Chris Grayling, SoS for Transport, signed off the Transport and Works Act Order, for the extension of the Barking - Gospel Oak service to Barking Riverside, last week.

http://www.railjournal.com/index.php...tml?channel=00

Decision letter - https://www.gov.uk/government/public...order-decision

Inspector's report - https://www.gov.uk/government/public...pectors-report

A few interesting things in the report.

1. Provision to be made for a station, with island platform, to be added at Renwick Road.

2. Lots of argument from one petitioner about the elevated line structure into Riverside preventing a cross Thames tunnel to Abbey Wood. This was dismissed by the Inspector who was content that unlocking the extra housing at Barking Riverside would compensate for any monetary loss if the elevated alignment has to be demolished if a tunnelled link is eventually constructed..

3. Interesting comments from TfL about possibly running a 6 tph passenger service *and* 6 freights an hour on the GOBLIN itself. Not quite sure how that works current signalling.

4. Another interesting possibility of extending planned peak extra trains from Enfield to Seven Sisters onwards to Barking via the S Tott curve. As the trains will be common stock in future this would give 6 tph from S Tott to Barking in the peaks. No timescale given, though, for this possible variant service.

--
Paul C
via Google