On Fri, 08 Dec 2006 22:57:22 +0000, Paul Corfield wrote:

Transport for London seem intent on making every other vehicle on our
roads a half empty bendy bus. I believe it being on fire is optional :-)

Something of an exaggeration I feel.

But why don't they do some similar bribery to get more trains running on
the overground ? I come in from Palmers Green to Moorgate every morning
and there are huge gaps in the service.

I think the issue will lie somewhere between DfT and Network Rail. DfT
is more interested in screwing huge premiums out of franchise holders
than it is in getting more trains running or funding an expansion in
infrastructure. The lines out of Kings Cross and Moorgate are pretty
much full in the peaks due to the need to mesh fast, semi fast and local
trains on the tracks alongside GNER, Hull Trains and soon Grand Central.

But those trains don't use the Hertford Loop (the line through Palmers
Green). The section from Alexandra Palace to Finsbury Park might be a
bottleneck, but aren't there extra tracks there?

TfL have limited rights with respect to main line rail and can offer to
fund extra services. However if there is no capacity available to run
them it is a somewhat academic exercise surely?

That may be an issue at peak times, but it certainly isn't off-peak.
The off-peak service is only 3tph (weekday daytimes) or 2tph (evenings
and all weekend). This is very poor for a suburban "metro" service -
if it were run by TfL I'm sure there would be at least 6tph on each
branch (which they manage to run in the peaks, so there must be
capacity for it). The Piccadilly Line runs through similar areas, and
manages to justify something like 18tph.