Tom Anderson wrote:

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.

Errm, I'm not sure where I picked up December 2009 from - as the LU
"Track closures Six Month Look Ahead" PDF agrees with you in saying
June 2010 (in fact it specifically says Wed 30 Jun 10 - not sure that
can be right though):
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/livetra...k-closures.pdf

So two and a half years. I'm not sure that the public works code will
apply to this tightly managed TfL-run project, we shall see!


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!

....and closing the National Rail/ Network Rail lines there as well, so
they can swing it in to place.

The work on the ramp to bring the line up from Whitechapel has been
proceeding apace for a good while now.


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 think I remember reading things about minimising the impact of
construction traffic on the surrounding areas and roads. I don't know
the details. I do however know that tracks have been laid at the
Silwood Triangle works site on an alignment that will connect with the
existing line - the connection isn't in place yet and I wouldn't
expect it to go in until the ELL closes.


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.

I agree - if someone could explain it all that'd be great!


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.

Removal of Bridge GE19, which needs to go so it can be replaced by a
new bridge to carry the ELLX over the Liverpool Street lines, which
will itself be put in place in spring 2008 (I suspect that'll be a
simpler operation than the removal of the old bridge).

I think bridge GE19 isn't on the right alignment. See two of U Thant's
helpful weblog entries:

http://londonconnections.blogspot.co...-route-at.html
http://londonconnections.blogspot.co...idge-date.html


I'm all for the ELLX, as I'm sure you know, but I'm also all for
keeping the closure to as short a period as possible. The ELL might
not be anything like as heavily used as other LU lines are, but it is
still a crucial cross river connection for many.

That said, it will become a far more critical bit of London's
transport infrastructure when it becomes part of the ELLX, so I guess
it's worth getting everything right first time round during this
closure and making sure all the works are done to a very high standard.