London Overground to Finsbury Park

tosscat

Very noisy and busy, but I guess not much different from Seven Sisters' road, so not that much of a different world.

Donna

So we're definitely getting a connection to London Bridge in 2018? Is that correct?

Roy

Well, there's a definite intention to connect the East Coast Main Line to the Thameslink route. There's an expectation, for instance, that Cambridge trains will go to St Pancras rather than Kings Cross as a result. My understanding was that inner suburban services would continue to terminate at Kings Cross, so I'm not sure how likely it is that there will be a direct FInsbury Park to London Bridge service.

The real answer is that (a) it's really too early to tell exactly what the service pattern will be and (b) given the history of the project - Thameslink 2000 now only projected to be 18 years late - some people express considerable skepticism as to whether this will ever be completed.

-roy

Arkady

<http://londonreconnections.blogspot.com/>; This is discussed in some detail here, in the latest post. With 24 trains an hour passing between Blackfriars and St. Pancras, the following services will be in place northbound: – Bedford (MML) eight x 12-car Thameslink stock – Luton (MML) two x eight-car Thameslink stock two x 12-car Thameslink stock – St Albans (MML) four x eight-car Thameslink stock – Welwyn Garden City (ECML) four x eight-car Thameslink stock – Peterborough (ECML) two x 12-car Thameslink stock Cambridge (ECML) two x 12-car Thameslink stock

Arkady

For those that care, a little digging (not by me) in the latest Route Utilisation Strategy turned up: a) The possibility of an East Croydon - Finsbury Park peak all-stations service. This seems to extend to Welwyn Garden City, suggesting that Harringay would also be served by cross-river services. b) A suggestion that there be an increased service along the Hertford Loop, with some ex-Welwyn Garden City trains therefore being swapped to go via Hertford and Thameslink taking the strain via the East Coast route. Again, that suggests that Harringay would be served by cross-river services. c) Decisions about the above and other Thameslink service patterns will be made in 2013-14 once the final stage of work is underway.

Arkady

More you say? Go on then: "A couple of comments from the RUS on Finsbury Park: The disused eastern platform will be brought back into use with associated platform access and secondary means to exit. This will be accompanied by the extensions to some platforms for Thameslink trains. ... the train service frequency on both the Hertford Loop and to Welwyn Garden City can be expected to increase once the Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace section comprises six fully usable tracks and additional capacity overall is provided at London King’s Cross through the connection to the Thameslink tunnels. As it is difficult to lengthen the trains from Finsbury Park to Moorgate the plan is to use freed-up paths to increase the frequency. This will need improved signalling in the tunnel south of Drayton Park. My knowledge of north London suburban services is not good but my understanding is that the intention is mainly to take over existing suburban services into Kings Cross and so I am presuming that the stopping pattern is roughly the same."

Roy

And in other news, won't the National Rail station be fun once they install the ticket gates on the National Rail platforms, installation of which has been underway for some weeks now?

-roy

miss annie

Apparently the East London Line is called 'The Gingerline', and this lot... <http://www.gingerline.co.uk/>; ...have named themselves after it. Looks rather good.

Arkady

Now I love it even more.