Had a good view of them earlier on from the high walk inside waterloo. Building
junk strewn everywhere on the platforms with a grand total of 3 guys in hi-vis
standing around chatting. The former terminal entrance now half derelict with
the doors missing, fences up along its length and the information board falling
apart.

What the hell is going on there? How many years has it been now, almost 9?
AFAIR they needed to re-do the trackwork just outside, put some ticket barriers
in, replace some signs and ... err.. that was about it. What an absolute
farce.

--
Spud

On 26/05/2016 13:49, d wrote:
Had a good view of them earlier on from the high walk inside waterloo. Building
junk strewn everywhere on the platforms with a grand total of 3 guys in hi-vis
standing around chatting. The former terminal entrance now half derelict with
the doors missing, fences up along its length and the information board falling
apart.

What the hell is going on there? How many years has it been now, almost 9?
AFAIR they needed to re-do the trackwork just outside, put some ticket barriers
in, replace some signs and ... err.. that was about it. What an absolute
farce.

--
Spud

Assuming you mean international, rather than internal, then aren't they
waiting for SWT to receive their new Siemens Desiro units so they can
make use of them?

2017 was the latest date I heard, so only 10 years of expensive
infrastructure wasting away doing nothing - not bad for around here...
(although didn't it take them a good 5 years to think of anything to do
with them at all apart from as an odd theatre venue?)

On Thu, 26 May 2016 14:22:15 +0100
Someone Somewhere wrote:
On 26/05/2016 13:49, d wrote:
Had a good view of them earlier on from the high walk inside waterloo.
Building
junk strewn everywhere on the platforms with a grand total of 3 guys in
hi-vis
standing around chatting. The former terminal entrance now half derelict with
the doors missing, fences up along its length and the information board
falling
apart.

What the hell is going on there? How many years has it been now, almost 9?
AFAIR they needed to re-do the trackwork just outside, put some ticket
barriers
in, replace some signs and ... err.. that was about it. What an absolute
farce.

--
Spud

Assuming you mean international, rather than internal, then aren't they

Yes, stupid typo.

waiting for SWT to receive their new Siemens Desiro units so they can
make use of them?

Doesn't sound very plausable. Why can't the old trains be used?

2017 was the latest date I heard, so only 10 years of expensive
infrastructure wasting away doing nothing - not bad for around here...
(although didn't it take them a good 5 years to think of anything to do
with them at all apart from as an odd theatre venue?)

More than likely. You'd think with the overcrowding at waterloo any TOC
worth its salt would be beating the doors down to get at those platforms.
But then we all know TOCs are run for the shareholders, not the passengers. If
there's no shareholder benefit they're not interested.

--
Spud

On 26/05/2016 15:13, d wrote:


waiting for SWT to receive their new Siemens Desiro units so they can
make use of them?

Doesn't sound very plausable. Why can't the old trains be used?

Do they have enough of them? Is a shortage of platforms at Waterloo
currently a problem (ie are there spare units sitting around that can't
be used)?

I know the overcrowding on the concourse etc is, and surely they need
to do some work to improve the passenger circulation before putting even
more trains into there?


2017 was the latest date I heard, so only 10 years of expensive
infrastructure wasting away doing nothing - not bad for around here...
(although didn't it take them a good 5 years to think of anything to do
with them at all apart from as an odd theatre venue?)

More than likely. You'd think with the overcrowding at waterloo any TOC
worth its salt would be beating the doors down to get at those platforms.
But then we all know TOCs are run for the shareholders, not the passengers. If
there's no shareholder benefit they're not interested.

But the station is surely owned and run by national rail who are
interested in getting more trains (or more TOCs) in, and hence more
passengers as that can drive addtional franchise revenue surely?

I'm not debating it's mad how long it has taken - they knew HS1 was
coming so they should have started planning then what to do with the,
now spare, platforms rather than waiting until 2012 or whatever.

On Thu, 26 May 2016 15:44:57 +0100
Someone Somewhere wrote:
On 26/05/2016 15:13, d wrote:
More than likely. You'd think with the overcrowding at waterloo any TOC
worth its salt would be beating the doors down to get at those platforms.
But then we all know TOCs are run for the shareholders, not the passengers.
If
there's no shareholder benefit they're not interested.

But the station is surely owned and run by national rail who are
interested in getting more trains (or more TOCs) in, and hence more
passengers as that can drive addtional franchise revenue surely?

*shrug* I would have assumed that SWT would be kicking NR to get it sorted
but that doesn't seem to be the case.

