Overground opening

[Capybara]

Next week apparently. Couldn't find anything about it on this board, surprisingly. Anyone know anything?

BBC

 

[MCR247]

Great, the week after I go

-_-

 

[causton]

I hear that they are running test trains just before it opens I think for a few days, all trains will be running as the new service to Highbury and Islington but empty as a trial run.

 

[Wolfie]

I hear that they are running test trains just before it opens I think for a few days, all trains will be running as the new service to Highbury and Islington but empty as a trial run.

Correct, there were trains for Highbury & Islington showing on the electronic information board in the booking office at Canonbury this morning, and on Platform 1 and, when I arrived at Highbury a test train was just departing eastbound.

 

[A0wen]

Now what would be really useful would be at weekends to run through the Canonbury tunnel and up to Finsbury Park - providing far better connections than H&L does at weekends.

 

[swt_passenger]

Now what would be really useful would be at weekends to run through the Canonbury tunnel and up to Finsbury Park - providing far better connections than H&L does at weekends.

Not possible though. The flat connection necessary across the North London Line tracks would eat up too many NLL and freight paths, especially once the NLL is up to 6 tph offpeak (8tph peak) from May 2011.

 

[Afro Jay]

I've been working at Dalston Junction the last few days and customers have been more confused than usual with the West Croydon and Crystal Palace trains now appearing (from Highbury and Islington) as opposed to just being on the platform for ages. Can't wait for the service to begin properly!

 

[Waddon]

I noticed this morning that the route maps on the inside of the trains have been changed to show the through service to Highbury & Islington, so it can't be far away...

 

[PhilipW]

Monday 28 Februray is confirmed as the opening day with the first train scheduled for 09:55.

http://londonreconnections.blogspot.com/

 

[JoeGJ1984]

This has come about extremely quietly; no mention on the TfL website!

 

[313103]

I can confirm officially that the service will start on Monday. This news has come from the Managing Director of London Overground Mr Steve Murphy as he addressed a group of staff at a meeting yesterday. I was one of the staff present.

No times were given for the start time, just the date.

 

[Waddon]

Well obviously not everyone at Overground knows about it, because I asked one of their staff at a station local to me this morning and he said its opening in three weeks time! I won't name the station to avoid embarrassment...

 

[317 forever]

Talking of London Overground openings, the service to Clapham Junction was at one stage due to open in October 2011. However, according to Wikipedia it will open in May 2012. Time will tell which is the correct date.

 

[PhilipW]

Talking of London Overground openings, the service to Clapham Junction was at one stage due to open in October 2011. However, according to Wikipedia it will open in May 2012. Time will tell which is the correct date.

2012 is the planned date, probably late 2012.

The scheme is not part of the planned infrastructure improvements for the Olympics and is not scheduled to be open by then. It is even possible that work on the scheme may have to be suspended during the Olympics as there will be little to no impact on existing services caused by engineering works during the Games.

 

[Waddon]

This has come about extremely quietly; no mention on the TfL website!

I must say I don't like the way TFL generally seems reluctant to promote any of the new works they carry out... it's almost as if they are embarrased about the work they do! Few posters, no special announcements... I was at stratford on the day the new DLR platforms came into use, and all there was was one or two people standing around, directing passengers and saying the old platform's closed... wouldn't cost much to have a bit of bunting and a few senior managers standing there... as railways often get a bad press they could do with a bit of good news from time to time?

 

[JoeGJ1984]

Was anybody on the first train? Was there the usual headboard for this sort of thing?

It is mentioned near the bottom of the TfL homepage. I'm surprised how quietly it has come about; the TfL website gave no mention about it before today, and you would think they would have splashed it all over the site.

 

[trainrider1985]

Really I can't wait having rode the line from Dalston to Crystal Palace it is only fair I ride this section when it opens

 

[JKJimar53]

Well obviously not everyone at Overground knows about it, because I asked one of their staff at a station local to me this morning and he said its opening in three weeks time! I won't name the station to avoid embarrassment...

I'm happy to name the station where this happened to me.

When i asked at Wapping a few days ago if the line was opening Monday 28th Feb i was told that she was unable to tell me in case it gets leaked out to the media.

 

[jon0844]

???

I do hope if they go ahead and build HS2 someone decides to tell the public when it opens!!

 

[Waddon]

she was unable to tell me in case it gets leaked out to the media.

