Lea Bridge Station

[badassunicorn]

Hey,
Does anyone have any solid/recent news on the proposed redevelopment of Lea Bridge station between Stratford and Tottenham Hale? I've heard that its meant to be completed by December 2015? Any news?

 

[class303]

http://www.eppingforestguardian.co....1.Millions_to_be_spent_on_station_re_opening/

 

[Class 170101]

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[swt_passenger]

Whatever was being said in the local paper back in Sept 14, (linked above), a decision on final funding agreement was postponed only a week ago:

http://democracy.walthamforest.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=387&MId=3833&Ver=4

On the other hand, building the station by Dec 15 would be perfectly achievable if they get going in the next couple of months.

 

[Clip]

Whatever was being said in the local paper back in Sept 14, (linked above), a decision on final funding agreement was postponed only a week ago:

http://democracy.walthamforest.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=387&MId=3833&Ver=4

On the other hand, building the station by Dec 15 would be perfectly achievable if they get going in the next couple of months.

Indeed the structure hasn't looked in too bad a state whenever I pass it and that's regularly.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Is the proposed reinstatement of Hall Farm Curve and also a proposed new Chingford Hatch station dependant upon the physical opening of Lea Bridge station?

 

[306024]

Is the proposed reinstatement of Hall Farm Curve and also a proposed new Chingford Hatch station dependant upon the physical opening of Lea Bridge station?

Not to my knowledge. Lea Bridge station is pretty much an stand alone project. The time for the additional station call can be absorbed in the schedule of the existing Stratford - Stortford service between Stratford and Copper Mill Jn.

Hall Farm Curve is a bit of a solution looking for a problem. Unless TfL want to introduce a service between Chingford and Stratford (which could double the service between Walthamstow and Chingford and also call at Lea Bridge) it's use would be limited. However any future proposals to increase the number of running lines from Stratford down the Lea Valley include passive provision for Hall Farm Curve at a later date.

As for a proposed station at Chingford Hatch, it is an aspiration of the Chingford Line Users Association, but again not necessarily dependant to Lea Bridge.

 

[W230]

Hall Farm Curve is a bit of a solution looking for a problem. Unless TfL want to introduce a service between Chingford and Stratford (which could double the service between Walthamstow and Chingford and also call at Lea Bridge) it's use would be limited. However any future proposals to increase the number of running lines from Stratford down the Lea Valley include passive provision for Hall Farm Curve at a later date.

Yep. The Chingford residents quite liked the idea of being able to go direct to Stratford too, until they found out that they would possibly lose their 4 trains an hour to Liverpool Street as a result.

 

[joeykins82]

Although Lea Bridge station isn't explicitly mentioned there's a lot of interesting possibilities for WAML/GEML local services discussed in the Network Rail Improving Connectivity document. The proposals explicitly include the grade separation of Coppermill Junction and the reopening of the Hall Farm curve.

Quite what that would do to the service patterns is anyone's guess though. Maybe alternate the 4tph off peak services to Cheshunt & Chingford with 2 going via Stratford and 2 via Hackney Downs?

 

[mr_jrt]

Still think they're wasting an opportunity by not having four tracks through the rebuilt station just to save money on the buildings.

 

[HowardGWR]

It seems a somewhat remote location and I wonder if some redevelopment to make the location more 'lived in' such as a local store and perhaps some dwellings could make it safer for users?

 

[leytongabriel]

Lea Bridge Station is apparently going to be discussed with transport representatives at Lea Bridge Community Forum on Weds 4th March. See Walthm Forest website for details or Save Lea Marsh FB page.

 

[class303]

Still think they're wasting an opportunity by not having four tracks through the rebuilt station just to save money on the buildings.

What does it have 2 services an hour in each direction? Why the need for 4 tracks?

 

[joeykins82]

If plans come to fruition there may be upwards of 12tph each way (4 Stansted Express, 4 Chingford, 4 Cheshunt/Broxbourne). I don't think that 4-tracking Stratford to Coppermill Junction would be worthwhile myself, and by the looks of it NR don't either.

 

[mr_jrt]

What does it have 2 services an hour in each direction? Why the need for 4 tracks?

Basically, it means you can project all services to/from Stratford without loss of capacity. Being able to route everything via Stratford once Crossrail creates paths west of there enables more connectivity as Stratford is a regional hub.

If plans come to fruition there may be upwards of 12tph each way (4 Stansted Express, 4 Chingford, 4 Cheshunt/Broxbourne). I don't think that 4-tracking Stratford to Coppermill Junction would be worthwhile myself, and by the looks of it NR don't either.

