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I have heard that one of the reasons for building the Crossrail lines is to provide enough spare capacity that they can get away with closing one of the other l

I have heard that one of the reasons for building the Crossrail lines is to provide enough spare capacity that they can get away with closing one of the other lines for an extended period of time for long-overdue extended maintenance. In other words, they're currently running at n and want to instead run at n+2.

lmm 11y ago
I think that's more aspirational, particularly given how long it's taken. The Central line is already extremely overcrowded in the peaks, and only yesterday Canary Wharf station had to close to prevent dangerous overcrowding. Even post-Crossrail there may well not be a lot of slack. (Another example: Waterloo is overcrowded and they'd dearly like to start work on bringing the old Eurostar platforms into use. But they can't start that until work on Victoria underground station finishes, because the work will involve diverting some trains into Victoria rail station which would lead to overcrowding in the underground station if they did it while work there was still going on).
Symbiote 11y ago
That may have been an original plan, but another original plan was to start with short trains, and extend them later. Demand has increased massively since that planning, and the trains will now be the maximum length from the start. So I suspect there won't be as much spare capacity as hoped.
- bostik 11y ago
  Figures. I moved to London in late 2013, shortly before London Bridge works started. I have been joking from the start that when the works are done and London Bridge opens up fully rebuilt in 2018, it can finally handle the traffic levels of 2008. It looks like that may not have been much of a joke after all. And if there's something I've learned: all other central stations suffer from the same problems. Too much traffic, not enough capacity, not enough trains or platforms, and not even close enough space to hold the people waiting to get either on or off. At some point this city will have to take lessons from around the world and start building multi-level overground rails networks. That's the only direction there's any room to expand to.
  - Symbiote 11y ago
    I lived in London from 2004-15. There's been massive demand beyond available capacity for over a decade, but perhaps not much over a decade. That's about how long it takes to plan new lines. I used the West London Line before it was the London Overground. Within a month or two, it went from a little-used train to not getting a seat. Areas like Dalston went from being places I was warned to avoid (as a student) to having loads of new nightclubs. The closure of the East London Like wasn't a massive issue beyond the local area, few people used it. I expect the same to happen with Crossrail, and Crossrail 2. Royal Oak will become known, etc. London needs two or three of these project to be built simultaneously, to catch up to what is needed, but that can't happen - there aren't enough skilled engineers in the UK. (This is why the plan to electrify all the remaining national rail lines stalled.) Where is there a multi level rail line? I've never seen one, except within a station.

lmm 11y ago

I think that's more aspirational, particularly given how long it's taken. The Central line is already extremely overcrowded in the peaks, and only yesterday Canary Wharf station had to close to prevent dangerous overcrowding. Even post-Crossrail there may well not be a lot of slack. (Another example: Waterloo is overcrowded and they'd dearly like to start work on bringing the old Eurostar platforms into use. But they can't start that until work on Victoria underground station finishes, because the work will involve diverting some trains into Victoria rail station which would lead to overcrowding in the underground station if they did it while work there was still going on).

Symbiote 11y ago

That may have been an original plan, but another original plan was to start with short trains, and extend them later. Demand has increased massively since that planning, and the trains will now be the maximum length from the start. So I suspect there won't be as much spare capacity as hoped.

bostik 11y ago
Figures. I moved to London in late 2013, shortly before London Bridge works started. I have been joking from the start that when the works are done and London Bridge opens up fully rebuilt in 2018, it can finally handle the traffic levels of 2008. It looks like that may not have been much of a joke after all. And if there's something I've learned: all other central stations suffer from the same problems. Too much traffic, not enough capacity, not enough trains or platforms, and not even close enough space to hold the people waiting to get either on or off. At some point this city will have to take lessons from around the world and start building multi-level overground rails networks. That's the only direction there's any room to expand to.
- Symbiote 11y ago
  I lived in London from 2004-15. There's been massive demand beyond available capacity for over a decade, but perhaps not much over a decade. That's about how long it takes to plan new lines. I used the West London Line before it was the London Overground. Within a month or two, it went from a little-used train to not getting a seat. Areas like Dalston went from being places I was warned to avoid (as a student) to having loads of new nightclubs. The closure of the East London Like wasn't a massive issue beyond the local area, few people used it. I expect the same to happen with Crossrail, and Crossrail 2. Royal Oak will become known, etc. London needs two or three of these project to be built simultaneously, to catch up to what is needed, but that can't happen - there aren't enough skilled engineers in the UK. (This is why the plan to electrify all the remaining national rail lines stalled.) Where is there a multi level rail line? I've never seen one, except within a station.