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Post by thc on Dec 22, 2010 13:40:52 GMT
Now you know how it feels. THC
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Post by thc on Dec 21, 2010 15:26:17 GMT
Chiltern *were* stopping at Met stations, but claimed otherwise on their website yesterday as they didn't want "their" trains swamped by LU passengers. Did they? The emergency timetables available on their website both yesterday and today show(ed) quite clearly that their trains were/are scheduled to stop at Amersham, C&L, Chorleywood, Ricky and HOTH. The train I used into London this morning stopped as per that pattern and picked up a healthy number of boarders from each. THC
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Post by thc on Dec 21, 2010 7:24:36 GMT
Chiltern Railways could also run to Chesham during peak hours, keeps all the snobs on their trains happy You moan elsewhere about not being taken seriously due to your age and then you come out with a comment like this? Have a word with yourself. THC
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Post by thc on Dec 20, 2010 8:31:13 GMT
(...and is still supporting the S4 idea) And who is going to pay for this? Shall we have a whip-round? ;D THC
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Post by thc on Dec 18, 2010 14:12:56 GMT
The Met line through both publicity and through me and others on here has been far from arrogant and have attempted to apologise for the problems. I'm kind of done with this thread if all I'm going to see each day is yet another dig from its customers. I can go to the ES forums for that kind of thing. Please stick around MetControl - you always add value and are one of the few who genuinely knows what they're talking about. That's why I look out for your posts. To those who seem to revel in complaining - if you think you can do better, why not drop a line to Human Resources at TfL? I'm sure they'd be only too pleased to hear from you... THC
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Post by thc on Dec 18, 2010 8:09:42 GMT
Hope this helps clarifiy the moves they are doing. I didnt see any 20's lying around after 21013's delivery though! The Class 20s and barrier/match wagons were sat outside Neasden depot yesterday morning alongside the running lines when I passed sb on a class 165. I think they were still there in the evening, although alcohol had been taken by this stage so I can't be certain! ;D THC
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Post by thc on Dec 18, 2010 8:04:58 GMT
What are the passenger numbers travelling to and from Chesham? Feel free to list peak and off-peak totals. TfL's website contains a very useful station-by-station breakdown of the totals by day and time. For Chesham in 2009, the figures quoted are as follows: Chesham Annual entry and exit frequencies Entry weekday total: 826 Exit weekday total: 638 Entry weekday early: 109 Exit weekday early: 8 Entry weekday A.M. peak: 413 Exit weekday A.M. peak: 86 Entry weekday inter peak: 161 Exit weekday inter peak: 120 Entry weekday P.M. peak: 110 Exit weekday P.M. peak: 234 Entry weekday evening: 33 Exit weekday evening: 190 Entry Saturday total: 354 Exit Saturday total: 347 Entry Sunday total: 170 Exit Sunday total: 179 Total annual entry + exit (in millions) = 0.427 www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/corporate/modesoftransport/tube/performance/default.asp?onload=entryexitHope this helps. THC
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Post by thc on Dec 17, 2010 7:48:48 GMT
And just who would pay for this non-standard batch of 'S' stock? It would cost several £million and there's just no way that the Chesham branch would generate a return on such investment. As I said in a previous post on this thread that was chopped alongside one of your rants about Chesham people (not big and not clever, btw), the solution we now have is the simplest and most cost-effective and should give the most benefit for commuters using the branch once the service settles down.
THC
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Post by thc on Sept 5, 2010 18:40:21 GMT
If this scheme does go ahead (I hope not) I bet it will consume far more money than is currently talked about, due to the proponents of the schemes lack of reality and inderstanding of the economics of running a tramway. This quite possibly will result in no money being available for the Croxley Rail Link for the next few decades! With respect, I'd suggest that they (Hertfordshire County Council) have more understanding of the 'reality' and the economics involved than the likes of me or you and, if not, they can always engage the services of people that do (such as Mouchel, their retained transport consultants). Approval for the bid to convert the Abbey line to a tramway was given by the DfT in the closing months of the last Government on the condition that the total cost of conversion and operational subsidy did not exceed the total funding available to run the line as it stands, i.e. heavy rail with one EMU, over the lifetime of any potential concession (expected to be between 20-30 years). On the CRL, however, I do agree with you that the income from sale/disposal/development of the Watford (Met) station site should be included in the overall cost calculations. I'm not sure that the scheme appraisal rules allow for this, which is a desperate shame as, while it wouldn't make the scheme self-financing, it would certainly help reduce the overall funding requirement. THC
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Post by thc on Sept 3, 2010 5:56:00 GMT
I had not heard about Chesham to Watford services, but I had heard about Chiltern running Aylesbury to Watford services if the link was built. Not at first. According to the Major Scheme Business Case document available on the Croxley Rail Link website (a link is at the bottom of the 'benefits' page), prepared in order to gain Programme Entry status with the DfT, the CRL scheme variant that included an Aylesbury-WJ service scored highest in the options appraisal, but won't be taken forward at this stage due to the added complexity and higher risks associated with integrating northbound services into the existing service matrix. That does not preclude such a service being provided at a later date. Maybe I'll see it in my lifetime - and I'm 38... THC
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Post by thc on Aug 26, 2010 18:29:36 GMT
Typical. I even detoured through Wembley Park at around 5pm today to try and see it and, since I saw nothing in Neasden Depot, I went home instead.
