In message , at 06:39:29
on Fri, 8 Aug 2014, remarked:
Shenfield, while not being a dead-end, is very much the "edge of
London" (in a way that nether Harold Wood or Brentwood are) and a lot
of trains terminate there (6tph), also in future with Crossrail.

You probably know that area a lot better than me but I've never understood
why Shenfield has always been the limit of GE Main Line suburban services.
Why not Chelmsford, for example?

Chelmsford station is on a viaduct and has just two platforms and a
turnback siding. It just doesn't have the capacity to reverse many
trains, and there was a good enough main line service for those heading
for London. To get to intermediate stations it was always "change at
Shenfield", which has five platforms.

Back in the 70's, which was before Chelmsford's expansion to become a
dormitory town, many of the trains terminated at Gidea Park, which was
regarded as about as far out as commuters would normally live.
--
Roland Perry

In message , at 07:01:44
on Fri, 8 Aug 2014, remarked:
Perhaps a "2 platforms with bus shelters and a footbridge halt" might
need a new lineside cabinet style "equipment room" installed, but that's
probably about the limit of exceptional circumstances in such
installations.

Here's a typical such station, and they manage to have an online TVM
(but it's not suitable for barriers at all). http://goo.gl/maps/5Dkw0

2 TVMs by the look of it. I'm sure barriers could be installed if
sufficiently desired, given the layout.

They'd be "outdoors" which is unusual, and with only 1tph most of the
day I doubt it's worth manning the station, which you'd have to do with
barriers.
--
Roland Perry

In article , (Roland Perry)
wrote:

In message , at
06:39:29 on Fri, 8 Aug 2014, remarked:
Shenfield, while not being a dead-end, is very much the "edge of
London" (in a way that nether Harold Wood or Brentwood are) and a
lot of trains terminate there (6tph), also in future with Crossrail.

You probably know that area a lot better than me but I've never
understood why Shenfield has always been the limit of GE Main Line
suburban services. Why not Chelmsford, for example?

Chelmsford station is on a viaduct and has just two platforms and a
turnback siding. It just doesn't have the capacity to reverse many
trains, and there was a good enough main line service for those
heading for London. To get to intermediate stations it was always
"change at Shenfield", which has five platforms.

Back in the 70's, which was before Chelmsford's expansion to become a
dormitory town, many of the trains terminated at Gidea Park, which
was regarded as about as far out as commuters would normally live.

But Chelmsford is more like Bishop's Stortford, the West Anglia limit of the
1960s electrification. The fact that Chelmsford would require infrastructure
investment wasn't a block then.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

In article , (Roland Perry)
wrote:

In message , at
07:01:44 on Fri, 8 Aug 2014, remarked:
Perhaps a "2 platforms with bus shelters and a footbridge halt" might
need a new lineside cabinet style "equipment room" installed, but
that's probably about the limit of exceptional circumstances in such
installations.

Here's a typical such station, and they manage to have an online TVM
(but it's not suitable for barriers at all). http://goo.gl/maps/5Dkw0

2 TVMs by the look of it. I'm sure barriers could be installed if
sufficiently desired, given the layout.

They'd be "outdoors" which is unusual, and with only 1tph most of the
day I doubt it's worth manning the station, which you'd have to do
with barriers.

2 trains an hour soon, surely?

--
Colin Rosenstiel

In message , at 07:33:57
on Fri, 8 Aug 2014, remarked:
Chelmsford station is on a viaduct and has just two platforms and a
turnback siding. It just doesn't have the capacity to reverse many
trains, and there was a good enough main line service for those
heading for London. To get to intermediate stations it was always
"change at Shenfield", which has five platforms.

Back in the 70's, which was before Chelmsford's expansion to become a
dormitory town, many of the trains terminated at Gidea Park, which
was regarded as about as far out as commuters would normally live.

But Chelmsford is more like Bishop's Stortford, the West Anglia limit of the
1960s electrification. The fact that Chelmsford would require infrastructure
investment wasn't a block then.

There's no obvious way to increase the size of the station, and the
demand wasn't there from the passengers anyway - most were travelling on
fast trains to London (the Frinton and Clacton electrics especially) and
wouldn't have used a stopping service instead.
--
Roland Perry

In message , at 07:33:57
on Fri, 8 Aug 2014, remarked:
Perhaps a "2 platforms with bus shelters and a footbridge halt" might
need a new lineside cabinet style "equipment room" installed, but
that's probably about the limit of exceptional circumstances in such
installations.

Here's a typical such station, and they manage to have an online TVM
(but it's not suitable for barriers at all). http://goo.gl/maps/5Dkw0

2 TVMs by the look of it. I'm sure barriers could be installed if
sufficiently desired, given the layout.

They'd be "outdoors" which is unusual, and with only 1tph most of the
day I doubt it's worth manning the station, which you'd have to do
with barriers.

2 trains an hour soon, surely?

