On 31/12/2012 20:03, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Mon, 31 Dec 2012 18:26:01 +0000, "
wrote:
On 31/12/2012 14:17, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Mon, 31 Dec 2012 11:05:38 +0000 (UTC), d
wrote:
In this months Modern Railways it says the Met is going to get Citiflo 650
moving block signalling in the next few years which does away with lineside
signals. Which raises a couple of questions - why didn't they just use the
same system as on the jubilee line given that the 2 lines run side by side
for a long distance, and what will happen on the uxbridge branch which is
shared with the piccadilly? Will the latter be terminated at Rayners Lane?
The signalling contract was put out to competitive tender. I assume
Thales bid with the same system as the JNP lines but did not win. We
therefore have the Cityflo system. I think one of the reasons
Bombardier won with Cityflo was the promise of minimal closures to
install the system. I think Cityflo is installed in Madrid which was
one of the places LU visited to see resignalling was done without lots
of closures.
The last I heard the 73 stock was to fitted with the necessary kit to
allow the trains to "talk" to the Cityflo system. This is essential
not just for the Uxbridge service but to be able to get through Acton
Town which is all sub surface signalling over the shared tracks. I am
not sure whether the Picc Line tracks from Acton to just east of
Barons Ct are to be equipped with Cityflo or will remain with
conventional signalling. Of course fiddling about with the 73 stock is
not without its risks if you need to touch any wires or cables.
Will that really be necessary for 73ts in revenue service, considering
that LT plans to have the EVO running in revenue service by that time?
You'll be very lucky to have any EVO trains in service before 2022 if
that. We haven't even got the prototype yet nor is the scope of any
line upgrade anywhere near being defined. There was a recent board
paper asking for more feasibility monies and it is evident from GLA
webcasts that I have watched that there was very considerable debate
inside TfL about whether the money was worth spending. The IIPAG team
apparently were very critical of the approach being taken and this
prompted more discussion at the Rail and Underground Panel and then
the TfL Board. I think there is a load of work to do to specify
exactly what the scope of each upgrade will be and turning that into
specs and procurement strategies / tendering documentation takes even
longer. The Bakerloo Line upgrade is, I suspect, creating a load of
challenges.
It is also worth bearing in mind that TfL has no approved funding *for
anything* beyond 2015 and there will be a lot of lobbying and debate
necessary to prise the money for more line upgrades out of Mr
Osborne's hands. I will be amazed if the current Mayor is in any sort
of position to place a bulk order for new tube rolling stock before
the next Mayoral election in 2016.
It is really not at all tenable to leave the Picc Line trains
untouched and unable to interface with the Cityflo signalling. Acton
Town is absolutely key to how the Picc runs and it is a sub surface
signalled area according to the asset delineation plans. Ditto it
would be unacceptable to curtail the Picc at South Harrow (limit of
the old signalling) and break the connection to the Met. Services
interwork and passengers use the services so they have to be
maintained.
I have noticed, looking in the past at the driver's console on a 73ts
that there is something that looks like what I would describe as cab
signals. Perhaps that can be either ripped out and replaced with
something new or the existing equipment modified to interface with Cityflo?
Does anybody have any photos of a Cityflo display, BTW?
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