On Mon, 10 Dec 2007, Mizter T wrote:

On 10 Dec, 19:11, Tom Anderson wrote:

Someone remind me - why is the ELL closing for three years?

Tis two years - the plan is to have the ELLX open in December 2009
(i.e. when the railway timetables change).

Aha. This leaflet, in which, allegedly, "information is correct at time of
going to print - November 2007":

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloa...re-leaflet.pdf

says "The East London line will close on 22 December 2007 for major
extension work and will reopen by summer 2010 as part of the London
Overground network.". Summer 2010 is public works code for winter 2010,
from which i calculated three years. But if it only takes two, that's much
better.

I have thought this too - sure, there are big works to be done (flyover
at New Cross Gate, station and bridge at Shoreditch High St, ramp -
already half-built - up from Whitechapel, etc etc), but on the face of
it they don't need the existing ELL to close...

Right. The work connected with the ramp from Whitechapel, perhaps, but
Shoreditch High Street is nowhere near the current line, and the NXG
flyover surely just involves closing the NXG branch!

However I think the plan might involves materials being transported by
rail from the Silwood Triangle works site, and perhaps from restored
link(s) with the main lines at either New Cross or New Cross Gate or
both - of course the latter will have a permanent connection when
through ELLX services start running, though perhaps the former is an
easier place for works trains to access from the rest of the network.

This sounds plausible, but an appallingly bad excuse.

I've also heard that there's to be large-scale changes to power and
signals to change them to NR standards. Still hard to see how this'll take
2-3 years.

On a related note, Liverpool Street is closed for a week over christmas
"as a result of major engineering work on the approach lines to the
station, in connection with the extension of TfLs East London line". I
don't know if that's the ramp or a new track connection or preparatory
works or what.

tom

--
The best way I know of to win an argument is to start by being in the
right. -- Lord Hailsham