I also think it would be worthwhile projecting LO from Stratford, and keeping the express services and stopping services separate is essential to get enough paths...not to mention the freight.

Naturally, Crossrail 2 impacts this massively, but we shall see.

 

[jopsuk]

Lee Bridge definitely doesn't need four track. The core Lea Valley does, though ideally (and vastly more expensively) it would be four track from Hackney Downs North Junction all the way through to Broxbourne Junction (for the Hertford East branch) with local services up that core handed over to LO and effectively giving Cambridge/Stansted services their own express tracks through.

 

[306024]

Although Lea Bridge station isn't explicitly mentioned there's a lot of interesting possibilities for WAML/GEML local services discussed in the Network Rail Improving Connectivity document. The proposals explicitly include the grade separation of Coppermill Junction and the reopening of the Hall Farm curve.

Quite what that would do to the service patterns is anyone's guess though. Maybe alternate the 4tph off peak services to Cheshunt & Chingford with 2 going via Stratford and 2 via Hackney Downs?

I still can't find anyone who knows where the money is coming from to fund any of the improving connectivity ideas, so I wouldn't worry about those unduly.

 

[leytongabriel]

Stella Creasey, MP for Walthamstow, reports that three freight operators have objected to Lea Bridge station rebuilding plans and they have had to go back to the the council. Anyone know any more about this?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Lee Bridge definitely doesn't need four track. The core Lea Valley does, though ideally (and vastly more expensively) it would be four track from Hackney Downs North Junction all the way through to Broxbourne Junction (for the Hertford East branch) with local services up that core handed over to LO and effectively giving Cambridge/Stansted services their own express tracks through.

The STAR ( Stratford-Angel Road) quadrupling is a separate issue and as far as I know, unfunded. But some of us locals fear that a half-hourly service stopping at Lea Bridge in an (inner) urban area just isn't going to be attractive and passenger numbers will make the expensive re-opening seem a failure. A walk-on LO four-an-hour service would be a different matter. Leaving the desperately slow Statford-Stanstead service free to leave out stations before Chesunt or Broxbourne? How much slower would trains going via Statford instead of trundling through Hackney Downs really be, and could the current crawl into Stratford be speeded up at a reasonable cost??

 

[Chris125]

The STAR ( Stratford-Angel Road) quadrupling is a separate issue and as far as I know, unfunded.

The first phase is funded and it's described in the Enhancements Delivery Plan as 'West Anglia Main Line Capacity Increase'

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/cp5-delivery-plan/cp5-enhancements-delivery-plan.pdf

The current strategic plan is to increase capacity on the West Anglia route by providing an additional pair of tracks from Coppermill Junction northwards towards Broxbourne. This scheme will implement the first part of this, and is intended to address the medium-term demand arising from industrial and residential developments in the vicinity of Lea Bridge, Tottenham Hale, Northumberland Park and Angel Road stations with a view to achieving a standard 4 tph service between Stratford and Angel Road Stations. This project will provide the infrastructure to support an additional 2tph from the Lea Valley to Stratford.​

Chris

 

[swt_passenger]

Stella Creasey, MP for Walthamstow, reports that three freight operators have objected to Lea Bridge station rebuilding plans and they have had to go back to the the council. Anyone know any more about this?

I wouldn't have thought this would be a planning activity from the council's perspective, it's far more likely that the FOCs are objecting to the operational implications of the station.

Having now searched in the Network Change Notices section of NR's website, both Freightliner and GBRf are objecting to the Network Change for various reasons to do with signalling, and standage problems. If (as seems likely) DBS would also be objecting on similar grounds (however there isn't a letter from them on the website yet) perhaps that explains the MP's comments?

 

[Class377/5]

Lea Bridge won't need to be four track. North of Coppermill Junction the plan is for four tracks. There is already effectively for tracks south on the two routes. There will only be a single station between Tottenham Hale and Stratford anyway so four tracking is an expensive luxury with pretty much no benefit even to express services.

 

[leytongabriel]

Extract from Stella Creasey MP's newsletter:

"Regenerating Walthamstow: Lea Bridge Station & St James St Updates
This week I have had updates on two local regeneration projects which I know are of interest to local residents. Firstly, many residents have been in touch regarding the proposed rebuilding and opening of the Lea Bridge Station which was planned for December 2015. The Council have now informed me that three rail freight operators have raised objections during the consultation regarding the new station proposals. I have been assured that Network Rail are now working through the objections with the rail freight operators and the council are confident they can be resolved to allow work to start. It is not currently clear how long it will take to resolve these objections. The Council expects to have a better idea "during the spring" as to when the works are likely to start. I have asked for more information on this and will update this e-newsletter as soon as I have details as to what this may mean for this project."