On 25 May, 12:14, "Dr. Sunil" wrote:
Would it be possible for LO to run services right round to Shepherd's
Bush via Crystal Palace? ITSM there are through platforms at Clapham
Junction already used by Southern services towards Watford and beyond.

Then again, perhaps more pertinent, would it be desirable as well as
possible?!

I don't think it would be desirable.

The victoria - brighton route is a mainline, ideally it needs 4
tracks. The kent - victoria route is also a mainline, and ideally
needs 4 tracks.

In london, these two 4 track routes each split into two 2 track
routes. Kent-victoria goes via peckham rye and alternatively via herne
hill. Brighton - Victoria goes via Streatham Common and alternatively
via Crystal Palace.

If you have LO running beyond Crystal Palace, it partly blocks one of
those two routes, which will cause major traffic issues.

The only point to the LO route to Crystal Palace is that there's a
Crystal Palace - Beckenham Route that doesn't have a station where it
intersects the main LO route - Crystal Palace is the nearest station
and there's a line ready to use already running in to it.

You could abandon the LO route to Crystal Palace entirely if they
rejigged the Crystal Palace - Beckenham Route to cross the main LO
route adjacent to a station.

The Crystal Palace - Beckenham Route is one of those low use things.
It doesn't go further than Beckenham (as far as current train usage is
concerned), and Croydon Tramlink keeps being proposed to take it over
as an extension. If tramlink does that, they could probably adjust the
route slightly to stop at a station on the main LO route, meaning that
LO could abandon Crystal Palace entirely.