MIG wrote:

On 24 Jan, 16:57, Mizter T wrote:
On 24 Jan, 12:57, Bill Borland wrote:

In article , Peter Masson
writes

Up Catford Loop trains cross to the Atlantic Lines at Crofton
Road Junction, then at Factory Junction take the Low Level route via
Stewarts Lane, joining the Up Slow at Battersea Pier Junction.

Incorrect. Two trains per hour - the stopping service from Faversham -
go "low level". Anything else goes High Level. This was said to be
to avoid conflict with Eurostar trains, but I have used the Faversham
train a couple of times since the end of the Eurostars, and it still
goes the same way.
--
Bill Borland

Eh? I haven't used it much lately, but I think the Up Dartford -
Victoria trains still take the low-level Stewarts Lane route.

They've certainly done that a lot when I've been in them, although
sometimes they seem to play it by ear. It's always a relief when they
don't, because the high route is much quicker.


I haven;t got much recent experience, but the low-level route
certainly used to be the standard path. The high-level route appeared
to be used occasionally when the train was running late.


The fact that they are often (always?) timetabled to take longer from
Denmark Hill going non-stop than the ones that stop at three stations
via Battersea Park implies some reason for sloth, ie the low route.


But that's just plain incorrect! Looking at off-peak times, the SLL
stopping service is timetabled for 13 minutes, whilst the non-stop
Dartford - Victoria takes 11 minutes.

Things are all a bit more complicated at peak times, when both
services taking a bit longer (except for a couple of the non-stop
trains taking a minute less) - however, I can't see any instances of
the non-stop trains taking longer to get to Victoria than the stopping
SLL services.

So, whilst the non-stop trains aren't much quicker than the stoppers,
they still are.


Some afternoon/evening Maidstone line trains (having gone via Catford)
seem to go that way as well.