The DLR at West India Quay was rebuilt with a flying junction for Bank to Lewisham trains to avoid the flat junctions (in passing, the nearest thing you will find to a roller-coaster this side of Thorpe Park - sit at the front). This line is unable to call at West India Quay southbound. When first opened it was only used in daytime; at late evenings etc it continued to use the old way and stop there, but now the flyover is always used. As a by-product it meant the Stratford to Canary Wharf route, which needs very close control with its single-line sections, is thus wholly independent of the other DLR routes, and thus can run at its own frequency instead of having to be interleaved with the other lines, and/or importing its delays to them, which was really the flyover's greatest benefit.
The District Line peak hour nonstops of the 1950s-60s were when it was running at 40 trains per hour (beat that, modern computer signalling). After some track alterations, for westbound trains when the Circle Line turned off just east (then) of South Ken, the following Richmond non-stopped South Ken and Gloucester Road. Likewise when a District turned off for Wimbledon the following Ealing non-stopped West Ken and Barons Court, all to even out the intervals.
The minor stations, now closed, skipped by alternate Piccadilly Line trains, which platform porters indicated by shouting "Passing xxxx" station, seemed to fascinate the pre-war literature world; there was a West End play called "Passing Brompton Road", and then later no less than John Betjeman wrote a thriller radio play about South Kentish Town and getting trapped in there.
The peak hour "skip-stop" Subway trains described above existed in several US cities; Chicago also had several such lines. The very lengthy routes into suburbia and the frequent stops - you can commonly see the stations either side when waiting - means progress is slow and tedious to the line extremities, so it was a way of speeding things up as well. They have tended to be withdrawn as the suburban areas outside the centre served by such lines lose their population and have reduced frequencies.
The District Line peak hour nonstops of the 1950s-60s were when it was running at 40 trains per hour (beat that, modern computer signalling). After some track alterations, for westbound trains when the Circle Line turned off just east (then) of South Ken, the following Richmond non-stopped South Ken and Gloucester Road. Likewise when a District turned off for Wimbledon the following Ealing non-stopped West Ken and Barons Court, all to even out the intervals.
The minor stations, now closed, skipped by alternate Piccadilly Line trains, which platform porters indicated by shouting "Passing xxxx" station, seemed to fascinate the pre-war literature world; there was a West End play called "Passing Brompton Road", and then later no less than John Betjeman wrote a thriller radio play about South Kentish Town and getting trapped in there.
The peak hour "skip-stop" Subway trains described above existed in several US cities; Chicago also had several such lines. The very lengthy routes into suburbia and the frequent stops - you can commonly see the stations either side when waiting - means progress is slow and tedious to the line extremities, so it was a way of speeding things up as well. They have tended to be withdrawn as the suburban areas outside the centre served by such lines lose their population and have reduced frequencies.
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