Watford to St Albans tram link could open in 2012
 

In message
, at
02:56:19 on Fri, 5 Nov 2010, Neil Williams
remarked:
Here's a thought - would an hourly service through to/from Euston be
more useful than a more frequent service on the branch? Could the
money thus be spent on connecting it to the mainline instead?

What sort of train could be run - seems to be a waste of a path on the
main line if it was a short one, but an unnecessary expense to run a
long train on the branch (would the platforms have to be extended)?
--
Roland Perry

Watford to St Albans tram link could open in 2012
 

On Nov 5, 1:12*pm, EE507 wrote:

However, it's clearly better to reinstate the loop to maximise
reliability, as well as building in an element of future-proofing e.g.
if new stations extend end to end journey times.

Or I suppose if the idea of half hourly clockface increased passenger
numbers to the point that an increase in frequency was desired.

Neil

Watford to St Albans tram link could open in 2012
 

On Nov 5, 1:14*pm, Roland Perry wrote:

What sort of train could be run - seems to be a waste of a path on the
main line if it was a short one, but an unnecessary expense to run a
long train on the branch (would the platforms have to be extended)?

It'd only make sense as part of a self contained half hourly Watford-
Euston shuttle as I believe is the long-term plan. Would have to be
either 321 or 350, depending what is used for such a shuttle (it would
make sense to use 321s as a self contained service, I reckon).

Neil

Watford to St Albans tram link could open in 2012
 

On Nov 5, 11:23*am, Neil Williams wrote:
On Nov 5, 12:10*pm, Andy wrote:

The line has a mixture of uses. During the peak there is a high
percentage of commuters who travel onto Euston whilst off-peak there
is currently little demand for through journeys. An hourly service
would not be good for the peak commuters, as there is currently a
42-43 min frequency until 10am.

I'm never quite sure if a hotch-potch frequency like that is actually
helpful. *Hourly clockface is arguably more useful, because it's more
memorable and connects with things better. *Few people, after all,
"turn up and go" for a frequency like that. *It's once you go below
hourly that the "hotch potch" best-possible-with-one-unit frequencies
may be best.


It's helpful in the peak, when times can be matched to people wanting
an early, intermediate or late arrival into London. When class 313s
were used, with a quick turn around, a forty minute frequency was
possible, but the class 321s seem to be slower off the mark. A forty
minute frequency equates to three trains every two hours and when I
lived on the line, times were easy to remember as, for example, 21
past the odd hours and 01/41 past the even hours giving a pseudo-
clockface pattern.

The trouble is that the press might see it differently.

Neil

Watford to St Albans tram link could open in 2012
 

On Nov 5, 11:26*am, Neil Williams wrote:
On Nov 5, 12:10*pm, Andy wrote:

As the connection is currently via the headshunt from the line which
runs through the yard to platform 11, it would probably be quite
expensive as a stand alone project. Either the old connection to
platform 10 would need to be reinstated, cutting the car park in two,
or the junction with mainline upgraded. There would also probably have
to be facilities for coupling / uncoupling units as running a four car
train from Watford Junction - Euston in the peak would not be a good
idea.

Presumably you could uncouple and leave 4 in the platform while going
to St Albans and back? *Could form the basis of a half-hourly all-day
Watford shuttle to remove local stops from the longer-distance stuff,
as I believe is the end game.

Only if platform 10 was to be used, the current platform 11 is only 4
cars.


That, or make it "u"/"s" at Watford. *As it's a separate platform, it
wouldn't be hard to enforce.


And at Bushey / Harrow? When I used the branch it was to commute to/
from Harrow and I used to catch the branch train to Watford Junction
and across to the Watford - Euston mainline service to Harrow. Running
a four car train would still eat into capacity on the mainline
wherever it is running to/from.

Watford to St Albans tram link could open in 2012
 

On Nov 5, 12:28*pm, Neil Williams wrote:

It'd only make sense as part of a self contained half hourly Watford-
Euston shuttle


Or Watford - West London line - somewhere in third rail land.

Or Watford - Heathrow Airport which does not require that much wiring
to achieve.



--
Nick

Watford to St Albans tram link could open in 2012
 

On Nov 5, 5:55*pm, D7666 wrote:
On Nov 5, 12:28*pm, Neil *Williams wrote:

It'd only make sense as part of a self contained half hourly Watford-
Euston shuttle

Or Watford - West London line - somewhere in third rail land.

Or Watford - Heathrow Airport which does not require that much wiring
to achieve.

--
Nick

I seem to recall someone pointing out that as Southern and London
Midland have the same parent company that extending the Southern
services that then terminated at Watford Junction to St. Albans might
be possible. It was put to the TOC and was ruled out.