Good to see that the WCML-WLL service will be extended back northwards again. I imagine (judging by the number of people who connect into it at Watford from points north) this will be a very popular move.
At the south end I'm not so sure (given that it will end up being truncated to Clapham Jn rather than Gatwick) but then again there are a wide variety of destinations available from Clapham Jn as compared to Watford Jn, and so you'd only have pleased a small subset of passengers by running to Brighton.
> Good to see that the WCML-WLL service will be extended back northwards > again. I imagine (judging by the number of people who connect into it > at Watford from points north) this will be a very popular move.
> At the south end I'm not so sure (given that it will end up being > truncated to Clapham Jn rather than Gatwick) but then again there are > a wide variety of destinations available from Clapham Jn as compared > to Watford Jn, and so you'd only have pleased a small subset of > passengers by running to Brighton.
The difficulty (according to London Travelwatch) is using platform 17 at CJ for turning out a whole train of connecting pax. What I was wondering though, if LO are going to have an extra two tph on the WLL, why can't they just be projected south over the slow lines to replace the short lived 2 tph East Croydon - Shepherds Bush service?
It is noticeable that there is very little said about transferring SL Metro routes to LO, perhaps this has gone off the boil with Ken's departure. Also, despite recent rumours, particularly Ken's hints during a TV debate, the ELLX phase 2 is still confirmed unfunded.
Recliner wrote: > Yes, that surprised me, too -- is the short duration something to do > with Thameslink?
Funny you should say that - the following para. is on page 21: 'The franchise length is shorter than the Department would normally let. However, this gives maximum flexibility to redefine the South Central and Thameslink Great Northern (First Capital Connect) franchises in 2015, when the Thameslink Programme is complete. The current First Capital Connect franchise will end in March 2015, if continued to its maximum length.'
Mind you, this new South Central franchise is only 2 months shorter than the current TLGN franchise (excluding any extensions that the DfT wishes to grant to either franchise). For some reason, the DfT have included that optional extension within their above description of the TLGN franchise, but not the new SC franchise.
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