SSR Resignalling

Well at the moment, yes, but is is only Wednesday, they might change their mind tomorrow!
Sorry for the sarcasm, but it is an incredibly complex section of track, and I think therefore there's a high chance of it not going to plan, in my opinion.
But we shall see what happens.

All systems go

I agree that the Edware Road Met and Praed Street Junction is not complex, as a 15 year old ROA in 1963 I learned how to work the frame in the off peak !
Baker Street area is much more complicated, 6 platforms and junction, back in 1963 , off peak no through service to Aldgate/ Liverpool Street. King Leaver for platforms 5 & 6.😎😎

I was nearby today so had a brief look. As with other automatic lines, acceleration seems pretty quick.

imgur.com/a/ET6BgZW

I last visited Edgware Road signal cabin in the 1990s, and had a little involvement in all the work to adapt is and the signalling for S7s. Whilst it is a piece of heritage passing into history, it wasn't all that great for customers. Many a time I've stood on the station waiting for a train towards Kings Cross with poor information about when the next train is due.

I think it's also fitting that having been brought into use by a man (I cant say this for certain but would make a healthy wager!) it is taken out of use by a woman. It illustrates that at least some progress has been made in the last 90 years. Congratulations to Jessica!

I was watching this tweet by Charlie - the display is counter-intuitive because maps and diagrams normally show west as being to the left.







As a schoolboy I always wished that I could control the trains, especially at Aldgate East when two or even three eastbound District line trains pushed in front of the train I was (impatiently) waiting on - which would have been a Met line train from Liverpool Street (in those days the Hammersmith & City was still part of the Met).

Since when has anything about the UndergrounD been "normal"? Every Block Post I have worked in has had the diagram aligned to match the position of the Blockman, left on the diagram is to your left.

I believe the convention in Network Rail [IECCs and ROCs] is that "Up" is to the left, geography is nothing to do with it.

PS. I think you spelt Charley wrong.

Edit to clarify: In a traditional box on NR left is left and right is right, with the position of the Signaller and their frame being marked on the diagram. In an IECC and the like up is left, such that if you are in the NRM at York watching the signalling feeds from York IECC a train on the diagram will move from left to right whilst the one you see in front of you moves right to left. My key point stands, Edgware Road is normal. Ish.

Yes the existing hand worked crossover west of Royal Oak will be permanently secured out of use. This crossover will be plain lined at a later date. As far as I know this was not a ground frame , just hand worked points .

Lack of appropriately trained drivers. The Met line seems to have been caught out in not getting their driver training delivered on time.

The CBTC system itself is working perfectly well.

Wow, that is incredibly disappointing, especially considering this is several weeks later than was originally planned anyway.

Looks like they're now reporting a faulty train at Finchley Road.

Indeed!:

Given this phase of the new signalling system introduction impacts services on District, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan, it is promising to see that the TFL status updates are only reporting slight delays on the Metropolitan with the other lines showing good service.

My only reservation is whether the service performance level updates are being assessed against what would be the normal service pattern for a Monday or simply how the new signalling system is performing against the reduced service levels announced before the new signalling went live.

If it is the latter, I assume LU do not intend to permanently abandon using platforms 1&4 at Baker Street to turn some services. Presumably in the next day or so, they will be ready to reprogram the signalling to open up those platforms and revert to a normal(ish) service pattern on the Metropolitan by this time next week.

Looking further ahead I guess potential service enhancements (more peak hour services?) will probably only arise once the new signalling is live on most if not all of the SSR lines - so still a few years off.

Have just been up for a ride. There was an odd gap in the eastbound service at Baker Street but I rather suspect this was due to the fire alert at Kings Cross rather than anything to do with the signalling. Also funny complaint from an H&C T/Op that "priority was being given to all other services before this one" as we were held at a 'red' signal (which of course aren't red any more, yay for anachronisms). Is that a jibe at the computers letting Met services proceed before the Circle and H&C, or just a driver at the end of a long day? 


Anyway, it seemed to recover rather quickly when things got moving again, so actually a good sign. However, I did notice a couple of false starts where the white light illuminated, and the doors closed a few inches before slamming open again. Not sure what caused this, perhaps one of you insiders can shed light on it. The ride seemed very smooth, much smoother acceleration and precision stopping than when I took a ride on the SMA 0.5 section just after it opened, so I guess kudos for the new software versions smoothing things out! In particular, no problem with the precision stopping at Baker Street P5 where the train has to be very tight to get that last set of doors on coach six in to the platform.