On Wed, 4 Jan 2017 15:04:08 +0000, Basil Jet
wrote:


Apparently the Euston to Watford line has had 4-car trains ordered. At
the moment, UIVMM, it has 5-car trains. Is it going to switch from 3tph
to 4tph at the exact same time as the new stock starts? Even so, 15 cars
per hour to 16 cars per hour is a very modest increase, especially when
the increased frequency will increase usage (mostly at the expense of
the Bakerloo). I wonder why they didn't order more of the current trains
and run 5 cars at 4tph?

When the line was re-signalled from the 1930s LMS system back in the
1980s the train capacity was greatly reduced (in the 1960s there were
up to 30tph timetabled between Harrow and Willesden Junction for about
30min of the morning peak). If the number of trains was to increase
much more then some additional signals will have to be installed to
enable shorter intervals; meanwhile the reduction from 5-coach 378s to
their 4-coach replacements seems something of a retrograde step.