"E27002" wrote in message
...
Yesterday, Modern Railways (November) reached this distant outpost of
civilization (Reno). On page 8 is an item discussing the possibility
of a Crossrail Station in the Kensal/Old Oak Common area. This, in
itself, is not a great idea IMHO.

Were you aware that about 10 empty trains per hour have to be turned round
at the planned Westbourne Park 'dummy station' under the current plans?
Apparently this 'turnback facility' is planned to include 3 or 4 basic
platforms and provision for dealing with passengers in an emergency anyway.
Expanding that to an operational station shouldn't be too difficult, and it
also answers a big question about the unbalanced nature of the east and west
ends of the network.

However, the column goes on to say that this locale, including the no-
longer-used Eurostar depot at North Pole is a "regeneration site".

Apart from this area's future transport utility, i.e. a possible HS2
link, surely it is crazy to dispose of an almost new train depot.

I don't think that being in a 'regeneration site' necessarily implies that
the depot would be demolished. Regeneration in its broadest terms would
include reactivating the depot and recreating the jobs that were transferred
away with Eurostar, IYSWIM. Building the new Crossrail depot at Old Oak
Common might also count as regeneration.

Could North Pole find a new life as the depot for the coming GW ML
electric trains, or as home for HS2's rolling stock?

Probably the former I should imagine, if only because it is the project
likely to happen at the earliest, by quite a few years.

Paul S