On 27 Oct, 11:40, wrote:
On Friday, October 26, 2012 6:29:11 PM UTC+1, D7666 wrote:
On the subject of 25 kV Met, Marylebone etc etc, I am still of the

view that a better Thameslink upgrade would not have been to link the

ex Midland lines to GN as KX/SP but to have linked the Midland to the

Met/GC at West Hampstead, with trains being able to both switch

between both routes. This could have been done using the sites to the

south of the present West Hampstead stations, and incorporated the NLL

station at a higher level.

This could have allowed the ML to retain its Moorgate link (but some

trains switching to the MET), allowed relief of Baker Street junction

(by having some MET trains switch to TL), and give and electrified

Chilterns route access to TL (solving the longer/more trains at

Marylebone issue).

It would also give a better spread of trains through the TL core - one

of the issues is GN realistically can't take more than 8 TPH off TL

but 24 TPH means 16 TPH have to head for the Midland which is not so

sensible. If those were (say) inner suburbans from (one time)

Wimbledon loop or other southern metro line those logically go to

Watford Met or Uxbridge, while some of the faster TL core trains can

go to [say] Aylesbury as well as Bedford.

Before some nitwit comments, it assumed that all surface lines and

Chilterns works will be to 12cars or 8car SDO where uneconomic - don't

say it is *impossible - uk.railways said 4car NLL and 12car TL was

impossible but now are reality.

If this had been done with the TL works, you'd now have a 25 kV wired

Chilterns, and linking with other matters taking AC that way towards

Banbury (for Birmingham) would result in considerable synergy and

economy of scale with the current electric Spine project.

GN capacity in my view should be dealt with by new construction from

around Finsbury Park - thats where *Crossrail 2 should *go on the

north side.

--

Nick

Spot on.

Agreed, way to go! Although rather than taking Crossrail 2 to
Finsbury Park, I would prefer to see the Northern City extended
southwards.