Longer trains for Waterloo-Reading, Waterloo-Windsor lines
 

I notice work is going on at some stations along these routes to
extend the platforms (ie at Whitton, Twickenham, Richmond) and was
informed by platform staff that it is to enable 10 car trains to be
used in place of the current 8 car units. I wonder when these will be
introduced and how will stations like Feltham be extended as there is
a level crossing at one end and a road bridge crossing over the other
end.

Longer trains for Waterloo-Reading, Waterloo-Windsor lines
 

In message
,
JohnLon writes

I notice work is going on at some stations along these routes to
extend the platforms (ie at Whitton, Twickenham, Richmond) and was
informed by platform staff that it is to enable 10 car trains to be
used in place of the current 8 car units. I wonder when these will be
introduced

The original plan was December 2010, but that has now slipped to
December 2012 for completion of platform lengthening. I'm not sure if
any final decision has yet been taken about rolling stock, so there's no
guarantee that 10 car trains will actually be operating by January 2013.

and how will stations like Feltham be extended as there is a level
crossing at one end and a road bridge crossing over the other end.

The fate of Feltham was left open for future discussion in the NR
strategic development plan of last year. Closure of the level crossing
is one solution being considered, but I think it's more likely that
they'll fall back on the cheaper alternative of using selective door
opening at Feltham.
--
Paul Terry

Longer trains for Waterloo-Reading, Waterloo-Windsor lines
 

"Paul Terry" wrote in message ...

The original plan was December 2010, but that has now slipped to December
2012 for completion of platform lengthening. I'm not sure if any final
decision has yet been taken about rolling stock, so there's no guarantee
that 10 car trains will actually be operating by January 2013.

No final decision yet - rumours of Juniper re-engineering, to include former
class 460 cars into the 458s, continue and there have also been suggestions
that the 24 class 456s will transfer from Southern to SWT. The 456s, of
course, were originally designed and built for the South Western Division
but have never actually operated there, being diverted to the South Central
Division before delivery.

Longer trains for Waterloo-Reading, Waterloo-Windsor lines
 

On Sat, 08 Oct 2011 09:30:50 +0100, Paul Terry wrote:

[10 car trains at Feltham]

The fate of Feltham was left open for future discussion in the NR
strategic development plan of last year. Closure of the level crossing
is one solution being considered, but I think it's more likely that
they'll fall back on the cheaper alternative of using selective door
opening at Feltham.

For the up line, will they place the 10 car stopping point beyond the end
of the up platform, and enable doors on the rear 8 cars, or will they
stop the train foul of the crossing and open the front 8?

Neither seems an ideal solution, at least on the down they can do the
normal and enable doors on the front 8 cars without fouling the crossing.

Looking at google maps, I think that you might just be able to fit 9 cars
in between the crossing and the stopping point on the up, given a
stopping point that places the front passenger doors on the platform
before the road bridge, but you're not going to fit 10 in without fouling
the crossing or having the cab past the end of the platform.

A panoramio pic shows that the up platform ends at the overbridge anyway,
and although there is space between the bridge and the line, there would
be reduced headroom for passengers under the bridge if the platforms were
extended, as well as passengers having to move track side of the safety
line to pass under the bridge. Presumably extending the platforms in the
up direction would entail placing the arch span of the overbridge that
crosses the line with concrete or steel beams supporting the roadway,
which would I guess entail a significant possession of both the line and
roadway.

Rgds

Denis McMahon

Longer trains for Waterloo-Reading, Waterloo-Windsor lines
 

In message , at
14:09:09 on Sat, 8 Oct 2011, Denis McMahon
remarked:
For the up line, will they place the 10 car stopping point beyond the end
of the up platform, and enable doors on the rear 8 cars, or will they
stop the train foul of the crossing and open the front 8?

The driver probably needs to be alongside the platform, so the crossing
would be fouled. But it was like that at Wokingham 25 years ago.
--
Roland Perry

Longer trains for Waterloo-Reading, Waterloo-Windsor lines
 

On Oct 8, 3:09*pm, Denis McMahon wrote:
A panoramio pic shows that the up platform ends at the overbridge anyway,
and although there is space between the bridge and the line, there would
be reduced headroom for passengers under the bridge if the platforms were
extended, as well as passengers having to move track side of the safety
line to pass under the bridge. Presumably extending the platforms in the
up direction would entail placing the arch span of the overbridge that
crosses the line with concrete or steel beams supporting the roadway,
which would I guess entail a significant possession of both the line and
roadway.

They seemed to manage just fine with the Boleyn Road bridge when
extending Dalston Kingsland's platforms not so long ago.

Longer trains for Waterloo-Reading, Waterloo-Windsor lines
 

On Oct 10, 12:18*am, Jamie Thompson wrote:
On Oct 8, 3:09*pm, Denis McMahon wrote:

A panoramio pic shows that the up platform ends at the overbridge anyway,
and although there is space between the bridge and the line, there would
be reduced headroom for passengers under the bridge if the platforms were
extended, as well as passengers having to move track side of the safety
line to pass under the bridge. Presumably extending the platforms in the
up direction would entail placing the arch span of the overbridge that
crosses the line with concrete or steel beams supporting the roadway,
which would I guess entail a significant possession of both the line and
roadway.

They seemed to manage just fine with the Boleyn Road bridge when
extending Dalston Kingsland's platforms not so long ago.

Thanks for the comments and information. The road bridge crossing over
Feltham station platforms is not very high or wide, so using that end
would probably need a new bridge.(Expensive) There have been rumours
for some time that the level crossing might close to road traffic
(cheap) so that could be the solution that is eventually adopted. Time
will tell.

Longer trains for Waterloo-Reading, Waterloo-Windsor lines
 

"JohnLon" wrote in message
news:5d926a67-1f9c-4dab-b7a1-

Thanks for the comments and information. The road bridge crossing over
Feltham station platforms is not very high or wide, so using that end
would probably need a new bridge.(Expensive) There have been rumours
for some time that the level crossing might close to road traffic
(cheap) so that could be the solution that is eventually adopted. Time
will tell.

Information in the Jun 11 update to the Network Rail CP4 enhancement plan:

"Note 3 Extending Feltham platforms at the country end will require closure
of the level crossing.
Extending them at the London end will impact on the entrance to any
potential new depot. Further
development work will be needed before a firm decision can be made at this
location. The interim fallback
position would be the use of SDO."

AIUI that might be out of date because they originally had Feltham yard
earmarked for a new depot mainly for Airtrack and
some other SWT fleet expansion...

Paul S