, or is introduction being stepped up again?

From 6 July T44 was added so list is now :

M-F: 7, 13, 32, 34, 44, 47, 55, 56, 60, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 123(AM), 124(PM)

Today, several trains were displaced because of the Industrial Action yesterday, therefore several trains scheduled as S7 were D and vice-versa.


These are the train/set numbers on the District (main) Line (ie. excluding Wimbledon-Edgware Road trains 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77)
Currently off-peak trains are run thus:
1-24 Richmond-Upminster
25-50 Ealing Bdwy-Upminster
51-56 Wimbledon-Tower Hill
60-67 Wimbledon-Barking pfm.3
70-77 Wimbledon-Edgware Road
101-107 Upminster AM peak trains
121-126 Ealing Common AM peak trains

Working Timetables can be found on the TfL website here:
tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables

Well, you could have your final D stock ride at Christmas but the Ds will most likely be around until early Summer next year.

What are the current SDO locations on the Cirlce/District? I'm sure last year there were more on the westbound between Tower Hill and Gloucester Road than we have this year? Or am I not remembering correctly from my first ride on a S Stock along there?

Taking advantage of the ref document to hand there's also;
Gloucester Road both WB platforms 1 door front and 1 door rear
Monument WB is actually 1 door rear
West Ken EB is actually 2 doors rear
Ealing Common EB 2 doors rear
And not forgetting Ealing Broadway p7, Upminster p5, West Brompton WB and Gunnersbury WB of course.

Original poster may be recalling the SDO doors from Notting Hill Gate to Paddington where each platform has 1 or 2 doors cut out each end.  Or S8 ones on the north side of the Circle?
Last SDO pattern change done after service had started was Ealing Common WB where the cut out was reduced from 2 to 1 doorway. No Central London changes since S stock service started.
There may be some additional doors enabled later after removal of redundant assets or with ATC signalling changes.

Any update on S stock workings on the District!

Yet they are still putting S stock trains into service at a rate of knots.
All crews now trained, presumably all running restrictions lifted?

Same reasons; lack of available depot space; insufficient power supplies on certain sections.
Driver training is officially complete.

Sadly doing that would reduce the service provided and leave certain depot roads empty, as these have not yet been commissioned for S Stock.
Example: Ealing Common depot, there are currently 16 roads not available for S7 Stock, which are available for D Stock; and 7 roads which are not available for any Stock.

S stock was ordered in 2003. Design started in 2005. Maintenance of all trains was originally the responsibility of the supplier and was to be done in at Neasden. A significant event aka spanner in the works) that disrupted the plan was the collapse of Metronet in 2008. There was also a creeping realisation that a larger, longer fleet would put pressure on depot and stabling and innovative solutions would be needed to deal with this issue.

I am not going into the long and tedious story except to say that it's tough to modernise depots whilst maintaining trains in them. (try asking your kitchen fitter to maintain cooking and washing up facilities whilst refitting your kitchen!) Even parliament and the Queen have realised that it takes much longer and costs a lot more to refurbish ancient premises if you continue to occupy them.

LU is a different place from what it was like 12 years ago. The demise of Metronet was the wake up call. But by the time that legacy of that "interesting time" (as in the Chinese curse), was sorted out it was 2010, the trains were coming and everyone was playing catch up. The problems arising from the two cancelled signalling contracts haven't helped. I am not involved but am confident that 2016 will see the end of D stock on the District

S Stock are very power hungry, with all cars motored and air-conditioning.
To make them operate more efficiently power supplies on the SSR are being upgraded to 750v DC.
The existing infrastructure is very old and in need of enhancement.
New substations are being constructed at; Edgware Road, Triangle sidings, Victoria and West Ham.
Other facilities are being upgraded at Upminster Bridge (which has already seen the old building demolished), Elm Park, Heathway, Upney, East Ham, Ealing Common depot.
This work must be done before more than 30 S7 trains can be accomodated on the 'main' Line.


At Upminster depot; 8 roads closed, unavailable to both Stocks. of the rest: 4 roads unavailable to D Stock. 10 roads unavailable to S Stock.


Your assumption is correct, all roads to be worked on.