Great Western Coffee Shop

This station has now opened. It's served by LO and SN.

However, why is it still impossible to buy tickets on Southern's website. I have also tried a "Trainline" system (FGW) and other "Mixing Decks". (LM) The only website to acknowledge IMP's existence is Tfl's, who have put it in their journey planner and fare sections.

As well as this, neither website, nor the BBC News website make any mention of the opening. (Apparently, the first train scheduled to call was cancelled!)

To top it all off, the Tfl website does not have a West London line timetable to download! Southern does... shame that Imperial Wharf is omitted!

This is disgraceful. Do they want people to use the station? >:(

I agree that point to point tickets should be available, but this oversight is not going to prevent people from using the station. You've got Oyster and Travelcard holders able to use it. Maybe opening a few days early caught out the RSP bods who feed all the fares data to the retailers.

Um....yes it does.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/overground-timetable-richmond-clapham-to-stratford-sept09.pdf

From the Hammersmith and Fulham News (http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/Directory/News/Chuffed_by_new_train_station.asp):


C. ;)

They've combined two routes into one timetable, so I didn't think it would be in that one! ;D :-X ::)

Chris - I've seen plenty of articles saying "it's going to open..." etc but none reporting the opening.

Most of that will take place on the official opening on Wednesday I expect. What a turnaround this route has had over the last few years - let's see if Inspector Blakey and Willc's reporter friends manage get any negative spin out of this one...  ;)

As noted above, the station was in use from Sunday morning, however the formal opening should be today - because they have already put up a shiny plaque which is engraved with 'opened 29th September'.

Some pics here, the plaque is the last one...   ???

http://londonreconnections.blogspot.com/2009/09/in-pictures-imperial-wharf-opens.html (http://londonreconnections.blogspot.com/2009/09/in-pictures-imperial-wharf-opens.html)

Edited:

http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=23822 (http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=23822)

It was formally opened today...

Paul

Shouldn't really have caught anyone by surprise, it has been showing in journey planners as opening on 27th for at least a month that I'm aware of...

Paul

From the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8280958.stm):

 ;D

Also showing on Southern's ticket website!

I took advantage of a day with not much on yesterday and the unseasonably warm weather to take a look at Imperial Wharf and that part of the London Overground network. What a transformation from what I remember from years ago.

I witnessed the 10:05, 10:35 and 11:05 departures from Clapham - all were 3-car 313's and were so full that there were several standing passengers in each carriage. A 20-minute interval service and the new 4-car 378's can't come quick enough. Imperial Wharf looked great amongst huge numbers of completed or partially completed apartment complexes. The station was quiet with only a dozen or so joining our train, but will only get busier. Shepherds Bush was busy with people going to/from the massive Westland shopping complex. Even West Brompton (at just over 10 years old this is the oldest of the three new stations) was quite busy. Bear in mind it was late morning and half-term, so that may have swelled the usual numbers, but I was very impressed!

I boarded a Southern operated Milton Keynes train at West Brompton which follows only 4 minutes behind a LO service. I thought that might mean plenty of seats, but the 4-car unit was again pretty full - seats were available, but not that many. I stayed on to Milton Keynes as the train got steadily quieter, but still good loadings bearing in mind the time of day.

Milton Keynes looks quite different from my last visit. A new through platform (6) on the Down Main means that platform 5 is now used for trains that are stopping (along with platform 6 if nothing is running close behind). The old bay platform on the up relief side of the station is now also a through platform, and a new bay platform has been built. Overall a much more flexible layout!

I then went from Milton Keynes to Harrow & Wealdstone, walked to Harrow-On-The-Hill and nipped to Aylesbury Vale Parkway to see it for the first time. Looking brand new (well, it is...) and with a lovely small station building and large car park it is ready to serve the new Berryfields and Weedon Hill housing estates. Sadly, there was no sign of any new housing going up - has this been a victim of the recession? Because of that the three trains going there that I witnessed (the one I caught, and two which left Aylesbury whilst I was waiting a Princes Risborough train), only had about a dozen or so passengers on board. This was just before the main peak arrivals of the evening, but it will need these housing developments to fully work as a station I think.

Thanks for that II! I've been to Shepherd's bush and through Milton Keynes, but not the other new stations you went to. Good to see healthy loadings. I think that Imp Wharf and A Vale P'way are "future proofed" stations. i.e. they've been built before the demand is there. Although I assume AVP has healthy rush hour loadings.

Sorry to bring up announcers, but I've heard rumours that Phil Sayer does announcements at Aylesbury Vale P'way. Is this true?

What ticket did you get to do that route?

I wasn't a fan of the 378s, they are completely inadequate at the moment with 3 carriages and there are far too few seats. Dont get me started on the annoying London Overground woman announcing!

The decision to have Tube style seating is interesting.

Who is the announcer? Is it Celia or Julie?

Honestly not sure, but the frequency of announcements was ridiculous. Tube seating is annoying, I had a perch seat by the door, can't say I was comfortable, far happier on the baking hot Victoria line!

I've just gone on YouTube to listen, I think it is a new woman. She sounds similar to the one who does the SN/SE electrostars, but with more expression/accent.

Anyone know about Phil Sayer at Aylesbury?

I think the two usual suspects now do all Chiltern stations (except Marylebone). The announcements at Clapham missed out Imperial Wharf which was a bit confusing - probably due to the fact they never recorded the station name in their scripts.

As for tickets, I'm a safeguarded ex-BR employee so I get my 16 free boxes a year, each of which is valid two days for unlimited travel. A perk I don't always manage to use to the full over a year, but it's well worth having for days like yesterday.