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The Elizabeth Line (aka Crossrail) is go!

editor said:
It's been a long time coming, but I'm liking the look of the proposed Crossrail Canary Wharf station:

fostercanarywharf.jpg
Click to expand...

That looks superb! :cool:
 
They've released the tender for the rolling stock. Here's a mockup

crossrailrollingstock.jpg


200m long. 57 sets. £1-1.9billion
 
Is that an existing train then? I only ask as I thought they were not going to design new trains to save money and "mock up" normally means something that does not exist yet!

Oh and does anyone have any good links for construction pics of Crossrail sites?
 
It's heading off to Reading:
Crossrail to be extended to Reading
THE Crossrail network is being extended from Maidenhead to Reading.

The announcement from Transport for London and the Department for Transport has confirmed years of speculation that Maidenhead was not the ideal western terminus, particularly as Reading is a key hub on the Great Western network. The major remodelling still in progress at Reading was planned with such an extension in mind.

Crossrail trains will also now serve Twyford, which is the junction for Henley-on-Thames.

Rail minister Stephen Hammond said: “Crossrail reaching Reading is further proof of our commitment to deliver a transport network fit for the 21st century. It will improve connectivity and deliver greater choice and convenience for passengers travelling into London. It will also make better use of the already congested Great Western Main Line, freeing up capacity for further improvements including potential direct services from Reading to Heathrow as part of the Western Access Scheme. In addition, I have requested Network Rail to look at the cost benefit analysis of increasing the number of faster trains between Reading and Paddington.”

Mayor of London Boris Johnson, said: “I am thrilled that the people of Reading and Twyford will be able to take advantage of Crossrail, putting them on the doorstep of London’s main employment centres by directly linking them to the City and West End in world-class style.”

London Underground and London Rail managing director Mike Brown added: “Extending Crossrail to Reading will provide passengers with more journey options and will create better connections and direct services between Reading, Twyford and destinations across London without the need to interchange at Paddington.”

Labour shadow transport secretary Mary Creagh said: "Labour in government safeguarded the potential Crossrail route from Maidenhead to Reading, so we welcome the decision."

TfL and the DfT also said there will be no change to the planned Great Western services from Reading to London with twice hourly semi-fast services and fast main line services continuing to operate and call at the same stations as today.
Click to expand...
http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/2014/03/27-crossrail-to-be-extended-to.html
 
Puddy_Tat said:
that both Reading constituencies are (currently tory held) marginal seats is purely coincidental, of course...

:p
Click to expand...
AS the rebuild of Reading Station and maintenance depot, re-alignment of track, new rolling stock sheds, flyover, etc - all of which from day one included overhead power - currently the nearest overhead power gets to reading is where the heathrow express turns off - this has been a long time in the planning and crossrail was ALWAYS going to start/finish at Reading whatever we, the plebs, were told.
Reading Station now has another 4 platforms -again no sudden decision
Equally Reading has branch lines to the south so is a more natural hub choice
Finally decider would have been the fact that NR actually still owns some land at Reading on which to build everything
Oh yeah the poly trickers prob did want it but it made sense without their whines anyway
 
hipipol said:
AS the rebuild of Reading Station and maintenance depot, re-alignment of track, new rolling stock sheds, flyover, etc - all of which from day one included overhead power - currently the nearest overhead power gets to reading is where the heathrow express turns off
Click to expand...
Wouldn't that be because they are going to electrify the GWML?
 
Agreeing with the points made by hipipol here really.

In fact I don't get why this 'Crossrail to Reading' 'news' is new -- it can't be.

I pass through Reading back and forth at least once a month, and the additional sidings, sheds, overhead lines stuff, station refurbishment/extra platforms, etc. has all been under construction for bloody ages.

This was clearly and obviously relating at least partly to Crossrail (or at least I've assumed so from the start of all that work).

Were they REALLY intending to make the CR trains terminate at Maidenhead? The propaganda needs of the Govt suggest not ... and surely any halfway clued up Reading commuters will already be aware.

