Where can Met trains reverse?

Met Trains can be reversed at Amersham, Chalfont, Rickmansworth, Watford, Northwood, Uxbridge, Ruislip, Rayners Lane, Harrow on the Hill, Wembley Park, Neasden, Finchley Road, Swiss Cottage(Disused), Baker St, Kings Cross, Farringdon, Moorgate, Liverpool St and Aldgate. Now you might think it odd that I've listed some of the termini but with some service suspensions these can still offer an emergency reversing facility e.g. at Uxbridge a failure may prevent trains from reaching the platforms but they can still be reversed in the sidings. From the passengers' point of view this would represent a service suspension between Hillingdon and Uxbridge.

As to your other question it is perfectly possible that trains might be diverted to Chesham. However if this is the case then these trains will run instead of the Chesham shuttle which will remain in the bay at Chalfont. Further it would not be possible to divert the full service to Chesham so some Amersham trains will have to reverse elsewhere, whether that be Chalfont, Rickmansworth. What happens to these trains depends on the circumstances; a train reversed at Chalfont would most likely run early south back to Rickmansworth. As far as possible the trains selected to be diverted to Chesham would be the ones that were scheduled to connect with the shuttle any way thus meaning that trains on the Chesham branch would be running near to the scheduled time of the shuttle.

At Finchley Road there are two options for a South to North reversal.
The most likely, if circumstances permit, is to detrain in the southbound platform, run forward empty to Swiss Cottage disused and reverse via the crossover there back to Finchley Road northbound platform. The other option is to reverse straight from the southbound platform and run north via the northbound Jubilee and regain the northbound Met at Neasden.

No scheduled Met services run on the local lines between Finchley Road and Wembley Park anymore, and rolling stock transfers are rare.

The crossover between the n/b Met and the n/b Jubilee, controlled by MD32, was partially removed, thus isolating the n/b Met. Another crossover at West Hampstead between the n/b Jubilee and the n/b Met north of the crossover from the n/b Jubilee to the central reversing siding was removed in the 80s. Most of the other crossovers remain in place, thus allowing a Met train to run into platform 4 (s/b fast), reverse via MD27 to the n/b Jubilee via the s/b Jubilee.

Are the mercury tubes still used to to stop the Met trains entering the Jubbly platforms at, I believe it was Finchley Rd, or have they come up with a more hi-tech way to prevent this happening?

The tubes are still there at Finchley Road, at the entrance to the SB Jubilee Line platform track.

It would probably cost more money to take them down and deal with the mercury than to just maintain it as is.

Thanks for the info regarding the mercury tubes, much appreciated

I thought so, but couldn't remember where I had been told about it!

Does anyone know if S stock will be cleared to Hounslow Central on the Heathrow branch, or will surface stock be forever banned west of Northfields?

I know this is getting right off the original subject, but the late J Graeme Bruce (former LT Operations Director) gave a talk to the LURS a few years ago. He said one of his biggest regrets, while in his powerful position, was NOT authorizing the Hounslow West-Hatton Cross line to be sub-surface stock height- rejected with a pen stroke purely on the grounds of cost.

Regarding the reversal of Met trains at Liverpool Street, I am aware that this used to be done via the now disused bay platform. I have seen C stock reverse outer to inner rail in the outer rail platform, but the starter signal is not at the very rear of the platform. So does this mean an A stock fully berthed in the platform would already be past the signal. I assume that the A stock would have to run past the platform a couple of cars towards Aldgate so that the points for the crossover could be set for its journey back west? This kind of move would only be done as a very last resort. During disruption on the main Met line, A stock trains have been diverted into the inner rail circle line platform at Baker Street and then shunted back towards Aldgate, although I don't think the platform can accomodate the whole train.

Yup to sum up (the thread is somewherein the Met board). If possible detrain at Gt Portland St.

Pull into Baker St Inner Rail. Detrain front 6 via Butterflies. Close doors. Draw forward with assisted despatch, detrain rear 2. Close doors. Change Ends. Depart East Empty, as not all train is in platform and to save further delay. C Stocks can depart in passenger.

Cant remember off top of me head about Liverpool Street. C Stocks fit in the platform, but depart empty owing to it being a shunt signal move.

If there is a problem in the city , we usually detrain Aldgate trains at Harrow and then reverse via Neasden depot , coming out for your correct time on the north at Wembley. In fact this procedure is used during any disruption south of Wembley Park.

This can be done every so often if the service is very poor.
However, politics being politics, Wembley Park being a Jubilee line station will often not provide staff to detrain. Then comes the problem of people not getting off the trains, and then having more trains stuck on the Southbound Fast Line.

They are then detrained at Harrow, where they can be "run-round" if need be.

It is done, but not that often. As an aside if the trouble is south of Wembley Park then the Baker Streets will detrain at Wembley.