On Mon, 15 Aug 2011 22:22:34 +0100, Peter Masson
wrote:



"cj" wrote

Do 2 Chiltern trains an hour really necessitate the suspension of the
Greenford trains (AFAIK they weren't even running up that branch, but
turning off at Acton?) Could FGW not have run a Hayes/Hanwell-
Greenford service (as they have done before e.g. Ladbroke Grove/lorry-
v-train incident at West Ealing)?

Much of Old Oak Common West Junction to Northolt Junction is single
track, and the permitted speed is pretty low (40 mph?). So it's almost
certainly necessary for a proportion of the Chiltern trains to be routed
via Drayton Green. They will also take up Relief Line paths between West
Ealing and Paddington, and occupy platforms at Paddington. It does
however seem that Network Rail and fGW have given up too easily, and it
should certainly be easier to find out what's going on.

The walk from West Ealing to Drayton Green isn't actually all that far.

Peter

On Sunday, all trains were using the direct line and the Greenford branch
was out of use, with stop boards at the junctions around Greenford. As the
Paddington - West Ruislip time is only 21-22 minutes, trains were either
passing on the double track section between Park Royal and Greenford West
Junction (which runs for just over 2 1/2 miles in the middle of the
otherwise single track 7 mile long section) or between Paddington and Old
Oak Common West Junction. Services were running to at 20/40 minute
interval out of Paddington and a 24/36 minute interval into Paddington. A
similar pattern seems possible with the weekday 30 minute frequency and it
does look like FGW/Network Rail just can't be bothered to either run into
Acton Yard or to run round the west curve to Hanwell (or Hayes) to reverse.

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