Christmas/New Year 2016 Engineering Work

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

Those of us who were hoping to do diversions into Waterloo and Marylebone this Christmas, whilst Paddington is closed, will be disappointed to learn that trains are running as far as Ealing Broadway, which is good for the travelling public of course.

[IndustryInsider]

That'll put quite a lot of pressure on the Central/District lines and Ealing's national rail platforms!

Mind you usual numbers should be reduced a little as the Oxford to Marylebone service will be up and running, so that will probably be the quickest option for passengers from Oxford, the Cotswolds, and Didcot Parkway into central London.

[ellendune]

What are they doing between Paddington and Ealing this Christmas?

[SandTEngineer]

Its a major data change on the signalling system and some works at Old Oak Common to link up the new Crossrail Depot to the network (although the first stage of the depot itself won't be operational until May 2017).  Some new crossovers going in at Ladbroke Grove and at Ranleigh Bridge (Paddington).  It also includes the lengthening of Platform No.12 at Paddington, recovery of its existing connection to Platform No.11 and abolition of Platform No.13 (as a platform number).  Also includes operational length extension of Paddington Platforms Nos.2 to 5 by moving the starting signals out a bit.  New replacement banner repeater signals going in on Platform No.1 due to clearances required due to it being newly equiped with OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE").

[paul7575]

When suggestions of Waterloo diversions first came up a while back, there was no mention of it at all in the engineering access statements (EAS).   IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly) without looking it up again there was already enough engineering work going on in the Waterloo approaches to make it highly unlikely.

Paul

[paul7575]

Its a major data change on the signalling system and some works at Old Oak Common to link up the new Crossrail Depot to the network (although the first stage of the depot itself won't be operational until May 2017).  Some new crossovers going in at Ladbroke Grove and at Paddington.  It also includes the lengthening of Platform No.13 at Paddington due to the abolition of the existing Platform No.12 and its existing connection to Platform No.11.  Also includes operational length extension of Paddington Platforms No.1 to 5 by moving the starting signals out a bit.

Call me superstitious if you like, but wasn't the idea to use the P12 number and not P13?   A minor detail that wouldn't affect the physical work at all...

Paul

[SandTEngineer]

Its a major data change on the signalling system and some works at Old Oak Common to link up the new Crossrail Depot to the network (although the first stage of the depot itself won't be operational until May 2017).  Some new crossovers going in at Ladbroke Grove and at Paddington.  It also includes the lengthening of Platform No.13 at Paddington due to the abolition of the existing Platform No.12 and its existing connection to Platform No.11.  Also includes operational length extension of Paddington Platforms No.1 to 5 by moving the starting signals out a bit.

Call me superstitious if you like, but wasn't the idea to use the P12 number and not P13?   A minor detail that wouldn't affect the physical work at all...
Paul

Your'e right Paul.  My misreading of the signalling plan.  I have corrected my post above.

[oxviem]

I've been trying to find out the details of the Christmas period service but can't find it - is this something that is currently public?

Many thanks!

[IndustryInsider]

Timings (provisional) are available on the realtimetrains website.  I expect full 'passenger friendly' details will appear soon.

[Timmer]

Timings (provisional) are available on the realtimetrains website.  I expect full 'passenger friendly' details will appear soon.

Yep, that was my source for learning that services will be running to Ealing Broadway over the Christmas holiday rather than diverting to Marylebone/Waterloo.

Details will appear here: gwr.com/Christmas2016

[ChrisB]

Don't think it stretches to New Year though, does it? Isn't it 24th - 29th December?

[Timmer]

Don't think it stretches to New Year though, does it? Isn't it 24th - 29th December?

Probably right there Chris. When I posted this thread, RealTime Trains only went up to the 28th of December, so wasn't able to see what was planned beyond this. So I decided to call the thread Christmas/New Year to cover the period when work might be taking place.

It is a little disappointing that information like this isn't in the public domain sooner and you learn of what's happening from a site produced by someone outside the rail industry.

[ChrisB]

Indeed, the bare-bones of the info ought to be published by now, with the timetable coming later.

[bobm]

It is a little disappointing that information like this isn't in the public domain sooner and you learn of what's happening from a site produced by someone outside the rail industry.

True - although as you and I noted last year (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=16271.msg183833#msg183833) the initial information on RealTimeTrains isn't always what comes to pass on the day.

[Timmer]

It is a little disappointing that information like this isn't in the public domain sooner and you learn of what's happening from a site produced by someone outside the rail industry.

True - although as you and I noted last year (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=16271.msg183833#msg183833) the initial information on RealTimeTrains isn't always what comes to pass on the day.

This is true.