On Jun 6, 3:07*pm, Sky Rider wrote:
MIG wrote:
Will we get 12-car trains on Thameslink before we get them on "Kent
Link"?

Network Rail are planning to introduce 12-car services on all
Southeastern suburban routes via London Bridge around 2011/2012 - check
out Chapter 7 of the South London Route Utilisation Strategy.

BR planned them for 1993/4. The work included closing Charing Cross
for three weeks and diversion of trains to Cannon Street, Blackfriars
and Victoria.

The special timetable during that period was more interesting than
most of the grinding disruption and closure over a couple of years,
but it resulted in peak-hour trains shortening from 10 coaches of slam-
door stuff to 8 or 6-coach "Networkers" (and it took years for average
peak lengths to get near to what they were in 1992).

So, with another dowturn on the way, my response to any such plan is
"I'll believe it when I see it". On past evidence, trains are due to
get shorter again, not longer, but they may have yet more long
platforms for punters to have to chase them to the wrong end of.


http://tinyurl.com/2k29zc

But the Moorgate branch will sure as hell close, and
there will be huge disruption for the pointless work.

It will be pointless (well sort-of), but not in the way I think you
meant.

On Jun 6, 8:33*pm, Sky Rider wrote:
Rupert Candy wrote:
I presume we (for I am one) are to get the entirely unrefurbished
319/0s, rather than the pink and purple reasonably-well-refurbished
examples.

Knowing how often 319/(0,3)s do Bedford-Brighton and 319/4s Luton/St
Albans-Wimbledon Loop (because of diagramming constraints), you'll
probably ride a non-319/0 every now and again. Or perhaps even
semi-regularly if FCC *plan* to share the 319/(0,3)s between Wimbledon
Loop and 7oaks services, which I don't think is unlikely - but I expect
thy'll try to restrict the former Brighton Express trains (319/2s)
to...er...Brighton services.

FCC will refresh all the 319s but as the C6 exams are carried out at the
same time it will be a few more years before they are all refreshed - to
date well over 20 319/4s have been worked on since September 2006, which
leaves about another 60-odd 319s to do.

Unless I'm mistaken the 319/(0,2)s underwent their C6 exams back in
2006/2007 so they will be refreshed last (possibly alongside the 319/4s
that were merely repainted).

Though the Notworkers are still in 'as built' condition
internally (albeit 'refreshed'), and look pretty dingy and tired
compared to other older (but modernised) stock like 455s.

Some of the 465/2s were [refreshed/refurbished]* and renumbered as
465/9s weren't they? I don't know if any of the other Networkers have
been altered though.

*Delete as appropriate

Most of the 465/2s in fact (30-odd out of 50), but as 465/9s they
still haven't been given working PIS, which one would normally expect
in the circumstances.

The rest of the 465/466s are pretty much untouched apart from some
internal anti-graffiti spraying and the removal of the Eddie Ponds.

"eNautilus" wrote in message
...
What will happen to SouthEastern train services into Blackfriars after
December 2008 - diverted to Victoria, cancelled, or will there be a
limited service continuing through to City Thameslink and terminating at
Smithfield sidings?

So, in summary, the current very reliable and punctual Sevenoaks-Blackfriars
service, as operated by SET, will be replaced by a much less reliable,
frequently cancelled and generally useless 'service' as provided by
Thameslink/Worst Capital Connect/Whatever It's Called This Week.

eNautilus wrote:

So, in summary, the current very reliable and punctual
Sevenoaks-Blackfriars service, as operated by SET, will be replaced by a
much less reliable, frequently cancelled and generally useless 'service'
as provided by Thameslink/Worst Capital Connect/Whatever It's Called
This Week.

Not quite. The service you describe will actually be jointly operated by
FCC and SER (with TOC changeovers at Blackfriars).