London Banter - View Single Post - Unusual Piccadilly movement at Acton Town

[email protected] · April 14th 09, 01:05 AM posted to uk.transport.london

In article ,
(Recliner) wrote:

"Steve Fitzgerald" ] wrote in message

In message , James
Farrar writes

I often travel east from Northfields at that time of day (well, any
time between 5:30 and 9:30), and it's not at all unusual to end up
on the outside (District) platform). I would estimate it happens to
me more often than once a fortnight.

There's a crossover from the EB fast to the EB local just west of
Acton Town. In 7 years, I think I've only been routed over it about 3
times. I note that EB 261 and 315 (ex Northfields at 2101 and 2142
respectively) are booked to do this move although I've never seen it
so it may be an Acton turn that does it.

You could, of course have travelled east along the EB local/test track
from Northfields.

I was travelling from the Rayner's Lane branch, which often uses
platform 4 at Acton Town. I hadn't realised that the Northfields
branch also sometimes used this platform, either from the fast or
the local lines. It was also the only time I've ever noticed two
WB Piccadilly line trains at Acton Town, with both getting green
signals. The obvious penny didn't drop till after we'd departed
the station and stayed on the local line.

Looking at the EB local/test track from Northfields today it definitely
seemed a bit under-used, if not totally rusty, particularly so close to
the junction at the bottom of Ealing bank. How many daily trains are
scheduled to use it? I see the EB platforms at Acton Town are labelled
District Platform 4, Piccadilly Platforms 3 & 4, by the way.

--
Colin Rosenstiel