In message .com,
Mizter T writes

No. It's a normal alternative route for us - it's not uncommon for them
to run us 'fast up the local' to clear backlogs or to run all stations
to help the District when they have problems. In fact, the other week,
I was sat in the eastbound local platform at Acton Town and for a change
asked to be run up the local to Hammersmith - which they did!


Thanks. I'm still a little puzzled as to how running 'fast up the
local' - i.e. running a non-stop Pic train on the District tracks -
would clear backlogs though?! And obviously this could only be done
when there isn't a stoppng District train in front of you.

Well, it's not done awfully often, but is used to clear traffic if we
are queuing into Acton, say. Rather than all the point throwing there
(and those few lost seconds with the signal interlocking and overlaps),
they take a train from the Rayners branch out of the way through the
local platform at Acton and deal with it at Hammersmith.
Also, a train ahead might be reversing east to west at Hammersmith with
a queue behind it and a problem, you effectively run round it.
I've been routed non stop westbound when we had a signal failure on the
fast at Ravenscourt Park. Only every third train went down the fast and
applied the rule.

As the District have a lower level of service, it's relatively easy to
fit a few odd Picc trains in. You're right about the District trains
though. We do tend to get held behind them when we're run that way.
--
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