THC
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Post by thc on Aug 25, 2010 5:58:25 GMT
I travel up and down on or beside the Met main at least twice every weekday (in the evenings any time between 1700 and 2000) and despite keeping a close eye out and always sitting on the right side of the train, I haven't seen any 'S' stock for ages. I spent a Saturday a few weeks back travelling down to HOTH in the hope of seeing (and even travelling on) one, but was stymied by engineering works - shoulda done my research properly...
Any ideas people? As a civilian I don't have access to the information that many of you do, so any news gratefully received!
THC
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Post by thc on Aug 4, 2010 11:39:13 GMT
Either is far better than the "disembark" that is becoming common parlance on National Rail.
THC
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Post by thc on Jul 18, 2010 11:25:07 GMT
And within hours of arrival last weekend the C Stock next to the southbound fast road had been seriously 'artistically modified'. While not condoning the 'artists' or their work I thought that, as graffiti, 'Breach of Bail' was rather wry and pithy, in contrast to the mindless tagging one normally expects. THC
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Post by thc on Jul 11, 2010 14:10:52 GMT
I've had to use LO from Gunnersbury to Willesden Junction several times in the evening peaks over the last few weeks and *every single time* the door I entered has been at least partially blocked by a bicycle. In every case *no attempt* was made by the cyclist to move their bike despite the throng of people attempting to pass. On Thursday last I ended up pushing the offending bike to pass it and was told in no uncertain terms by its owner to be careful. My response, crafted in the finest Anglo-Saxon, reminded him of the selfishness he displayed in taking his bike on a packed train, thereby depriving the last half-dozen passengers on the platform the chance to travel with the rest of us. Rather than the invective/slap I had expected in response, I earned a brief round of applause and thanks from several of my fellow sardines.
It struck me afterwards that, if bikes are to continue to be tolerated/allowed on Class 378s, it would be cheap and relatively straightforward to mount some brackets atop the saloon dividers and on the floor so that 2 or 3 bikes could be securely clipped/stored vertically in less floorspace than currently taken by one horizontally. Such a solution would have prevented Thursday's confrontation and led to six more passengers catching their train on time.
THC
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Post by thc on Jun 7, 2010 19:14:35 GMT
Thank you all for taking the time to reply; as I expected I would, I've learned something from each one. MetControl - my previous "commute" was a walk across two west London parks and took a total of twenty-two minutes from home to desk, so they don't come much better than that, I'm afraid! ;D I take your point about threading fast Chiltern services through Metroland, but (admittedly as a civilian rather than a railway professional) I would have expected station dwell times therein to be reasonably short given that an 8-car consist of 'A' stock has 20 double-door and 4 single-door apertures, and 4tph on the Met and 2tph Chiltern provide a stopping service from Met main line stations in the morning peak. And from what I have seen so far, the commuters are pretty adept at spreading themselves along the platform and lining themselves up at points where the doors will open; no bunching at the platform entrance for them! Part of the reasoning behind my original question is the timing disparity between the morning and evening runs. This evening, for example, I took the 1716 from Marylebone, first stop Great Missenden. Despite slowing to a near-stop at HOTH (which I now understand to be the tripcock test, thanks chillout!) it was an impressively slick 41-minute journey to Wendover. In contrast the quickest time I've experienced for the corresponding fast southbound journey in the morning peak is 48 minutes. I expect that some of the seven-minute difference is due to inbuilt recovery time at the Marylebone terminus, but is the rest all due to delays caused by station stops and threading Met trains across Harrow North Junction? (I think I'm answering my own question here... ) I'm both impressed by and grateful for everyone's insights on this subject. Thank you once again. Tom (THC)
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Post by thc on Jun 5, 2010 15:38:29 GMT
After several years living in west or central London, I recently moved to Wendover and am now experiencing the joys of the weekday commute for the first time.
