Mr Thant wrote:
On 16 Dec, 19:49, Tom Anderson wrote:
Hang on, what? The relief lines are the slow lines, right? Does
that mean that some Crossrails will run on the fast lines? Or that
they'll skip stops while running on the reliefs? How does this
help provide paths for longer-distance trains - by letting them
run on the reliefs without getting slowed down?

There'll be a half-hourly semi-fast Reading-4 or 5
stations-Paddington diesel service that uses the relief lines. If
all other trains stopped
at all stations it would quickly catch up with them. There's also
the problem of freight, which shares the Crossrail lines this end
(freight runs on the GEML fasts, so isn't affected by Crossrail).

Why is this necessary off-peak if it's not needed in the peaks?

I looks like there's more stop-skipping in the peaks to me, so my
answer would be that there isn't.

Using your reference (if I understand it - see below), the skips are
just different. Maidenhead Crossrail trains skip Burnham and Taplow
off-peak and skip Southall and Hanwell in the peaks, the latter two
stations being served by the peak-only West Drayton trains.

Which stations are going to get skipped?

See diagrams he
http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pd...fT-Apx4-E5.pdf

What a terrible document! Having clearly defined the Crossrail service
periods of peak, shoulder peak, off-peak and quiet, it then goes on to
show colour-coded diagrams with no colour key, and using terms like
"off-peak (busy)/contra peak".

However, I guess (there's no date on the document) that it may be more
up-to-date than the figures I was using, derived from a parliamentary
written answer from 2005, at http://shorl.com/hanudikoniti . Goodness
knows why we need to go ferreting around in these sorts of document.
Why isn't the service pattern on the Crossrail site?

--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)