D7666 wrote:
I wonder whether there was any 'consultation' with passengers using
the branch.

They said there was.

They could still have kept the new frequency even with moorgate.

Indeed.

While myself and boltar have dis-agreed on several points in the past,
I agree 100% on this one.

In view of what they are *now* doing with TL , I'd have argued to have
kept Holborn Viaduct as well as Moorgate. For every peak train that
departs Moorgate northbound, one departs HV southbound and timed to
take up the path through Blackfriars that would have conflicted (*)
with the Moorgate departure had it not been there ... if you see what
I mean ... and vice versa.

The office rebuilding on site of HV could simply have been City
TLHL , maybe even a single platform. At least City would then have got
3 platforms, in turn dwell time ''downstairs'' might be less of a
problem.

You lose no paths, but you provide two city terminii departures at the
same time, one north and one south.

I shall provde another rant about how I think the Farringdon Junction
argument is a cop out in due course .... I need to check on one item
first before I do. It won't alter what I will suggest, just the way in
which it could be carried out.


(*) i.e. northbound Moorgate departures cross southbound Farringdon
departures at Farringdon Junction.

What would be the possibilities of TPTB deciding to give up on the very
concept of Thameslink sooner or later?

It still seems a bit vague as to what the future services will be,
no-one seems to know what to do with the Sutton/Wimbledon loop, there
are/were the technical doubts about the rolling stock and automation
needed to get a zillion trains an hour through Farringdon, there seems
to be a possibility for something breaking at King's Lynn and wrecking
all the services at Eastbourne, and a while ago there was even
speculation that TfL or someone really wanted to have a North London
Line-esque Croydon to Somewhere in North London inner-suburban service,
with everyone who wants to pass through London having to change onto
then off it (at bit like on if a future High Speed N turfs everyone onto
Crossrail at some kind of West London Parkway to avoid needing to
rebuild Euston).

Maybe they could try a period of having the Thameslink service being
really broken, just to see what happens and if people can change their
travel to cope...
--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK