Yep, by 2010 the line will have been shut for 5 1/2 out of 15 years. I
moved to Rotherhithe during the last year of the previous closure. I was
told by the estate agents that the replacements buses were more useful
and reliable than the line ever was (but who can trust anything they
say?). Anyway I don't remember where I read this but I was led to
believe that during the last closure, the power supply was uprated and
that the line was ready to work at 3rd or 4th rail electrification. If
it needs resignalling then fine, let's just do it properly and not
re-use old pneumatics from the central line.. (I know, it's going to be
to NR standards not LU).
I remember the morning the ELL re-opened in 1998. I was greeted by a
signal failure notice and suspension of service. Some things never change.

Mark.


Barry Salter wrote:
Tristán White wrote:
As you will know, the line closes on 22 Dec 2007 until (at the
earliest) June 2010.

What I can't understand is why it needs to be down for so long. How
long was the Jubilee Line down during the JLE inauguration? Not that
long, and it seems to me that that is an even more complex scheme.

Ultimately, the JLE project was "simpler" than the ELL Extension from an
Engineering point of view, in that it's all new build, save for the
junction at Green Park, so they could do a phased opening beginning at
the Eastern end of the line.

And if memory serves, the only "closure" (other than those caused by the
regular signal failures) was the abandonment of Green Park - Charing
Cross, with the Green Park - Waterloo section opening the following day.

Two and a half years seems a long time to screw the good people of
Wapping, Rotherhithe, Surrey Quays and New Cross and stick them on
rail replacement buses. Could not the rest of the work be done while
the ELL is running, and then shut the ELL down for say just 8 months
or so while they link it all together? I mean, it seems such a long
time for a line to be down.

For the proposed services to operate, the line needs to be completely
resignalled, the power supply beefed up (again!), stations (presumably)
refurbished. In short, effectively a repeat of the last major closure.

It remains to be seen if the heritage nuts moan about the Thames Tunnel
again, thereby prolonging the closure...

Cheers,

Barry