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 Mar 23, 9:28*am, wrote:
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.

The assumption that Crossrail will run to Reading is a reasonable
one. Maidenhead was chosen as the Western Terminus in order to keep
the project within budget. If this remains the case, trains for the
section beyond Maidenhead will share the reliefs from a flat Junction
beyond Paddington to Maidenhead. At Maidenhead Crossrail reversal
will have to be handled within the two relief lines which will coping
with said thru trains.

Meanwhile, the route is being electrified to Reading where ample new
platform accomodation is being constructed. This is happening under a
budget outwith Crossrails.

So, no, the powers that be do not admit that Crossrail will run to
Reading. Received wisdom is that it will.

On Fri, 23 Mar 2012 04:57:19 -0700 (PDT)
77002 wrote:
Meanwhile, the route is being electrified to Reading where ample new

Is this going to be the first stage of the electrification of the whole
GWR main line or is that still pie in the sky?

So, no, the powers that be do not admit that Crossrail will run to
Reading. Received wisdom is that it will.

If the infrastructure is already going to be there anyway there's no really
good reason not to.

B2003