London Banter - View Single Post

[email protected] · March 14th 05, 08:42 PM posted to uk.transport.london

In article . com,
() wrote:

I noticed that one of the sections to be closed is the Bank section on
the Northern line. This section was closed for 2 or 3 months in the
summer of 1999. I suppose that it was too much to ask that somebody
could have foreseen the work to be done in 1999.
Two lengthy closures in the space of 5 years smacks of taking the ****
to me.

Kevin

The reason for the shutdown is to deal with the problems after the work
that was carried out during the original shutdown!.

During the original shutdown, the track was relaid, amongst other things.
Within a few weeks of the section re-opening, temporary speed restrictions
were put in because of the condition of the track. These temporary speed
restrictions are still in place, with the exception of the one departing
Euston City NB which I think was taken out last year.

These speed restrictions made a big difference because they were over long
sections of the track and were quite drastic - 15mph instead of 25mph
between Kennington and Elephant & Castle NB, 15mph instead of 30mph
between Angel and Old Street SB, 20 mph instead of 30/35 mph between
Elephant & Castle and Kennington SB. The one at Euston City NB was, I
think, 20mph instead of 35mph.

The current timetable (TT49) had had an increase in running times to take
many of the "permanent" temporary speed restrictions into account, plus
some other long term ones that since popped up, such as the 20mph
approaching Finchley Central NB.

The only way to sort the problem out was to relay the affected track,
which was a major work.

Hopefully, the work that has been done during the City closures will mean
that these restrictions can be taken away and normal speed running
resumed.

Roger