"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 27 May 2013 09:34:38 +0200, Robin9
wrote:


I was at Hackney Downs Station yesterday when a Stansted Express train
crawled through at little more than walking pace. The alignment of this
route through inner East London precludes fast running. Why, I wondered,
don't
they route the train via Stratford?

The route between Liverpool Street and Stratford allows rapid movement
and once Stratford is passed, the route between Stratford and Tottenham
Hale
is also far better aligned than the line via Hackney.

Presumably there must be a good reason for continuing with the tortuous
Hackney route but does anyone know what it is? Shortage of capacity
between Liverpool Street and Stratford? Too much time lost negotiating the
Stratford curve? Any ideas?

This is guesswork on my part but one track at P11 or P12 at Stratford
is occupied for nearly 20 minutes out of each 30 minutes per hour by a
terminating train. Sending 4 Stansted Expresses per hour via Stratford
would rule out there being a stopping service as I don't believe
they'd stop the Expresses there. When Network Rail divert trains via
Stratford due to works on the Hackney route there are no stopping
services to Stratford and the diverted trains run through without
stopping.

Other factors would be that the route via Lea Bridge is incredibly
slow IME of many journeys on that link. I suspect the fast tracks
south of Hackney Downs are faster. Actually getting a path on to the
main line south of T Hale, when coming from Stratford, is also
painful. Trains always have to wait. Now that could change if the
balance of trains per route changed but it is hardly "express" as
things stand today.

I think you are right to conclude that there is a lack of capacity
from Stratford to Liverpool Street in the peaks. Further there are
many freight movements from the GE to the NLL at Stratford which would
conflict directly with a re-routed Stansted Express service.

I believe Network Rail have been doing track replacement at Hackney
Downs which might explain the crawl you say.

--
Paul C

Why does the train have to go to Liverpool ST? Why not run Stansted
Express to Stratford? After all, it (Straford) has a wide range of
connection options and is equally accessible to both Canary Wharf and the
City and even the West End.