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

[whole diary]

[Electric train]

With my current commute to the TLP project HQ^▸ (Headquarters) I wish Crossrail was in place now; Maidenhead to Farringdon change to Thanes link to Blackfriars via exit the South Bank exit 5 min walk.

The connectivity both Crossrail and TLP will give at the end of this decade is vast ............ Maidenhead Crossrail (just for example) to Bedford, Gatwick, Brighton, Cambridge, Peterborough, Sevenoaks all with just one change at Farringdon.

[Surrey 455]

* Staines, from West Drayton very interesting could link with proposals for T5 Staines link but probaly easier via T5 if link built.

West Drayton to Staines branch currently only has track as far as Colnbrook I believe. Much of the section along Staines Moor (I think) without track is now overgrown and parts can be walked along. I did just that a few years back. The aborted Airtrack proposals suggested a link from Staines to T5 along the old route although I seem to remember that it would not have followed that route that faithfully.

[IndustryInsider]

Ealing Council^s Planning Committee have approved the improvement plans for the station which will get under way next year and last about 18 months.  Great news for this very busy station which outgrew itself years ago.

http://www.crossrail.co.uk/news/articles/green-light-for-crossrail-improvements-at-ealing-broadway-station

[tom m]

The old line terminates at Colnbrook here, you can see the rest of it continue (somewhat overgrown) the other side of the road:

www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.479147,-0.509111,3a,75y,5.07h,77.55t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1suxaPt2mnViMmpBtc8-sSzw!2e0?hl=en

I believe it was used for quite a lot of the T5 construction traffic.

[stuving]

The old railway alignment across Staines Moor is partly lost under the M25, so Airtrack would have largely been new - with a flat junction on the Windsor branch and the old bridge reconstructed for a bridleway. Local response was not favourable, based on environmental and amenity arguments.

The London & SE RUS^▸ (Route Utilisation Strategy) recommended this new line to Staines being done on its own as Option J1J3, for possible delivery in CP5^▸ (Control Period 5 - the five year period between 2014 and 2019) (really?). They give the following arguments (option J1 is Airtrack):

Heathrow Airport Western connection
(South): Recommended for detailed
consideration, as an incremental step
towards Option J1.
Would enable up to 4tph
Crossrail semi-fast services to
be extended to Staines over a
new line.

Which is odd, as the real benefit is to give better links into Heathrow from most of the SWT^▸ (South West Trains) service area, so it's worth doing on its own. At the time of the Airtrack TWAO^▸ (Transport and Works Act Order ), I wondered why they didn't split it into one for the T5-Staines line on that basis, leaving all the arguments about the wider service pattern and the Staines Chord to a separate TAWO.

[Electric train]

The old railway alignment across Staines Moor is partly lost under the M25, so Airtrack would have largely been new - with a flat junction on the Windsor branch and the old bridge reconstructed for a bridleway. Local response was not favourable, based on environmental and amenity arguments.

The London & SE RUS^▸ (Route Utilisation Strategy) recommended this new line to Staines being done on its own as Option J1, for possible delivery in CP5^▸ (Control Period 5 - the five year period between 2014 and 2019) (really?). They give the following arguments (option J1 is Airtrack):

Heathrow Airport Western connection
(South): Recommended for detailed
consideration, as an incremental step
towards Option J1.
Would enable up to 4tph
Crossrail semi-fast services to
be extended to Staines over a
new line.

Which is odd, as the real benefit is to give better links into Heathrow from most of the SWT^▸ (South West Trains) service area, so it's worth doing on its own. At the time of the Airtrack TWAO^▸ (Transport and Works Act Order ), I wondered why they didn't split it into one for the T5-Staines line on that basis, leaving all the arguments about the wider service pattern and the Staines Chord to a separate TAWO.

Nice as a concept to extend Crossrail to Staines the only draw back is the Crossrail stock is not be built dual voltage it is 25kV OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") only; the third rail option for the stock was kicked well into touch when it was decided to rebuild Connaught Tunnels.

The big draw back to Airtrack was the amount of time the level crossings at Houndslow etc would be closed to road traffic

[John R]

Mention of WRAtH^▸ (Western Rail Access to Heathrow) on another thread got me thinking, how many Crossrail trains could end up being built?

The initial order is for 65 x 9 car sets, ie 585 vehicles, with an option for a further 18 sets.

1. I believe an extra 2 will be required for the Reading extension.  Then it's not inconceivable that the HEx will be replaced by Crossrail, and linked to WRAtH. That would need another 8 units in service, as the journey time from PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) to Reading via Heathrow would be around 50 mins.  So western extensions could mean another 11 sets in total given 90% availability.

