Noticed on TfL weekend travel a hint that a trial run of the Circle to
Hammersmith 'Teacup' service is happening this weekend. Can anyone
confirm this is the case? There are no 'service changes' displayed for
the Circle, they're just saying for Edgware Rd station:

"Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June, there is no through Circle line
service. Passengers travelling between Bayswater and Baker Street in
either direction will need to change trains at Edgware Road"

Not the whole story methinks...

Paul

In message
s.com of Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:55:22 in uk.transport.london, Paul Scott
writes
Noticed on TfL weekend travel a hint that a trial run of the Circle to
Hammersmith 'Teacup' service is happening this weekend. Can anyone
confirm this is the case? There are no 'service changes' displayed for
the Circle, they're just saying for Edgware Rd station:

I googled and found it in http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/livetravelnews/real
time/tube/tube-all-weekend.html. How did you navigate there? I can only
get to the iconic report in http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/livetravelnews/re
altime/by-date.aspx?offset=weekend


"Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June, there is no through Circle line
service. Passengers travelling between Bayswater and Baker Street in
either direction will need to change trains at Edgware Road"

On Saturday, I shall be passing through Edgware Road on the H&C.
I will look for anything unusual.


Not the whole story methinks...

And really quietly publicised, given Good Service is reported to be
expected on the Circle. I think they may already be doing something. I
have noticed clumps of 3 Circle line trains at 4 minute intervals on
platform displays in the past month. I put it down to the usual Circle
confusion.
At Baker Street platform 5 eastbound, I noticed the platform display
reported two successive Circles. The first was a Whitechapel at the
front and on the PA and continued to be so as far as Moorgate, where I
left it. This was last Friday 19/06/09 and I exited Moorgate at 10.16.

I am relieved if the teacup is being trialled.
I would hate it to whimper when put into service.
--
Walter Briscoe

In message of Wed, 24 Jun 2009
21:46:16 in uk.transport.london, Walter Briscoe
writes
In message
s.com of Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:55:22 in uk.transport.london, Paul Scott
writes
Noticed on TfL weekend travel a hint that a trial run of the Circle to
Hammersmith 'Teacup' service is happening this weekend. Can anyone
confirm this is the case? There are no 'service changes' displayed for
the Circle, they're just saying for Edgware Rd station:

I googled and found it in http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/livetravelnews/real
time/tube/tube-all-weekend.html. How did you navigate there? I can only
get to the iconic report in http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/livetravelnews/re
altime/by-date.aspx?offset=weekend


"Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June, there is no through Circle line
service. Passengers travelling between Bayswater and Baker Street in
either direction will need to change trains at Edgware Road"

On Saturday, I shall be passing through Edgware Road on the H&C.
I will look for anything unusual.

I made 2 journeys in each direction between Baker Street and Royal Oak.
One train in each direction was stopped at the Praed Street Junction;
the eastbound for several minutes without operator PA.

All westbound services at Farringdon were marked as Hammersmith; half
the eastbound services at Royal Oak were marked as Circle Line.

There was no relevant PA at Farringdon. At KXSP, there were many
confused digital PAs telling Circle Line pax for Paddington and beyond
to change at Edgware Road. A Station Supervisor told me that PA came
from Corporate LU. There were occasional manual PAs at other stations.

There were plenty of staff to assist at Edgware Road.

I think I will now take a dead Oyster to Heathrow!
--
Walter Briscoe

In article ,
(Walter Briscoe) wrote:

In message of Wed, 24 Jun 2009
21:46:16 in uk.transport.london, Walter Briscoe
writes
In message

of Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:55:22 in uk.transport.london, Paul Scott
writes
Noticed on TfL weekend travel a hint that a trial run of the Circle to
Hammersmith 'Teacup' service is happening this weekend. Can anyone
confirm this is the case? There are no 'service changes' displayed for
the Circle, they're just saying for Edgware Rd station:

I googled and found it in
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/livetravel...all-weekend.ht
ml.
How did you navigate there? I can only get to the iconic report in

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/livetravel...px?offset=week
end

"Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June, there is no through Circle line
service. Passengers travelling between Bayswater and Baker Street in
either direction will need to change trains at Edgware Road"

On Saturday, I shall be passing through Edgware Road on the H&C.
I will look for anything unusual.

I made 2 journeys in each direction between Baker Street and Royal Oak.
One train in each direction was stopped at the Praed Street Junction;
the eastbound for several minutes without operator PA.

