MLX Metropolitan Line Extension (Go-ahead for Croxley Link)

Oh I thought that the extension was branching off north of Croxley & the track to Watford was being lifted.

I cannot see that happening because of the Chiltern fleet fleet size, and I don't think Chiltern would want to have a dedicated Aylesbury service fleet as that would reduce their operating flexibility.

More likely could be the fitting or the network rail protection system, which would reduce Chiltern maintenance and replacement costs, and potentially make it easier to operate other stocks on the route.

I also suspect that trainstops are more expensive to maintain than other systems as they have moving parts.

The station building at Watford is Grade 2 listed, but I am not sure of the platforms, but that could have some bearing on the matter.

Keeping anything of value in the open would be a serious risk from vandals and souvenir hunters.

Preserved stock needs to kept in a controlled environment to keep it in good condition and this costs a lot of money so it doesn't come down to bean counting.

The thought of e.g. Sarah Siddons leaving from Watford Junction's 1980s red brick and bronze glass building and 1990s smoked glass waiting rooms rather than Watford Met's 1925 glass and iron canopies and arts and crafts styling makes me cringe.

The latest I got from wiki-page last amended Nov 2015:

watfordmet

Has anybody got later TfL or other official info on Watford Met closure?

Incidentally, the save campaign on twitter, last entry is April 20.

I suppose it would depend on how many trains are envisaged to stable there, what planning approval could be gained for demolition of part of a listed structure, what the upkeep of it would be otherwise, whether the platforms allow other benefits (such as for cleaning staff), etc etc. Am I right in thinking that currently 5 trains can stable at Watford? Given the amount of track simplification going on across the network, and the general tightness of money for a lot of projects, surely big reconfiguration involving demolition and extra tracks is unlikely?

From what I've read it's already been sorted out. Watford will close to passengers. It'll be sidings. A bus route is far more easily reconfigured as opposed to a train timetable.

Four Trains currently stable at Watford, the fith will be needed at the north end of the line to start up the morning service.

Where are the Jubilee line trains being moved to and what is the source of your information ?

Can Stratford cope with the influx of trains?

I believe a pit road is also going to be secured at Neasden for Jubilee Line maintenance. The additional Jubilee trains will also be accommodated by outstabling.

Regards,

Dan

No PW sidings at SMD, it was a test track at one time,the head shunt is not long enough for a 7 car train.

IIRC a key part of getting the extension through the planning process was to keep costs as low as possible as it was a very close call as to whether the BCR would be sufficient to allow the project to go ahead. Thus as occurred with Ebsfleet International (whose security scanning gear, etc was simply transferred from the redundant Waterloo international), the pan is for much of the station furniture (ticket gates, machines, etc) at the current Watford terminus to be transferred to the intermediate stations on the extension. Again, as with Ebsfleet / Waterloo, this might mean a short delay between Watford (Met) closing and the intermediate stations opening with services running non stop to Watford High Street for a few days.

As a result the use of the existing Watford terminus (other than in extreme emergencies) will not happen, however much people complain. People need to remember the choice facing the promoters was quite simple* - no extension and keep Watford Met or close Watford Met and build the extension. Anything else (while obviously possible physically) was not financially acceptable.

* In exactly the same way that in Scotland the choice was between no railway or a single track one with the minimum of double track necessary for a 30minute service. Anything other than the later decimated the BCR such that the end result would have been nothing at all.