Goblin Electrification info

Electrification of the Barking - Gospel Oak Rail Route
Question No: 2016/1101
John
Biggs

As
the
railway
between
Barking,
Woodgrange
Park
and
Forest
Gate
Junction
is
already
electrified
and
will
remain
open
while
the
rest
of
the
route
is
closed
for
electrification,
will
London
Overground
continue
to
operate
trains
between
Barking
(platforms
1,
7
or
8)
and
Woodgrange
Park
where
turn
back
facilities
are
already
provided?


Written response from the Mayor

Electrification
of
the
Barking
to
Gospel
Oak
Line
is
being
undertaken
by
Network
Rail
and
we are
working
closely
with
them
to
ensure
that
the
project
minimises
the
impact
on
passengers.



The
vast
majority
of
Class
172
diesel
trains
are
stabled
at
Willesden
so
would
not
be
able
to
reach
the
far
end
of
the
route
at
Barking
to
provide
the
connection
you
propose.
In
any
case,
a
connection
between
these
two
stations
would
be
expected
to
carry
very
few
passengers.
Additionally,
TfL
is
using
the
period
of
the
blockade
to
overhaul
a
number
of
Class
172
vehicles,
which
means
limited
rolling
stock
of
that
type
will
be
available
during
that
period.




Electric Trains for Barking - Gospel Oak Service
Question No: 2016/1102
John
Biggs

Could
the
Mayor
please
explain
why
it
not
viable
to
lease
electric
trains
to
fill
the
gap
between
the
completion
of
the
electrification
and
platform
extension
projects
in
mid
2017
and
the arrival
in
passenger
service
of
the
new
Class 710
electric
trains
in
April
2018?


Class 315
electric
trains
on
TfL
Rail
duties
will
be
replaced
by
new
Crossrail
Class 345
trains
from
early
2017
and
the
Class 315
trains
are
not
currently
designated
for
any
further
use.
Could
not
the
lease
of
ten
of
these
Class 315
trains
be
extended
for
10-12
months
to
enable
them
to
be
transferred
to
the
electrified
Barkng
-
Gospel
Oak
route
so
enabling
the
eight
2-car
diesel
trains
on
the
service
to
come
off
lease
instead?
This
will
end
the
appalling
overcrowding
at
a
stroke
and
allow
8
desperately
needed
modern
diesel
trains
to
be
transferred
to
another
train
operator.


Written response from the Mayor

Class
315
trains
will
not
be
available
from
the
TfL
Rail
route
until
late
summer
2017,
and
the
new
Class
710
trains
will
start
to
be
introduced
on
the
Gospel
Oak
to
Barking
route
from December
the
same
year.
Transferring
Class
315s
to
the
Gospel
Oak
to
Barking
line
would
be
expected
to
bring
significant
costs
in
terms
of
the
lease
extension,
driver
training
and
solving
the
logistical
issues
of
maintaining
and
stabling
the
fleet.
Given
the
short
period
of
time
the
trains
would
be
in
service
on
this
route,
this
would
be
unlikely
to
provide
value
for
money.