I'm not debating it's mad how long it has taken - they knew HS1 was
coming so they should have started planning then what to do with the,
now spare, platforms rather than waiting until 2012 or whatever.

Its already taken longer to "convert" the platforms than it did to build
the entire international extension in the first place. Rather a damning
indictment of the current UK rail industry.

--
Spud

Someone Somewhere writes:

I know the overcrowding on the concourse etc is, and surely they need
to do some work to improve the passenger circulation before putting
even more trains into there?

Not necessarily. If trains are available for boarding for longer before
departure, then more arriving passengers will be able to board the train
rather than milling around on the concourse watching the departure board
for their train to be announced.

On 26/05/2016 15:59, Graham Murray wrote:
Someone Somewhere writes:

I know the overcrowding on the concourse etc is, and surely they need
to do some work to improve the passenger circulation before putting
even more trains into there?

Not necessarily. If trains are available for boarding for longer before
departure, then more arriving passengers will be able to board the train
rather than milling around on the concourse watching the departure board
for their train to be announced.

So, same passenger throughput, but more platforms and more trains?

That seems a fairly daft idea as opposed to spending a small amount to
increase potential passenger throughput, and using assets such as
platforms and trains appropriately rather than leaving them effectively
idle.

Oh - I said "small amount" when talking about the railways. Sorry -
nothing to see here then.

Someone Somewhere wrote:
On 26/05/2016 15:59, Graham Murray wrote:
Someone Somewhere writes:

I know the overcrowding on the concourse etc is, and surely they need
to do some work to improve the passenger circulation before putting
even more trains into there?

Not necessarily. If trains are available for boarding for longer before
departure, then more arriving passengers will be able to board the train
rather than milling around on the concourse watching the departure board
for their train to be announced.

So, same passenger throughput, but more platforms and more trains?

That seems a fairly daft idea as opposed to spending a small amount to
increase potential passenger throughput, and using assets such as
platforms and trains appropriately rather than leaving them effectively
idle.

Oh - I said "small amount" when talking about the railways. Sorry -
nothing to see here then.

The high numbered platforms will be brought back into use so that the low
numbered platforms can be closed for lengthening for 10-car trains.

http://www.infrastructure-intelligen...-planning-goes

On 26-May-16 3:54 PM, d wrote:
On Thu, 26 May 2016 15:44:57 +0100
Someone Somewhere wrote:
On 26/05/2016 15:13, d wrote:
More than likely. You'd think with the overcrowding at waterloo any TOC
worth its salt would be beating the doors down to get at those platforms.
But then we all know TOCs are run for the shareholders, not the passengers.
If
there's no shareholder benefit they're not interested.

But the station is surely owned and run by national rail who are
interested in getting more trains (or more TOCs) in, and hence more
passengers as that can drive addtional franchise revenue surely?

*shrug* I would have assumed that SWT would be kicking NR to get it sorted
but that doesn't seem to be the case.

I'm not debating it's mad how long it has taken - they knew HS1 was
coming so they should have started planning then what to do with the,
now spare, platforms rather than waiting until 2012 or whatever.

Its already taken longer to "convert" the platforms than it did to build
the entire international extension in the first place. Rather a damning
indictment of the current UK rail industry.

--
Spud


IIRC it is also to do with the track layout from where the international
line joined the route to Waterloo.
One of the tracks was purely for the Eurostars.

See
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browsed... 20speeds&root

---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

In article ,
(Paul Corfield) wrote:

On Thu, 26 May 2016 12:49:21 +0000 (UTC), d wrote:

Had a good view of them earlier on from the high walk inside waterloo.
Building junk strewn everywhere on the platforms with a grand total of 3
guys in hi-vis standing around chatting. The former terminal entrance now
half derelict with the doors missing, fences up along its length and the
information board falling apart.

What the hell is going on there? How many years has it been now, almost
9? AFAIR they needed to re-do the trackwork just outside, put some ticket
barriers in, replace some signs and ... err.. that was about it. What an
absolute farce.

No argument that it's taken / taking forever. I thought one of the
platforms was back in partial use in the peaks.

Anyway project info for future works.


https://www.networkrail.co.uk/news/2...%A3800m-Waterl
oo-upgrade/
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/wcip/

Summer 2017 is the crucial time when P1-4 are lenghtened and the
throat partly remodelled.

The most ridiculous aspect of the works now having to be carried out is the
bridge replacement on the International platforms approach. It seems a
bridge was built in the 1990s which could only take the weight of one
passing Eurostar train and couldn't cope with Siemens Desiro lardbutts
passing in and out at once. Extraordinarily short-sighted!

--
Colin Rosenstiel