Crossrail/Elizabeth Line. From construction to operation - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Electric train]

A new and useful travel opportunity which I didn’t realise straight away is the Farringdon interchange between the EL and Thameslink, whose trains go to many destinations north and south of London.

When I was working on the Thameslink Programme (2012 to 2016) the journey opportunities became apparent to me then, EL to Thameslink Farringdon from there choices are going North Amsterdam and Paris via St Pancras,

just think Maidenhead to Paris 3 trains with only 2 changes  or staying domestic Luton airport, Peterborough, Cambridge.  Going South Gatwick, Brighton, Maidstone.

Farringdon will become one of the busiest interchanges in London with its connections to Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton airports and Stanstead via Liverpool St add in all the Thameslink destinations. 

If we look forward 10 years when the HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) Station at Old Oak Common is open Farringdon will see even more passengers heading for Gatwick, Luton and St Pancras

[paul7575]

A new and useful travel opportunity which I didn’t realise straight away is the Farringdon interchange between the EL and Thameslink, whose trains go to many destinations north and south of London.

When I was working on the Thameslink Programme (2012 to 2016) the journey opportunities became apparent to me then, EL to Thameslink Farringdon from there choices are going North Amsterdam and Paris via St Pancras,

just think Maidenhead to Paris 3 trains with only 2 changes  or staying domestic Luton airport, Peterborough, Cambridge.  Going South Gatwick, Brighton, Maidstone.

Farringdon will become one of the busiest interchanges in London with its connections to Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton airports and Stanstead via Liverpool St add in all the Thameslink destinations. 

If we look forward 10 years when the HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) Station at Old Oak Common is open Farringdon will see even more passengers heading for Gatwick, Luton and St Pancras

I can see Farringdon being overwhelmed in time, if it becomes as popular as many people expect.
About 50-60% of the Thameslink platforms’ length are pretty much substandard against latest standards in terms of width, and at the north end they’re very narrow. 

Also, there’s those definite pinch points where the arches are supporting the listed LU station building.   

But incredibly difficult to fix at the north end, without widening the whole site. Probably missed the boat on that one…

Paul

[Marlburian]

'I rode the Elizabeth Line from Shenfield to Reading and it was surprisingly brilliant'

"The journey time from London Paddington was just a bit longer than 45 minutes."  Lily Morl arrived from Liverpool Street at Paddington at 0808, so presumably caught one of the very fewer semi-fast Crossrail trains?  Her overall journey seems to have taken three hours.

[Bmblbzzz]

There are also glass screens at Liverpool Street station with digital ads keeping you somewhat entertained until the next train comes along.

Not my idea of entertainment.

[stuving]

'I rode the Elizabeth Line from Shenfield to Reading and it was surprisingly brilliant'

"The journey time from London Paddington was just a bit longer than 45 minutes."  Lily Morl arrived from Liverpool Street at Paddington at 0808, so presumably caught one of the very fewer semi-fast Crossrail trains?  Her overall journey seems to have taken three hours.

Well, up to a point ... but the "semi-slow" trains (the least-stopping ones on the relief lines) are only run by XR^▸ (Crossrail) in the peak direction. The outbound ones in the morning peak are still GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) (387) services. So the fist train after 8:10 to Reading that could be said to take "a bit longer than 45 minutes" is actually the 8:57 (arr. 9:45)! (There is an 8:22 with the same stopping pattern, but for some reason it takes 55 minutes.) Still, that's in line with the general accuracy level of the article.

[TonyK]

There are also glass screens at Liverpool Street station with digital ads keeping you somewhat entertained until the next train comes along.

Not my idea of entertainment.

Mine neither. Call me old-fashioned, but I much prefer the sort of glass screen that shows SpongeBob SquarePants

[Electric train]

A new and useful travel opportunity which I didn’t realise straight away is the Farringdon interchange between the EL and Thameslink, whose trains go to many destinations north and south of London.

When I was working on the Thameslink Programme (2012 to 2016) the journey opportunities became apparent to me then, EL to Thameslink Farringdon from there choices are going North Amsterdam and Paris via St Pancras,

just think Maidenhead to Paris 3 trains with only 2 changes  or staying domestic Luton airport, Peterborough, Cambridge.  Going South Gatwick, Brighton, Maidstone.

