On Thu, 22 Mar 2012 11:10:06 +0000
David Cantrell wrote:
It makes sense to me. An awful lot of journeys will be a hell of a lot
shorter than Maidenhead (not Reading) to Shenfield, and even for those
few people going all the way, it's only an hour and a half, as near as
damnit the same as Richmond to Upminster, which also has no bogs and
no-one seems to mind that.

I suspect the central bit will be packed as people use it as an alternative
to the tube (assuming Oyster will be valid and they're not going to try it
on with special fares). I don't think you'd want smelly , possibly blocked
toilets in the carraige in that scenario.

B2003

On Mar 22, 11:47*am, wrote:
On Thu, 22 Mar 2012 11:10:06 +0000

David Cantrell wrote:
It makes sense to me. *An awful lot of journeys will be a hell of a lot
shorter than Maidenhead (not Reading) to Shenfield, and even for those
few people going all the way, it's only an hour and a half, as near as
damnit the same as Richmond to Upminster, which also has no bogs and
no-one seems to mind that.

I suspect the central bit will be packed as people use it as an alternative
to the tube (assuming Oyster will be valid and they're not going to try it
on with special fares). I don't think you'd want smelly , possibly blocked
toilets in the carraige in that scenario.

By the time Crossrail is built, Paddington to Reading will be
electrified. Crossrail will run to Reading.

Thameslink has on board facilities. Thameslink's central section is
extremely well utilized.

On Thu, 22 Mar 2012 05:23:19 -0700 (PDT)
77002 wrote:
By the time Crossrail is built, Paddington to Reading will be
electrified. Crossrail will run to Reading.

Well yes, thats part of the scheme.

Thameslink has on board facilities. Thameslink's central section is
extremely well utilized.

But not really in the same league. Its nowhere near as long and is (was) very
slow with a poor service. Speaking as someone who used to work at blackfriars
for a couple of years I can safely say that it was often quicker to walk to
farringdon and get the tube to KX than wait for a thameslink train to show
up and crawl its way up there.

B2003

On Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:46:55 +0000 (UTC), d
wrote:

On Thu, 22 Mar 2012 05:23:19 -0700 (PDT)
77002 wrote:
By the time Crossrail is built, Paddington to Reading will be
electrified. Crossrail will run to Reading.

Well yes, thats part of the scheme.

Is it? When was that announced?


Thameslink has on board facilities. Thameslink's central section is
extremely well utilized.

But not really in the same league. Its nowhere near as long and is (was) very
slow with a poor service. Speaking as someone who used to work at blackfriars
for a couple of years I can safely say that it was often quicker to walk to
farringdon and get the tube to KX than wait for a thameslink train to show
up and crawl its way up there.

Presumably improved now that the Moorgate branch is no more? But
there's still the need to change voltage at Farringdon, something that
won't be needed with XRail.

On Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:18:40 +0000
Recliner wrote:
On Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:46:55 +0000 (UTC), d
wrote:

On Thu, 22 Mar 2012 05:23:19 -0700 (PDT)
77002 wrote:
By the time Crossrail is built, Paddington to Reading will be
electrified. Crossrail will run to Reading.

Well yes, thats part of the scheme.

Is it? When was that announced?

Unofficially. Maidenhead is hardly the most logical place for a terminus.

Presumably improved now that the Moorgate branch is no more? But

Perhaps, I haven't been on it since that closed. Though given that section
didn't have much traffic

there's still the need to change voltage at Farringdon, something that
won't be needed with XRail.

That takes seconds. The main issue when I used it was the slow speed on the
line itself and the constant stopping.

B2003

On Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:03:36 +0000 (UTC), d
wrote:

On Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:18:40 +0000
Recliner wrote:
On Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:46:55 +0000 (UTC), d
wrote:

On Thu, 22 Mar 2012 05:23:19 -0700 (PDT)
77002 wrote:
By the time Crossrail is built, Paddington to Reading will be
electrified. Crossrail will run to Reading.

Well yes, thats part of the scheme.

Is it? When was that announced?

Unofficially. Maidenhead is hardly the most logical place for a terminus.

So it hasn't been announced, and isn't part of the plan, but is just
your presumption. Given that it's a TfL managed project, and is
ordering sans-toilet trains, Maidenhead may be as far west as it
should go.


Presumably improved now that the Moorgate branch is no more? But

Perhaps, I haven't been on it since that closed. Though given that section
didn't have much traffic

there's still the need to change voltage at Farringdon, something that
won't be needed with XRail.

That takes seconds. The main issue when I used it was the slow speed on the
line itself and the constant stopping.

Maybe also connected with the rebuilding of Blackfriars station?
Certainly, it should be much quicker once the project is complete
(including London Bridge and the new tracks between the two).

On Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:06:09 +0000
Recliner wrote:
Unofficially. Maidenhead is hardly the most logical place for a terminus.

So it hasn't been announced, and isn't part of the plan, but is just
your presumption. Given that it's a TfL managed project, and is
ordering sans-toilet trains, Maidenhead may be as far west as it
should go.

AFAIK the line to reading is "protected". Whatever that means in practice.

That takes seconds. The main issue when I used it was the slow speed on the
line itself and the constant stopping.

Maybe also connected with the rebuilding of Blackfriars station?

They hadn't even started on that when I worked down there. This was 2006-2007.

Certainly, it should be much quicker once the project is complete
(including London Bridge and the new tracks between the two).

Given the money spent one would hope so.

B2003

On Thu, Mar 22, 2012 at 05:23:19AM -0700, 77002 wrote:
On Mar 22, 11:47=A0am, wrote:
On Thu, 22 Mar 2012 11:10:06 +0000
David Cantrell wrote:
It makes sense to me. =A0An awful lot of journeys will be a hell of a lo=
t
shorter than Maidenhead (not Reading) to Shenfield, and even for those
few people going all the way, it's only an hour and a half, as near as
damnit the same as Richmond to Upminster, which also has no bogs and
no-one seems to mind that.
I suspect the central bit will be packed as people use it as an alternati=
ve
to the tube (assuming Oyster will be valid and they're not going to try i=
t
on with special fares). I don't think you'd want smelly , possibly blocke=
d
toilets in the carraige in that scenario.
Thameslink has on board facilities. Thameslink's central section is
extremely well utilized.

Brighton to Bedford is nearly an hour longer journey, so there's more
reason to have bogs on the trains.

--
David Cantrell | Hero of the Information Age

I apologize if I offended you personally,
I intended to do it professionally.
-- Steve Champeon, on the nanog list