On Tue, Feb 19, 2013 at 07:22:13PM +0000, Neil Williams wrote:
David Cantrell wrote:
Because the platforms are being lengthened for *10* carriage trains,
which isn't a multiple of 4. And they're being lengthened to fit 10
carriage trains because they can't squeeze any more in without *very*
expensive work with things like acquiring land, moving roads and bridges,
and demolishing houses.
SDO?

It appears that train companies are allergic to SDO, for no good reason.

Incidentally, I'm not even convinced that they need to lengthen the
platforms at Thornton Heath. There is a long section of unused platform
under the main station building and Brigstock Road that hasn't been used
for decades. It's dark, dingy, covered in umpty years of debris, but I
can't help but feel that restoring that to use would be cheaper. I also
don't see the point of installing shelters on platform four (only ever
used for five or six days a year, and would question whether it's worth
putting in a lift there - it's used so seldom that they would save money
by just putting old crumblies and their ilk in taxis on those handful of
days). Those shelters and the lift only become good value for money if
they're going to have a lot more trains stopping at the station, and so
use all four platforms regularly.

But the best money-wasting of all on this project is that a few weeks
before it started, there was a large gang of construction chappies
installing metal fencing down the middle of the island platform, between
the faces numbered 2 and 3, presumably to stop the inconsiderate from
leaping in front of trains running past platform 3 - not that I ever
recall anyone actually *doing* that at Thornton Heath. So anyway, they
installed this fencing, went away, then the next construction crew
arrived to extend the platforms, install a lift and a new footbridge -
and the first thing they did was rip out the fencing because it was in
the way. Brilliant!

--
David Cantrell | Cake Smuggler Extraordinaire

People from my sort of background needed grammar schools to
compete with children from privileged homes like ... Tony Benn
-- Margaret Thatcher