Farringdon will become one of the busiest interchanges in London with its connections to Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton airports and Stanstead via Liverpool St add in all the Thameslink destinations. 

If we look forward 10 years when the HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) Station at Old Oak Common is open Farringdon will see even more passengers heading for Gatwick, Luton and St Pancras

I can see Farringdon being overwhelmed in time, if it becomes as popular as many people expect.
About 50-60% of the Thameslink platforms’ length are pretty much substandard against latest standards in terms of width, and at the north end they’re very narrow. 

Also, there’s those definite pinch points where the arches are supporting the listed LU station building.   

But incredibly difficult to fix at the north end, without widening the whole site. Probably missed the boat on that one…

Paul

The widening of the Thameslink platforms at Farringdon was discussed with the City of London, they were polite but very adamant in their response declining the idea

[Thatcham Crossing]

Took my first ride yesterday evening, Canary Wharf to Paddington, which took about 18 mins.

Quiet, smooth, fast, a bit of a non-event really - but I guess that's how it should be.

What came across also was the size of the stations, they are like enormous underground caverns.

[Electric train]

Took my first ride yesterday evening, Canary Wharf to Paddington, which took about 18 mins.

Quiet, smooth, fast, a bit of a non-event really - but I guess that's how it should be.

That was how it was designed and built ........... it is a utility

What came across also was the size of the stations, they are like enormous underground caverns.

That was the design intent and they are enormous underground caverns

[broadgage]

The generously sized stations are indeed impressive, and should be future proof if passenger numbers continue to rise. Observe by contrast the overcrowded and congested conditions in older parts of the underground, that were presumably once adequate.

The only drawback of such large open areas is that they are vulnerable to bombs and shells, thinking here of air raids/artillery attacks, rather than small bombs carried by terrorists.
The deep tube stations were very valuable indeed during the last war and saved many lives. Current thinking is no doubt that there wont be another war. The people in Ukraine probably thought that.

[grahame]

The generously sized stations are indeed impressive, and should be future proof if passenger numbers continue to rise. Observe by contrast the overcrowded and congested conditions in older parts of the underground, that were presumably once adequate.

I know it's only been a few days, but are the Central line, Bakerloo line and Circle and Hammersmith and City from Lancaster Gate and Paddington heading east still "overcrowded and congested"or has the Elizabeth Line abstracted excess passengers as it was supposed to do?

[Electric train]

The only drawback of such large open areas is that they are vulnerable to bombs and shells, thinking here of air raids/artillery attacks, rather than small bombs carried by terrorists.
The deep tube stations were very valuable indeed during the last war and saved many lives. Current thinking is no doubt that there wont be another war. The people in Ukraine probably thought that.

Very few structures are impervious to modern military ordinance.

As for terrorist IED the stations, along with other modern build / rebuild stations have measures built in to limit the effects from an IED blast.  The weird knowledge an electrical engineer picked up in the past when leading a multi discipline team involved in building stations ............... enough to make my head hurt

[TaplowGreen]

The generously sized stations are indeed impressive, and should be future proof if passenger numbers continue to rise. Observe by contrast the overcrowded and congested conditions in older parts of the underground, that were presumably once adequate.

I know it's only been a few days, but are the Central line, Bakerloo line and Circle and Hammersmith and City from Lancaster Gate and Paddington heading east still "overcrowded and congested"or has the Elizabeth Line abstracted excess passengers as it was supposed to do?

I use the Central Line two or three times a week and it's much quieter than I remember it.....suspect that's more due to people adopting new working practices than Crossrail though, but I guess in time more will transfer that way, especially when Bond Street opens.

[broadgage]

Very few structures are impervious to modern military ordinance.

As for terrorist IED the stations, along with other modern build / rebuild stations have measures built in to limit the effects from an IED blast.  The weird knowledge an electrical engineer picked up in the past when leading a multi discipline team involved in building stations ............... enough to make my head hurt

The subsurface metro stations in Ukraine have given a useful degree of protection to the many sheltering therein.

[IndustryInsider]

The deep tube stations were very valuable indeed during the last war and saved many lives. Current thinking is no doubt that there wont be another war. The people in Ukraine probably thought that.

Given all the deep tube stations are still open, aren't all those 'facilities' still available in the event of war?