2. The interesting one is the north west extension to Watford and Tring. Assuming 3 tph to each might require another 10 units in service, so another 11 required.

3. There's also the possibility of increasing the central frequency from 24 to 30 tph. If these extra workings were short (ie central section only), then maybe another 5 units would be sufficient.

That would give 92 sets, which could also end up being lengthened to 11 cars, ie 1012 cars in total, a big increase on the original order.

The 18 already optioned may will be with the possibility of 1 and 3 in mind, although I suspect that 2 was too much of a long shot during contract negotiations to be considered.  But it seems very possible that Derby will end up with quite a long run of Crossrail stock beyond the initial contract award.

[ChrisB]

Another question to ask is whether the (current/proposed currently) deot space could cope with your suggestion:"(s)?

[SandTEngineer]

The new OOC^▸ (Old Oak Common (depot)) depot will only have capacity for 10 car trains with no room for extension.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Telegraph:

Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Great Western Railway foundations uncovered at Paddington

Foundations exposed near London Paddington station by Crossrail workers include a 200m engine shed and 45ft turntable.


Archaeologist Gary Evans working in an inspection pit used by the Great Western Railway Photo: Philip Toscano/PA^▸ (Public Address)

Victorian railway foundations laid by Isambard Kingdom Brunel have been uncovered for the first time in a century by engineers working on the Crossrail project.

Remains of train turntables, a workshop and a 200m long engine shed dating from the 1850s were uncovered near London^s Paddington Station.

The buildings were used for Brunel^s Great Western Railway, a broad-gauge railway which carried its first steam trains in 1838, but were levelled in 1906 to make way for a storage yard.

Starting in 2018 the area to the east of Westbourne Park underground station, known as Paddington New Yard, will host Crossrail tracks and sidings as well as a replacement facility for 150 buses and a cement factory.


A oil and gas cover used by the Great Western Railway in the 1850s (PA)

The historic engine shed foundations reveal evidence of the shift in use from 7ft wide broad-gauge train tracks, used by the Great Western Railway, to standard gauge tracks which were prescribed by Parliament in 1846 ^ a change initially opposed by Brunel.

The engine shed, measuring 202m long with four tracks and inspection pits, was built at Westbourne Park ahead of the opening of Brunel^s new Paddington station in 1854.

The 45ft turntable, dating from 1881-82, was built at the Great Western Railways works at Swindon before being installed at the western entrance to the engine shed.

A wrought iron turning circle within the brick foundations allowed both broad and standard gauge engines to be turned, allowing them access to the shed.


Archaeologist Gary Evans checks rail tracks used by the Great Western Railway (PA)

Crossrail workers are using laser scans to create 3D computerised models of the buildings to preserve the historical evidence of Brunel^s work and of the early development of railways in Britain.

Jay Carver, Crossrail^s Lead Archaeologist said: ^Isambard Kingdom Brunel^s Great Western Railway is the most complete early mainline railway in the world. Whenever we expose parts of the original infrastructure it is vital to record these for posterity and the history of rail in this country. Using the latest 3D scan technology provides a permanent and accurate model Brunel^s distinctive architectural legacy.^

[Jason]

There is a short video on BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) News here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-29317233

[JayMac]

From the Railway Gazette:

Knorr-Bremse to supply Crossrail platform screen doors

UK^▸ (United Kingdom): Crossrail Ltd announced on September 23 that it had selected Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems (UK) Ltd as preferred bidder for contract C631, covering the supply of platform screen doors for seven underground stations. Contract value ^is in the region of ^28m^, says Crossrail.

Knorr-Bremse is to supply full-height platform screen doors with a total length of 4 km, to be installed at the Crossrail stations at Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf and Woolwich. Design and development, as well as manufacture of the operating system, is to take place at the Knorr-Bremse plant in Melksham. Assembly and testing is to be carried out at the former Railcare works in Wolverton.

^Crossrail has now awarded the last of the major railway systems contracts^, said Crossrail Programme Director Simon Wright. ^As major construction concludes, work will get underway to fit out the new tunnels and stations^, including ^over 40 km of track, power equipment as well as signalling, ventilation and drainage^.

Faiveley Transport and Singapore Technologies Electronics were also shortlisted for contract C631.

[NickB]

Thats ^7000 per metre.   

[TonyK]

Thats ^7000 per metre.   

Yes, but despite the Knorr handle, they are not a stock item.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Cough ... I rather think we've used that particular one-liner before: http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=8946.msg118729#msg118729