On several journeys recently, particularly in the morning, my preferred service to Marylebone is technically non-stop from Great Missenden, but crawls when passing Amersham and Rickmansworth and slows noticeably around Moor Park and Harrow-on-the-Hill. I love belting down the bank at Preston Road though... ;D
My question, then, is what impact will the introduction of 'S' stock in full service have on Met linespeeds and journey times? Assuming there is an impact, will this be passed onto Chiltern's services?
I kinda expect so, as I know the grand old ladies are restricted to 50mph and 'S' stock will be capable of 62mph *and* superior acceleration to 'A' stock, but I haven't found anywhere yet to provide a definitive answer and this seems the obvious first place to ask. I'd be very grateful, therefore, for any information you kind and knowledgeable people could share with me! Thank you.
THC
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Post by thc on Apr 19, 2010 10:20:47 GMT
Following 21146's somewhat enigmatic post on Friday evening there has been silence... does anyone have any substantive news on when the soft opening is to take place? Thanks in advance.
THC
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Post by thc on Apr 15, 2010 19:51:33 GMT
It's hardly going to lower the tone of the surrounding area... :-)
THC
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Post by thc on Apr 9, 2010 6:22:11 GMT
TYVM. ;D
THC
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HS2
Apr 5, 2010 18:37:19 GMT
Post by thc on Apr 5, 2010 18:37:19 GMT
I hear you rogere, although my issue is with the preferred route - it runs at the bottom of the road in Wendover on which I have just bought my new house! :-(
THC
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Post by thc on Mar 14, 2010 15:08:40 GMT
Those wretched olympics again. It beggars belief the amount of sacrifices and inconvenience that ordinary Londoners seem to be being made to suffer due to this expensive, two-week extravaganza that they never even asked to have foisted upon them anyway. Daily Mail reader alert. Moan moan whinge whinge. I bet you're great fun at parties! ;D This Londoner cannot wait to have the Olympics and Paralympics here (in your rant you seem to have omitted the latter). It's a great occasion to showcase one of the world's finest cities and a once-in-a-lifetime chance for us to be a part of the Games. I'll be taking time off and volunteering to help and I know several others who will be doing the same. I hope you enjoy your month at home with the curtains shut and the TV off... THC
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Post by thc on Mar 13, 2010 6:32:29 GMT
At the risk of splitting hairs, rather than being part of the Electrostar family (a la the Class 378 Capitalstars), the 'S' stock and the 2009 stock are both specially adapted from the Movia range.
THC
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Post by thc on Jan 7, 2010 9:17:11 GMT
Where is this "Dahlston" that the mop-headed I'm breaking the rules with a naughty word refers to in that clip? Is it anywhere near Dalston? It just goes to show that if Ken really was just a mayor for Zone 1, Boris is most definitely a mayor for Zone 6...
THC
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Post by thc on Oct 5, 2009 5:50:06 GMT
Do you really believe they should be on sale to the public? Why not auction them and donate the proceeds to, for example, Children in Need? That would have raised a fair few quid for charity and portrayed LUL in a really positive light. Mistakes happen; it's what you do to recover them that counts. THC
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Post by thc on Jul 19, 2009 7:34:35 GMT
How exciting! I haven't been on a 38 for about 30 years so I'm really looking forward to it! And over the JLE too - there's a sight I thought I'd never see. I've booked on the second journey. :-)
THC
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Post by thc on Jul 5, 2009 12:49:40 GMT
It certainly did your cartographic skills no harm! THC
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Post by thc on Jul 4, 2009 19:32:45 GMT
I am an adult, and fully able to take responsibility for my own actions. Which, with all due respect, seems to set you apart from the majority of the travelling public, and I speak as one of that community rather than as an LUL staff member. THC
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Post by thc on Apr 13, 2009 17:27:03 GMT
It is deliberate, because it's a pun, not the literal phrase, "thirst quencher". Anyone from within LUL care to shed light on it, or shall I? Thank you for partly clarifying (and cheers for editing your original response, which I'm sure might have been a little more *ahem* direct - that's why I apologised in advance in case of misunderstanding!) I'd be grateful for a full explanation if you don't mind as, since I'm not part of the LUL family/clique, what is now an obvious in-joke flies straight over my head. Besides, is "thc" spelled correctly? You might want to argue that an 'i' and a 'k' are missing ;D but these are my initials, so 'yes' is the answer. THC
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Post by thc on Apr 10, 2009 13:13:03 GMT
Given the thread topic, am I alone in noticing the irony inherent in the OP's wrongly-spelled username? Apologies, of course, if this is done deliberately.
THC
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