Yes, I suppose so. If both of them stop there of course. But the current
pattern is that north-of-Cambridge electrics are all-shacks, so perhaps
that'll continue. With presumably yet another stop at Northstowe
Parkway. (Another option would be to alternate between the two during
the day).
--
Roland Perry

In article , (Roland Perry)
wrote:

In message , at
07:33:57 on Fri, 8 Aug 2014, remarked:
Chelmsford station is on a viaduct and has just two platforms and a
turnback siding. It just doesn't have the capacity to reverse many
trains, and there was a good enough main line service for those
heading for London. To get to intermediate stations it was always
"change at Shenfield", which has five platforms.

Back in the 70's, which was before Chelmsford's expansion to become a
dormitory town, many of the trains terminated at Gidea Park, which
was regarded as about as far out as commuters would normally live.

But Chelmsford is more like Bishop's Stortford, the West Anglia limit of
the 1960s electrification. The fact that Chelmsford would require
infrastructure investment wasn't a block then.

There's no obvious way to increase the size of the station, and the
demand wasn't there from the passengers anyway - most were travelling
on fast trains to London (the Frinton and Clacton electrics
especially) and wouldn't have used a stopping service instead.

Was Bishop's Stortford so different?

--
Colin Rosenstiel

In article , (Roland Perry)
wrote:

In message , at
07:33:57 on Fri, 8 Aug 2014, remarked:
Perhaps a "2 platforms with bus shelters and a footbridge halt"
might need a new lineside cabinet style "equipment room" installed,
but that's probably about the limit of exceptional circumstances
in such installations.

Here's a typical such station, and they manage to have an online TVM
(but it's not suitable for barriers at all).
http://goo.gl/maps/5Dkw0

2 TVMs by the look of it. I'm sure barriers could be installed if
sufficiently desired, given the layout.

They'd be "outdoors" which is unusual, and with only 1tph most of the
day I doubt it's worth manning the station, which you'd have to do
with barriers.

2 trains an hour soon, surely?

Yes, I suppose so. If both of them stop there of course. But the
current pattern is that north-of-Cambridge electrics are all-shacks,
so perhaps that'll continue. With presumably yet another stop at
Northstowe Parkway. (Another option would be to alternate between
the two during the day).

I'm sure all passing trains will stop at Cambridge Science Park station, to
give it the correct name) when it opens. There's a clue in the name.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

In message , at 09:58:48
on Fri, 8 Aug 2014, remarked:
Chelmsford station is on a viaduct and has just two platforms and a
turnback siding. It just doesn't have the capacity to reverse many
trains, and there was a good enough main line service for those
heading for London. To get to intermediate stations it was always
"change at Shenfield", which has five platforms.

Back in the 70's, which was before Chelmsford's expansion to become a
dormitory town, many of the trains terminated at Gidea Park, which
was regarded as about as far out as commuters would normally live.

But Chelmsford is more like Bishop's Stortford, the West Anglia limit of
the 1960s electrification. The fact that Chelmsford would require
infrastructure investment wasn't a block then.

There's no obvious way to increase the size of the station, and the
demand wasn't there from the passengers anyway - most were travelling
on fast trains to London (the Frinton and Clacton electrics
especially) and wouldn't have used a stopping service instead.

Was Bishop's Stortford so different?

Not being on the main line it had fewer fast trains to London. And of
course with significantly fewer of any kind of train, it's be easier to
terminate there. As for the commuting angle, I don't know where the edge
of commuter-belt was in those days, Cheshunt perhaps? I remember how
Letchworth only "took off" as a commuter belt in the late 70's after it
was electrified.
--
Roland Perry

In message , at 09:58:49
on Fri, 8 Aug 2014, remarked:
Perhaps a "2 platforms with bus shelters and a footbridge halt"
might need a new lineside cabinet style "equipment room" installed,
but that's probably about the limit of exceptional circumstances
in such installations.

Here's a typical such station, and they manage to have an online TVM
(but it's not suitable for barriers at all).
http://goo.gl/maps/5Dkw0

2 TVMs by the look of it. I'm sure barriers could be installed if
sufficiently desired, given the layout.

They'd be "outdoors" which is unusual, and with only 1tph most of the
day I doubt it's worth manning the station, which you'd have to do
with barriers.

2 trains an hour soon, surely?

Yes, I suppose so. If both of them stop there of course. But the
current pattern is that north-of-Cambridge electrics are all-shacks,
so perhaps that'll continue. With presumably yet another stop at
Northstowe Parkway. (Another option would be to alternate between
the two during the day).

I'm sure all passing trains will stop at Cambridge Science Park station, to
give it the correct name) when it opens. There's a clue in the name.

There's no particular reason the Cambridge-Norwich trains should stop
there, apart from to create a 100% consistent "pattern" (which everyone
appears to be able to cope with at Waterbeach).

There will be plenty of Cambridge or Ely to Science Park trains already,
and I don't think changing at Ely if you are commuting from
Lakenheath/Brandon etc is going to inconvenience more than a handful of
people.
--
Roland Perry