Its like I say, someone in Tfl's press room is terrified of making any kind of public announcements about new lines or station openings... you often only find out a new facility has opened by just happening to pass through one day and seeing it on the indicators... You'd think if you were spending that kind of money you'd at least want to promote it a little bit

As an example of this, the Tfl site, when they were building the extension of the DLR to city airport, had a 'project updates' page... it had one entry saying something like 'planning permission being sought...' and then the next entry after that was about four or five years later, saying 'the line is open'...

 

[telstarbox]

To be fair it's probably in case of teething problems - easier to deal with if you launch the new works "on the quiet" and there aren't loads of new pax to deal with if something goes wrong!

 

[Capybara]

Its like I say, someone in Tfl's press room is terrified of making any kind of public announcements about new lines or station openings... you often only find out a new facility has opened by just happening to pass through one day and seeing it on the indicators... You'd think if you were spending that kind of money you'd at least want to promote it a little bit

But on the other hand, what is wrong with just opening it and letting people find it, which they will soon enough? I'm no fan of the present administration but in an age where PR counts for everything it is quite refreshing that something just 'happens' like this. At least they are not spending vast sums on overblown publicity.

 

[philjo]

Perhaps it was to let Boris have his photo ops on the new service without having to meet any real passengers!

There was an item about the opening in the ES last night.

 

[tbtc]

But on the other hand, what is wrong with just opening it and letting people find it, which they will soon enough? I'm no fan of the present administration but in an age where PR counts for everything it is quite refreshing that something just 'happens' like this. At least they are not spending vast sums on overblown publicity.

Good point; the amount of times any good news gets "re-announced" by politicians etc, its a refreshing approach

 

[jon0844]

I can understand the desire to have a 'soft-launch' for any teething problems, but it's not as if I can see TfL suddenly doing a big ad campaign at any time in the future either.

Still, you have to assume there was testing ahead of the opening day which is where the teething problems should be sorted out. The rolling stock should be pretty reliable now, so even that wasn't as big an issue as when the 378s first started out.

 

[swt_passenger]

At the end of the day it's an existing service being extended to two further stations - yes it's interesting to rail enthusiasts but it's hardly headline news.

And although it hasn't really been on TfL's homepage much, the info has always been there within a few clicks, just like most of the DLR projects were, if you spent a few minutes searching...

 

[jon0844]

Yes, or we wouldn't have known at all, but the little extension does make quite a bit of difference given it hooks up to Highbury & Islington, with exchanges to FCC and the Victoria Line. People don't like making lots of changes, so those two stations saved could really boost usage.

Or it might not, as I don't know how well used the 'new' service is.

 

[JKJimar53]

To be fair it's probably in case of teething problems - easier to deal with if you launch the new works "on the quiet" and there aren't loads of new pax to deal with if something goes wrong!

Not really, i mean the man in the office heard it and laughed at her and said it should be opening monday, at other stations they told me straight out. In her case it sounds like it some idiot for whom its their small bit of power.

 

[Class377/5]

Talking of London Overground openings, the service to Clapham Junction was at one stage due to open in October 2011. However, according to Wikipedia it will open in May 2012. Time will tell which is the correct date.

Currently they are now saying late 2012, ie the December 2012 timetable change. (They haven't even started working on it yet).

 

[jon0844]

It has been announced!

Dear Mr Morris,

I was delighted to open London's latest transport improvement on Monday with the extension of the East London line to Highbury & Islington.

This is just one element of a huge upgrade of London's transport network, particularly on the Tube.

The Tube is carrying more passengers than ever - well over 1 billion a year - and we have a comprehensive plan to upgrade it.

There remains much work to do, but real improvements are being delivered: new, spacious trains on the Victoria line; air-conditioned trains on the Metropolitan line; and, this Spring, completion of the Jubilee line upgrade, bringing faster, more reliable journeys across the capital.

I completely understand the frustration caused when we have to close certain lines to complete the work. That's why we are keeping closures to a minimum and redoubling our efforts to keep passengers informed. Check out our plan and what's happening at your station or on your line at tfl.gov.uk

Your Tube service will soon celebrate its 150th birthday. Our vital investment and upgrade will keep London moving for many more decades to come.


Yours sincerely,

Boris Johnson
Mayor of London and Chairman of Transport for London

'Our vital investment and upgrade will keep London moving for many more decades to come' - doesn't sound like very long. What happens after that?