Class 387 coming to Thames Valley - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

I'm hearing that the plan is to operate four extra trains between Hayes and Paddington, using 387s, from the May timetable change.  One in the morning and three in the evening. 

Not quite right - looks like 2 in the morning, three in the evening :-)

Great stuff - the more the better!

[ChrisB]

And if you want to travel on the first GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) public electric service from Hayes, better get there for 0724 on the 16th May.

An update - better make that 0718.....

And from Jan17 (not Dec16 - will need a crossover constructed over Xmas 16 at Hayes East), there will be 2x8car EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) hourly Hayes<>PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)

[IndustryInsider]

I'm guessing the crossover east of Hayes will be to allow for the use of the newly extended bay platform with these 8-car trains.  It could not be extended to that length without alterations to the track layout.

[SandTEngineer]

The Bay Platform at Hayes and Harlington is being extended at the country (Reading) end to make the platform 218m long.  The entry points from the Up Relief to the Bay Platform are being relaid to increase the PSR^▸ (Permanent Speed Restriction) from 15mph to 25mph.  A new facing crossover between the Down Relief and Up Relief is being provided just East of the station to avoid trains having to run in the Down direction on the Up Relief all the way from Southall West Junction to Hayes and Harlington to access the Bay Platform as exists today (but that is not really needed until the full Crossrail service starts).

[Electric train]

Also the work on platforms 13 & 14 at Padd must be to accommodate the 8 car trains.  There is some steel works laying around under Bishops Bridge Rd which looks like its there for these platforms.

To generate the paths out of Padd I guess the new bay at West Ealing will need to be completed to allow the Greenford to shuttle

[John R]

Sorry if I'm being a bit dense here but once Crossrail is up and running what will be the purpose of the bay?  I thought I read that West Drayton was going to be the start/end of peak short workings. 

[Surrey 455]

The Bay Platform at Hayes and Harlington is being extended at the country (Reading) end to make the platform 218m long. 

The distance between the existing buffers and the station toilets is 20 metres. Is that going to be enough space to lengthen the track?

[SandTEngineer]

The Bay Platform at Hayes and Harlington is being extended at the country (Reading) end to make the platform 218m long. 

The distance between the existing buffers and the station toilets is 20 metres. Is that going to be enough space to lengthen the track?

The signalling scheme plan I have access to shows the track extending as far as the end of the Up Relief platform country end ramp (Through the site of the existing footbridge steps etc.?).

[Surrey 455]

Oh

The Bay Platform at Hayes and Harlington is being extended at the country (Reading) end to make the platform 218m long. 

The distance between the existing buffers and the station toilets is 20 metres. Is that going to be enough space to lengthen the track?

The signalling scheme plan I have access to shows the track extending as far as the end of the Up Relief platform country end ramp (Through the site of the existing footbridge steps etc.?).

Oh ok, there was work over Christmas so perhaps platform 5 and track were moved. Previously the platform was to the side of the footbridge.

https://goo.gl/maps/rWU6kpgRveB2

[stuving]

The Bay Platform at Hayes and Harlington is being extended at the country (Reading) end to make the platform 218m long. 

The distance between the existing buffers and the station toilets is 20 metres. Is that going to be enough space to lengthen the track?

The signalling scheme plan I have access to shows the track extending as far as the end of the Up Relief platform country end ramp (Through the site of the existing footbridge steps etc.?).

Crossrail drawing 318 shows that the platform is significantly widened, so the bay track is on top of the old siding (or headshunt) and goes on to take over at least 200 m of the goods loop before it joins the Up Crossrail. The bay platform is also extended a little at its east end, where the through platforms are being extended a lot more. Those drawings do not show any new crossover, though, so that must be an afterthought. 

[paul7575]

To generate the paths out of Padd I guess the new bay at West Ealing will need to be completed to allow the Greenford to shuttle

That has already been confirmed as a prerequisite due in May 2016, it's in the direct award stakeholder brief.

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

Crossrail drawing 318 shows that the platform is significantly widened, so the bay track is on top of the old siding (or headshunt) and goes on to take over at least 200 m of the goods loop before it joins the Up Crossrail. The bay platform is also extended a little at its east end, where the through platforms are being extended a lot more. Those drawings do not show any new crossover, though, so that must be an afterthought. 

Yes, that tarries with what can currently be seen on the ground.  If you look at the current Google Earth image you can see a short section of that new track finishing in a shiny red stop block.  There is new track laid further along the alignment of the old Hayes Up Siding now which allows for the platforms to be extended westwards by at least 20 metres, maybe slightly more if it can go behind the station buildings.  The old platform was quite long anyway at 171m, so the remaining 25-30 metres required will probably be at the eastern end with the junction on to the main line the other side of the canal to allow for that extension and a higher speed turnout.

Is the western end entry to Hayes Up Goods Loop (and the stone terminal) altered on your signalling diagrams SandT Engineer?  It looks like it would have to be to allow the above layout?

Sorry if I'm being a bit dense here but once Crossrail is up and running what will be the purpose of the bay?  I thought I read that West Drayton was going to be the start/end of peak short workings. 

I guess when its up and running it will be mostly used as it is now - for when things have gone wrong and trains can't get through to Heathrow or West Drayton.  Though in the intervening years it looks like it will become very useful for these extra Hayes to London EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) services.

[W5tRailfinder]

If you look at the planning application for Hayes and Harlington Station works on the Hillingdon council planning site, you will see that Platform 5 platform face will be 237.65 metres and the existing buildings on Platform 4 will be removed.

Of course, if you read the Environmental Statement of the Crossrail Act 2007, it states that Platform 5 was to be a through platform connecting with the Up Airport Relief from Stockley Flyover. To save costs, the rebuilding of Station Road bridge, this idea was eventually dropped. I wonder if the present arrangement has been future proofed.

At Christmas, the connection between the Down Relief and the current Up Airport (to become the Down Airport Relief) was made. This new connection was used last weekend when the main lines were closed.

Back to the 387s, with TPWS^▸ (Train Protection and Warning System) to be installed on the Heathrow Branch, could the 387s be extended from Hayes to the Airport Terminal 4, especially once Stockley Flyover is completed? With Heathrow Connect also diverted from T5 to T4, they could then dispense with the existing shuttle. (By the way I work at Heathrow and use the Connect service - as an airport worker you only pay ^1.50 from H&H).

[Electric train]

Sorry if I'm being a bit dense here but once Crossrail is up and running what will be the purpose of the bay?  I thought I read that West Drayton was going to be the start/end of peak short workings. 

Perturbation, in the event the Heathrow branch is blocked it allows Heathrow trains to terminate and reverse.  Also if there is an incident further west on the Reliefs it will also allow Crossrail trains to terminate and reverse

[SandTEngineer]

Is the western end entry to Hayes Up Goods Loop (and the stone terminal) altered on your signalling diagrams SandT Engineer?  It looks like it would have to be to allow the above layout?

There is no alteration shown to the existing Hayes Up Goods Line S&C^▸ (Settle and Carlisle ) connections.  The entry points on the Up Relief are between the Bay Line points and the Up Relief end of the new facing crossover (Health Warning: The Signalling Scheme Plan version I have access to is dated 2010 so could be out of date)