Tom Anderson wrote in message ...
On Wed, 21 Jul 2004, David Jackman wrote:

"Jonn Elledge" wrote in
:

"David Jackman" wrote in message
52.50...

This leaves the Maryland problem (note that Maryland does not appear
on any of the Crossrail maps ...)

Or are they planning to close Maryland - and if so, why? Is to too
close to the planned portal, or do they just not think it's important
enough to add an extra minute to the journey?

Crossrail trains will be 10 cars. Maryland only has room for 8 with no
room to extend at either end (there are road bridges).

Therefore Crossrail trains can't serve Maryland.

I can see three possible solutions to this problem:

b) Fit selective door opening and stop Crossrail services but only open
the doors on the front 8 cars. (the 375 fleet in Kent makes extensive
use of selective door opening, as does the existing underground, so
there are plenty of precedents)

Hang on, though; on the tube, it's just the last door in each end car that
doesn't open, so anyone in those cars who wants to get off can do so via
another door. If you've got two whole cars with no open doors, anyone
who's in one of them and wants to get off is probably buggered.

What happens in Kent?

I don't know about Kent, but I managed to google up this from Southern
Railway (formerly South Central, formerly Connex South Central, etc
etc):

http://www.southernrailway.com/pdfs/stakeholder_briefs/September-03-Brief.pdf

begin quote
SDO – some more information

South Central will soon start operating class 377 trains on the 0625
Eastbourne-London Bridge and the 1745 London Bridge-Eastbourne
services. These will be followed by the 0717 Eastbourne-London Bridge
and the 1752 London Bridge-Bognor Regis services.

With the approval of Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) these
new services will operate a Selective Door Opening system (SDO) on a
trial basis. SDO ensures the correct number of doors open for the
length of a platform, so long trains can stop safely at stations with
small platforms. SDO uses GPS to tell the train where it is. Each
station has the platform length programmed into a database on the
train, and the door control system uses this information to allow the
right number of doors to open at each station. The system is safer
[than what?] as it prevents passengers opening doors on carriages not
at the platform.

When approaching a station with a short platform, the on-train
information system will announce the next station, that it has a short
platform and the number of coaches from which you can leave the train.
The message will also be shown on the visual displays. At the station
only those doors next to the platform will be released (unlocked).
Doors on the remaining coaches will not be released and will not be
able to be opened. Passengers will need to make their way forward to
those carriages that will have their doors opened. Conductors will be
on board to help passengers.

The trains above will be 12-cars long, and the stations at which SDO
will be used a

Eastbourne-London Bridge
Hampden Park 5-car platforms
Berwick 8-car
Glynde 6-car
Cooksbridge 6-car
Plumpton 7-car
Balcombe 8-car

London Bridge-Bognor Regis
Ifield 5-car platforms
Littlehaven 4-car
Christs Hospital 7-car
Billingshurst 4-car
Pulborough 9-car
end quote



Now, it's some months since the date on this document, but I don't
know to what extent the above proposals have been implemented. I do
know that there is at least once Southern departure ex Victoria for
which the announcement includes 'Customers for ... must travel in the
front seven coaches, furthest from the ticket barrier etc'; I can't
remember where.