Really is great news, particularly for those people who rely on it in the morning peak! Incredible frequency. It will be even better next year when we get the increased frequency and evening and weekend service on the Moorgate Line - will make the interchange at Hi&I even more useful.
That is great news, I guess they realised people were mostly avoiding FCC due to these bottlenecks (me, for example). <div><br><div><span style="font-size: 10pt;">It does show up the FCC twitter feed as being plain bollocks too, as they have always contended that 'FCC trains are not held up to allow passing high speed trains' (ask anyone at Harringay who's stood and watched trains be held indefinitely at AP, only to see an EC train whizz past). </span></div><div><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 10pt;">"Nope, everything is running to timetable - please pay your £4.80 for travelling 100 yards in/out of Zone 3, for trains you cannot board at peak, Thank you..." It might even become worth the money (doubtful)</span></div></div>
The bit that excites me the most is the forthcoming evening and weekend service to Moorgate. I have friends at Drayton Park, and often want to head to the Essex Road/Old Street area - be great to be able to use this service after 22:00 and at weekends.
It is good news but that's about as high as the Victoria line can go in frequency over the next few years - 36 per hour is potentiall feasible and then that is the absolute maximum. The problem is that growth is forecast to increase substantially over the next 5,10,20 years and without any increased capacity the Vic line will get very busy. Thameslink will offer some relief but compared to the increased capacity other lines will get over the next 20 years (Northern line 50% increase, Pic 40-50%, Central ~20%) expect some uncomfortable journeys in 2020 and beyond.<br>
Fast travel to/from Old Street at evenings and weekends is definitely an exciting prospect; it's so irritating at present that you can get there quickly ahead of a gig, but then have to go round the houses when returning.
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