The details of work to be done are in the Chiltern 73rd track access application (TAA).  It was linked to in the first post, but now that the consultation is complete, it has changed locations on the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) site.

Now at:  http://tinyurl.com/ydf6rty  - the NR site includes the TAA and all the draft timetables, or

http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/s22-chiltern-73sa-application-form.pdf - ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) site for TAA only.

Section 6 of the TAA lists all the infrastructure work.  No detailed timetable, but going by the rest of the form they are aiming at completion for Dec 2010...

Interestingly (and a separate issue to the infrastructure work really) there are a number of objections to the new timetable that have appeared in a file on the ORR website.  Including the obligatory 'revenue abstraction' issue from Virgin, cos Chiltern's service will be improved. More surprisingly, ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) also have objections, on the assumption that their services will already be running during next year...   

http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/s22-chiltern-73sa-responses.pdf

Edit: It can only be the mainline part of Evergreen 3 that could be signed off so far, as Bicester - Oxford still has to go through the TWA Order approval procedures?

Paul

It would be good to switch off the coach numbers once they have split down to a single unit though. 

One point not mentioned is that on Southern the SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) is automatic, and can deal with individual coaches, so off the mainlines you'll also get messages explaining which doors will be usable at the next station.

Paul

One month on from my post that started this thread, the latest Modern Railways (Dec edition) now suggests that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) will not get any of LO's 150s, these 6 will now go to EMT^» (East Midlands Trains - about).

Often these switch rounds are all about sorting out the stock into similarly lifed batches, or making sure a particular TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) has economies of scale in dealing with only one ROSCo, so it isn't that significant I guess.

Paul

90 mins to the deadline? Cutting it fine then...

Paul

And presumably the First Class pax will have furthest of all to walk.   Poor things...

Paul

Network Rail's plans for the southern bay online today:

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/content/detail.aspx?ReleaseID=4835&NewsAreaID=2&SearchCategoryID=8

Paul

BAM Nuttall's news release clarifies this (after a fashion).

http://www.bamnuttall.co.uk/news/NOV09/BAM_Nuttall_awarded_first_Reading_Station_Civils_Package.html

Looks like it is definitely the bridges at Caversham Rd (mentioned in the text) and Vastern Rd (photo caption) - but I've emailed the chap to confirm exactly what is involved - I believe it is widening the rail deck to allow for more tracks in both cases.

Paul

Of course this is just the famous refresh that was announced at the franchise change.

Then when the 'remedial programme' was announced, the S of S at the time told us all that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) were going to make early changes to the Turbo Fleet as part of their 'punishment'.  Which was just so much politician's spin because...

...then, absolutely nothing happened, and FGW said they hadn't agreed that at all, and the refresh would take place in due course, ie 2010 as planned.

Paul

 

Regarding the ECML^▸ (East Coast Main Line) I'd suggest the exact opposite. ECMLCo are already recruiting for the additional staff they need for the December 2010 '5 tph' standard pattern timetable.

If you think about it, if DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) cancelled all the SLC2 extras because they claimed they couldn't afford them, or there weren't the increases in pax numbers predicted - it would create a bit of a precedent. All the other TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) would probaly immediately ask if they could withdraw all their recently contracted improvements on the same grounds, eg Southerns required extra services, Virgin's train lengthening etc.   Closer to home, what would there be to stop SWT^▸ (South West Trains) asking to cancel the hourly Exeter service due to the downturn in passenger numbers?

Paul

I think there's too much reduction in journey opportunities there. Portsmouth - Cardiff should remain an hourly through service, it does provide the only fast Portsmouth - Southampton after all.

Paul

Network Rail and SWT^▸ (South West Trains) reporting normal timetable from tomorrow morning. The NR^» (Network Rail - home page) press release here:

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/content/detail.aspx?ReleaseID=4827&NewsAreaID=2&SearchCategoryID=8

includes a picture (large version downloadable) showing that two tracks have been laid, the 'location boxes' on the left of the picture can precisely determine the orientation if you look at an aerial view, they were on the down (south) side of the track beforehand.

Three Cheers for the track teams I reckon, should be less crowded at Reading, but probably not tomorrow as no-one will realise...

Paul

Travelcards will still be available for through journeys (outboundary travelcards). The major difference from January is that for 'ordinary travelcards' (those sold within the zonal area), the Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) PAYG^▸ (Pay as you go) daily cap will now be the same as the equivalent Travelcard price. Currently the Oyster PAYG daily cap is 50p less than the travelcard equivalent, TfL^» (Transport for London - about)'s explanation is that this was because PAYG didn't cover the majority of the National Rail services within the zones, but now it will.

I think initially though, a few years ago, the explanation was that the 50p reduction was an incentive to use Oyster rather than buy a paper travelcard.  Academic now really though...

The London Reconnections article is good for a list of the fares, and most of the comments are to do with these extension permits - OEPs. It's a tough read to get right to the end, but the bottom line appears to be that the current system has a bit of a loophole that TfL aren't worried about, but the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) are. At the moment, someone with a Travelcard Season loaded on Oyster, who travels from his normal zones, Z1-2 say, without touching out in say Z6, will go undetected and not be charged the correct PAYG extension.  The TOCs obviously don't want to allow this because unlike LU, many of their outer zone stations have no barriers, although they'll have Oyster validators. Hope that sums it up adequately.

Paul

  - the usual 'single fare priced at nearly the same as a return' rip off then...

Paul

One of the complexities of the new scheme is that there won't be any consistency. As discussed elsewhere, there will be three types of fare, TfL^» (Transport for London - about) only (ie Tube/DLR^▸ (Docklands Light Railway)/Overground), NR^» (Network Rail - home page) only, and TfL/NR.  So far so good.

First problem comes with the historic joint LU/NR fare availability routes, and there are quite a few. Examples are Upminster - Fenchurch St, Stratford - Liverpool St, Finsbury Park - Moorgate.
 
There will be routes where they just won't be able to tell how you travelled, and a good example is Ealing Broadway to Paddington direct with FGW^▸ (First Great Western), funnily enough. Here the barriers at both ends of the journey are joint LU/NR. A poster in another forum reckoned he'd been told by 'someone in FGW' that they had already agreed to stick with the TfL scales anyway, as part of their early agreement to accept Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) PAYG^▸ (Pay as you go).

Another example could be Kensington Olympia to Wimbledon - again the barriers at either end are joint TfL/NR so won't be able to determine the route taken, ie District Line only, or perhaps SN and SWT^▸ (South West Trains) via Clapham Junction, as no intermediate gatelines will be passed through. 

It seems to me that the only way to predict what you'll be charged is to use the online TfL single fare finder, making sure you select the right 'gateline' where there are two shown, eg Waterloo[NR] or Waterloo[LU] etc...

Another fairly major change, gleaned from various TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) websites, is that from PAYG go live on Jan 2nd, all fares within the zonal area will be singles, either Anytime (Peak) or Offpeak - with an afternoon peak period introduced where they don't currently exist, basically the 3 'southern' TOCs. Offpeak Day Returns will disappear, to be replaced by two offpeak singles.  (SWT's site for example states 'Off peak return tickets withdrawn and replaced by Oyster PAYG off-peak fares' - can we assume from that wording that paper singles will still be sold?)

Paul

Is this really only a one way trip?

Just that Exeter - Doncaster via Birmingham is ^106 for an Offpeak Return valid for 30 days.
As a long distance XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) route the 'Offpeak' is valid on all services.

Paul