From a North Downs perspective, from reading this and thinking a bit, I ask ...
1. Does the current turn back on a through platform effect capacity of through (Reading to Redhill and Guildford) trains - will the extra platform help make the service more robust in due course when 3 trains per hour are running through?
2. Noting the article talking about a current limit of 4 car trains. Does that men that 3+2 trains cannot run through, or does the comment purely relate to electric trains, where (perhaps) there may not be any 5 car sets around?
This has been talked about for ages, but it does appear to be moving now - this consultation has just closed, but
its web page is still here (entitled "Connecting Reigate to Thameslink", in case you thought it was for anything else).
P2 is visibly not a lot shorter than P1, but its usable length is only 85 m against 171 m. Why, I'm not sure - it is rather narrow at the level crossing end, so maybe that's not considered usable. 85 is of course less than 5x23. Once extended, it could be very long indeed - well over 200 m of they want, and even if they don't edge it all passengers from the road will still have to walk its length.
Obviously there's no current requirement for it to be longer than 3x23 or 4x20 unless it can stretch to 8x20 - which it can't without removing the sidings access. That page does say:
Lack of capacity
Platform 2 is used by both Southern Brighton Main Line services turning back at Reigate and Great Western Railway services travelling from Redhill to Reading on the North Downs Line. The arrangement means we can’t run more trains to meet demand and reliability is affected by knock-on delay between services.
While no doubt
GWR▸ running 3 tph will be easier to timetable after this upgrade,
NR» have never used it as an
excuseexplanation for refusing to accept 3 tph.
