Closure Chingford branch 20 Jul - 4 Aug 2024

Just a query is the crossing still in situ at Walthamstow Central?

The Enfield Town and Cheshunt services during this closure are working to a different timetable (which pretty much swaps the timings around) there are no peak extras during this time either, but I expect that all trains will be 8 carriages at all times (which is needed especially at weekends).

As an example at Seven Sisters on a normal day, off peak the trains are 18/48 for Enfield Town and 03/33 for Cheshunt.

During the closure this will change to 05/35 for Enfield Town and 21/51 for Cheshunt services. This pattern I prefer as it suits my travel plans better!

At first glance, it doesn’t appear the Greater Anglia timings have been inputting into the timetable yet

This subject been discussed on other forum ..... and the subject of shuttle from Chingford.

I am not 100& certain but as I have posted there, I think the entire Chingford branch from Copper Mill is one 25 kV OLE electrical section, and is the same section through Clapton. Bridge renewal above tracks almost certainly has the OLE off => no trains at all the whole branch.


Where it was cited before, a shuttle for a landslip, that would not necessarily need to have the OLE off.


But. Repeat. I am not 100% sure of the OLE sections, just 90% it was in the past, but could have been altered since 1990s.



And how at he moment, 3 months ahead, without seeing the FULL altered main line and bus timetables, is anyone jumping to the "passengers abandoned" conclusion ?

One would hope that best use would be made of the closure.
If not, shuttles could be run as mentioned above, but with non-electric stock.

Indeed.

Or diesels re-fuelled where ?

And where in any case would such diesel trains come from ? Heritage / preserved ? To work with what rolling stock ?

Perhaps the next suggestion is to bring in some main line approved steam locos too ? With what stock ? By what crews ?

And we don't yet have enough competent battery trains anywhere to do anything useful - unless some one is going suggest LU engineers battery locos ? While one could along with that as an entertainment idea - and one can underline a few more of them for haulage - one doubts it could be practical. Never mind where they could re-charge. Or driven by who ? And so on.

All this is why (in general) they run buses.

Once again, the increasing inflexibility of rail transport comes to the fore.

It was a great thing in its day.

The crossover at Walthamstow Central is indeed in place and is worked from a ground frame.

There is no conceivable reason in terms of signalling infrastructure that it could not be used.

The Sectional Appendix shows the OHNS at 4m 46ch and Clapton Junction at 4m 37ch. There is only one OHNS shown on the branch.

I wonder, would passengers appreciate the comfort of the HST?

These would attract railway enthusiasts wanting to experience an HST on 'rare track'.

But is this crossover 25 kV wired ? Not /signalling/ I agree, but certainly infrastructure.

Since the route has been LO certain bits of infrastructure have been isolated / removed e.g. the Chingford platforms loco release ground frame is still there - but not connected to anything - the switch crossings have been plain lined (well they were in January 2024 when I looked).


On the whole though I think people need to give it up on creative (or otherwise) suggestions. The line is blocked, live with it.

Exactly! There may be some other work going on during the closure. That way passengers don’t have to face more disruption to services in the future.

Rail replacement buses will be supplied by Sullivan Buses. They have the contract for seemingly all the closures on this line until September, including late night closures, week-long and weekend closures.

There were announcements I half-heard about a one-way system being in operation at Seven Sisters at peak times. As early Sunday morning is very much not peak time and I'm only a very occasional user of the station I didn't spot anything obvious when I was there.

One-way where? To street exits? Or in the west end and out the east end, perhaps?