I can talk about the line from Dalston to Finsbury Park with a little extra knowledge as I am a train driver who goes over these lines regularly.

First of all at Dalston there will be a complete remodelling done when the ELL arrives there. It would not be hard for the trains to be able to go to Finsbury Park via Canonbury tunnel when this remodelling is done. I have not seen the plans for the junction, but I suspect that there will be a lead from the ELL towards the number 1 lines at Dalston (the number one lines are the lines with overheads, number 2s have third rail).

On leaving Canonbury tunnel the lines then proceed to Finsbury Park past Drayton Park station (new platforms if ELL extended?). A junction could be put in to allow the trains to run to Finsbury Park over the line which goes to Moorgate. The actual line which now goes to Finsbury Park could become a bi directional line allowing trains to run towards Canonbury.

At Finsbury Park trains to Canonbury could use the platform alongside platform 6 which is currently redundant and trains to Highgate would use platform 6.

From Finsbury Park trains in both directions would then be on the west side of the ECML to the junction where the Parkland walk is at the moment.


So what is required is new points at Dalston, between Drayton Park and Finsbury Park and at the junction of the Parkland walk. There would not be a lot of new signalling required either as the goods line between Finsbury Park and Canonbury is actually already bi directional.

It can be done without disturbing the ECML and with my theory you could also run trains from Highgate to Moorgate via Finsbury Park (I wonder if that would be as quick as the Northern Line?)