London Banter - View Single Post

Alistair Bell · June 20th 05, 05:33 PM posted to uk.transport.london

wrote:
I realise that the reason for this situation is that the fast and slow
lines have been swapped - but why, and for how long?

Well, technically, the island platform is on the fast line! I think the
answer to 'why' is that services on the Hounslow loop are all stopping
services, whereas services via Richmond are a mixture of slow and fast.
By putting the slow trains on the northern track of the pair, both up
and down, the number of conflicting moves at Barnes is minimised --
previously, fast up trains from Richmond had to cross paths with slow
up trains from Hounslow and now they don't. Before Eurostar was built
there was some sense to doing the crossing move because the tracks were
then segregated all the way to Waterloo; but now that the Windsor lines
are, for all intents and purposes, two-track between Waterloo and
Clapham Junction, crossing over just for the run between Barnes and
Clapham Junction isn't worth it.

Anyway, there's a ticket machine at the entrance on Old York Road,
isn't there? Certainly was the last time I was there.