On Mon, 5 Jun 2006 22:07:55 +0100, Paul G wrote:

Just thought I would point out that the latest newsletter has gone up on
the Barking - Gospel Oak Line User Group website.
http://www.barking-gospeloak.org.uk/news.htm in particular

I don't think the issues raised have been discussed here.

I think some of them have been, though you add a few new details.

TRAIN STOCK: Not mentioned in the newsletter, but the plan is to have
the same rolling stock across the entire East London Line and North
London Line (which will all be operated under one contractor -
apparently it's not a franchise for some legally minded reason). The
only exception to this may be the Goblin line depending on whether wires
are installed.

If it's not, I hope this doesn't stop them running through trains from
the Goblin to West Hampstead/Willesden Junction, as that would greatly
increase the usefulness of the Goblin.

The trains will all be a minimum of 4 car in length, I
think, which will mean some platforms extensions

While the Olympic bid was still in progress, I seem to remember
reading something about them being extended to 6 cars for the
Olympics...

some very preliminary
work has taken place on this (i.e. TfL chaps going around the NLL
network and peering out of the doors at each station to work out any
obvious difficulties!

....but it seems they haven't given much thought to the idea till now!

I did note that this would free up a number of
313 units (could Thameslink (FCC) use these,

313s are only 75mph compared to the 319s' 100mph, though this might
not matter much on the "local" (Luton to Wimbledon/Sutton) Thameslink
services, if the stops are close enough together.

or WAGN (FCC) to bulk up thier Moorgate services)?

Perhaps. I suppose in theory they could be used on pretty much any
electric route in the country, though AIUI the structure of the
privatised railway makes running extra trains/carriages only
affordable on the most crowded of routes.