David Cantrell wrote:
On Wed, Feb 13, 2013 at 06:34:42PM +0000, Neil Williams wrote:
Paul Corfield wrote:
I think the question on the WLL is to what length platforms will be
extended to. It would make sense to go to 8 car lengths to allow for
longer Southern trains.
12, IMO. It'll only get busier, even more so if the SN service goes to
2tph.

On which subject, I see that Southern are extending the platforms at
places like Balham, Thornton Heath etc to allow for 10 carriage trains.

This would make a lot of sense, except that all those platforms (except
Battersea Park as previously noted) are already long enough for 8
carriages, and yet even at the busiest times of day they still run
plenty of 4 carriage trains. Longer platforms are no damned good unless
you've also got the carriages to put next to them, and the space in
sidings to service and store them overnight, and Southern are obviously
missing at least one of these.

Did I miss some announcement about Southern buying loads of carriages?

They are ordering lots of new trains, but many are on behalf of DfT and
won't be used on Southern.