All westbound services at Farringdon were marked as Hammersmith; half
the eastbound services at Royal Oak were marked as Circle Line.

There was no relevant PA at Farringdon. At KXSP, there were many
confused digital PAs telling Circle Line pax for Paddington and beyond
to change at Edgware Road. A Station Supervisor told me that PA came
from Corporate LU. There were occasional manual PAs at other stations.

There were plenty of staff to assist at Edgware Road.

I was in London today for a meeting but had to get back to Cambridge for a
memorial service so couldn't look around.

However, some friends were returning from a holiday in Cardiff. They
arrived at Paddington and saw no signs or relevant announcements (there
were some about HEx they said). So they headed for the Circle/District
platform to get to King's Cross and found that all trains were going to
Edgware Road only. When they got there the destination for the train they
caught (cross-platform as it happens) was Hammersmith. It took them to
King's Cross, though. So no marks for effective signposting for FGW pax!

I think I will now take a dead Oyster to Heathrow!

Pity I couldn't do the same!

--
Colin Rosenstiel

In message of Sat, 27
Jun 2009 18:27:11 in uk.transport.london,
writes
In article ,
(Walter Briscoe) wrote:

[snip]

I think I will now take a dead Oyster to Heathrow!

Pity I couldn't do the same!


http://wap.tfl.gov.uk/planner showed a 1537 Paddington departure I
would have missed because the H&C was unusually slow, but which turned
out to be at 1540 and I caught it. I sat in a packed Quiet coach and
silenced 2 mobile phone users. My return about 1700 was in a 4 coach
Connect set which had no Quiet coach, but did have a toilet, and
provided an Express service. My waving a stopped Oyster card and an
Oyster wallet - containing a working Oyster - at Hex staff satisfied
their needs to check my ticket. Today, the Journey Planner shows
Moorgate to Heathrow 1,2,3 taking 40 minutes including 5 minutes to
transfer at Paddington. Who needs Crossrail?
http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/use...language=en&se
ssionID=0&ptOptionsActive=1&type_origin=stop&name_ origin=MOORGATE&type_d
estination=stop&name_destination=HEATHROW AIRPORT
CENTRAL&itdDate=20090628


My experience on Saturday, 27/06/2009 suggests the need for work on the
Teacup. I was on 6 trains traversing Praed Street junction (between
Paddington (H&C) and Edgware Road). 3 stopped on the approaches to the
junction: for a few seconds westbound; for several minutes eastbound and
for a minute eastbound. It was poor there was no operator PA for the
long delays. Unless Praed Street Junction can carry traffic without
regular congestion, I don't see it working. Still, it was the first
trial! I wish it had been properly publicised and hope the results will
be publicly reported. I may try it again next Saturday.

Earlier, I reported "... plenty of staff to assist at Edgware Road".
That was true about 1100; none was evident at 1740.

P.S. There was an "eggcup" service on the Piccadilly at Heathrow.
Trains did Hatton Cross; Heathrow Terminal 4 - platform display showed
"Not in Service"; Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3 - still "Not in Service";
wait without comforting PA for about 10 minutes while operator walked to
back of train; "reverse" to Heathrow Terminal 5; continue (I assume not
in customer service) to London-bound platform; wait for about 10 minutes
more without any indication of departure time; proceed to Heathrow
Terminals 1,2,3; wait some more minutes; continue - I assume normally -
to Northfields. (No service this weekend between Hammersmith and (Ealing
Common or Northfields).
--
Walter Briscoe

On Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:55:22 -0700 (PDT), Paul Scott
wrote:

Noticed on TfL weekend travel a hint that a trial run of the Circle to
Hammersmith 'Teacup' service is happening this weekend. Can anyone
confirm this is the case? There are no 'service changes' displayed for
the Circle, they're just saying for Edgware Rd station:

"Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June, there is no through Circle line
service. Passengers travelling between Bayswater and Baker Street in
either direction will need to change trains at Edgware Road"

Not the whole story methinks...

Paul

For those of us not famiiar with this concept could you clarify what
'teacup service' means. I assume it is not a buffet car on each
train. Does it refer to the shape or the route on a map???

On Jun 25, 9:10*am, Scott wrote:
For those of us not famiiar with this concept could you clarify what
'teacup service' means. *I assume it is not a buffet car on each
train. *Does it refer to the shape or the route on a map???