Spin needs well strategised timing, but this is all too transparent to pull much wool over anyone's eyes IMO.
 
Bungle73 said:
Wouldn't that be because they are going to electrify the GWML?
Click to expand...
Bizarre sort of way to do it - no other activity either side of reading as yet - little island of overhead connected to nothing?
Biggest giveaway being that no such overarching GWR plan has been discussed/aproved or, most importantly, budgeted for.
Nope, twas always for Corssrail
 
I saw my MP, Rob Wilson, the other day. He is bragging a lot about the crossrail coup and will be using it as a vote winning tool next year. But the reality is that this means all of two extra trains into paddington an hour, both of which will take the best part of an hour and will stop at multiple stops on the way. Compare this to the FGW trains that go direct every 10 mins or so and take 28 mins. I only go in to London around once a week, probably less on average. I've got no intention of waiting for the slow crossrail trains, no matter how packed the FGW ones get. I really cant see how this is going to be such a massive boost for Reading.
 
I suspect it allowed the governments friends to snap up lots of properties in Reading before it was made public, thus making a killing on the boost this will give to property values.
 
souljacker said:
I saw my MP, Rob Wilson, the other day. He is bragging a lot about the crossrail coup and will be using it as a vote winning tool next year. But the reality is that this means all of two extra trains into paddington an hour, both of which will take the best part of an hour and will stop at multiple stops on the way. Compare this to the FGW trains that go direct every 10 mins or so and take 28 mins.
Click to expand...

But if you're going East of Paddington, Crossrail will probably be quicker. Canary Wharf, for example.
 
hipipol said:
Bizarre sort of way to do it - no other activity either side of reading as yet - little island of overhead connected to nothing?
Biggest giveaway being that no such overarching GWR plan has been discussed/aproved or, most importantly, budgeted for.
Nope, twas always for Corssrail
Click to expand...
Electrification of the GWML was first announced in 2009.
Dogsauce said:
I suspect it allowed the governments friends to snap up lots of properties in Reading before it was made public, thus making a killing on the boost this will give to property values.
Click to expand...
Except that a completely different government was in power when Crossrail started.
 
Crispy said:
No toilet on the Crossrail trains either, so go before you go!
Click to expand...
how handy
they will need piss suction kit on all the stations then or they'll getting flooded every Friday night - well everything form Pad till the sticks really
Doubt its in the build plan
fortune to be made retro fitting such essential equip
will get me bid in now;):thumbs:
 
It's really stupid, especially now it goes all the way to Reading. They haven't built any trains yet, so there's still time to change their minds.
 
hipipol said:
Bizarre sort of way to do it - no other activity either side of reading as yet - little island of overhead connected to nothing?
Biggest giveaway being that no such overarching GWR plan has been discussed/aproved or, most importantly, budgeted for.
Nope, twas always for Corssrail
Click to expand...

Bungle73 said:
Electrification of the GWML was first announced in 2009.
Click to expand...

Yes, all the talk in here Wales for ages has been about it being a done deal as far as Swansea even -- they've already started to build a huge new train depot very near our house (we live close to the station). I'm assuming that'll be for new electric trains ultimately.

And Worst Great Western have had several full page ads in all the local and several national papers lately.

Some imminent engineering closures in the Bristol/Swindon areas, close to Easter and early May Bank Holidays, are stated as electrification-related.

All that said, there appears? to be some dispute between the Dept for Transport in London and the Welsh Government, about who will fund particular bits of the project -- London seems to be assuming (from the coverage I've seen) that funding of upgrades on the Welsh Valleys lines -- a planned offshoot of main line electrification in Wales -- will be down to the Welsh Government, not national ...
 
farmerbarleymow said:
That's insane, so hope they change their plans. Who in their right mind thinks it's reasonable to have trains covering that sort of distance without loos. :confused:
Click to expand...
They'll just stick on a specialist carriage when they get outside the M25. 'If you wish to void your bowels please use the crapper car at the end of the train'
 
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