Yes. From Barry Salter's post:

Circle:
-=-=-=-

Hammersmith - Edgware Road - Circle Outer Rail - Edgware Road : Every
10
minutes
Edgware Road - Circle Inner Rail - Edgware Road - Hammersmith : Every
10
minutes


Thus the "Circle" line doesn't do a round and round and round service,
but becomes a there-and-back route, albeit with a big loop.

PhilD

--

In article
,
(PhilD) wrote:

On Jun 25, 9:10*am, Scott wrote:
For those of us not famiiar with this concept could you clarify what
'teacup service' means. *I assume it is not a buffet car on each
train. *Does it refer to the shape or the route on a map???

Yes. From Barry Salter's post:

Circle:
-=-=-=-

Hammersmith - Edgware Road - Circle Outer Rail - Edgware Road :
Every 10 minutes
Edgware Road - Circle Inner Rail - Edgware Road - Hammersmith :
Every 10 minutes


Thus the "Circle" line doesn't do a round and round and round service,
but becomes a there-and-back route, albeit with a big loop.

With the gap in just the wrong place if you want to get through Edgware
Road! :-((

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On 25 June, 09:41, wrote:
With the gap in just the wrong place if you want to get through Edgware
Road! :-((

--
Colin Rosenstiel- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Which leads me on to a major (as yet unresolved by TfL) problem, which
unfortunately could only be tested in the peaks......

The fact is that the Paddington Eastbound Circle Line platform will
become practically redundant - useful only to those wishing to go to
Edgware Road! Hence all those commuters wanting to go further East
will attempt to use Padd H&C line platform. The (over)crowding in the
peaks currently is tantamount to dangerous - add all those using the
Padd Circle Line Eastbound platform and it'll be come so overcrowded
that it'll be dangerous.

TfL have realised this and have asked FGW to give up some of another
Padd platform to provide another entrance / exit - and they are in
discussions. But as it stands, I suspect the HSE will put the kibosh
on the idea unless a workable solution can be found. But I still can't
see the increased service on the H&C being able to carry the number of
Padd commuters wanting to use it after this change.

On Jun 25, 2:15*pm, Chris wrote:

On 25 June, 09:41, wrote:

With the gap in just the wrong place if you want to get through Edgware
Road! :-((

Which leads me on to a major (as yet unresolved by TfL) problem, which
unfortunately could only be tested in the peaks......

The fact is that the Paddington Eastbound Circle Line platform will
become practically redundant - useful only to those wishing to go to
Edgware Road! Hence all those commuters wanting to go further East
will attempt to use Padd H&C line platform. The (over)crowding in the
peaks currently is tantamount to dangerous - add all those using the
Padd Circle Line Eastbound platform and it'll be come so overcrowded
that it'll be dangerous.

TfL have realised this and have asked FGW to give up some of another
Padd platform to provide another entrance / exit - and they are in
discussions. But as it stands, I suspect the HSE will put the kibosh
on the idea unless a workable solution can be found. But I still can't
see the increased service on the H&C being able to carry the number of
Padd commuters wanting to use it after this change.


Yes, I certainly agree that this is one of the biggest issues with the
whole Teacup line plan - the crowding of the H&C line iplatforms. The
H&C line platforms at Paddington isn't really somewhere I've ended up
at much during the midst of the peak, so I can't attest to the
crowding of the island platform itself, however I've certainly seen
the congestion on the sole staircase that leads from the island
platform to the overbridge (especially if two trains going in opposite
directions arrive more or less at the same time but I think it's still
fairly apparent with just one train). There are people struggling up
the staircase with bags, and others at the top trying to weave their
way down to the platforms against the crowd surging their way up.
After getting off an H&C train recently I stayed at the back of the
queue and watched just to see how long it took for the platform and
staircase to clear - and I asked the member of staff at the base of
the stairs whether it's always as busy, to which they responded very
much in the affirmative.

I don't quite understand how FGW giving up a platform would help
matters... unless they were to surrender platform 14 to LU, which
could then become the eastbound Circle/Teacup platform. That would of
course involve some fairly significant works to realign the LU running
lines, and I'm pretty sure FGW could afford to give up a platform at
Paddington anyway could they?

Once Crossrail comes, then there will be more room for manoeuvre at
Paddington as many of the suburban services will transfer to Crossrail
and hence won't need high-level platforms. Plus Crossrail would of
course take some of the pressure off LU at Paddington anyway, as pax
stayed on their Crossrail train to reach further into central London
or across into the City and beyond. So maybe the Teacup line plan is
rather before its time, and would be better suited to a post-Crossrail
London?