| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Turnham Green Tube | |
| Posted by: | Jeremy Parkinson | |
| Date/Time: | 04/12/25 09:08:00 |
| Michael, while I have often been on the wrong end of your sneering contempt, I'm happy to tolerate it because, although you are regularly mistaken, you are sometimes interesting. You should be aware that others now refuse to engage with you due to your habitual unpleasantness and conviction that your opinion is fact. As so often your lofty opinion of your own undestanding is misplaced. Using AI to work out average speeds on this stretch of the line does not give any insight into the issue. I am not an expert on these matters but did have an exchange with a TfL employee on a transport forum a few years ago when I asked why wasn't there space in the timetable to increase Piccadilly line services at Turnham Green when so many trains seemed to move through the station at low speed. I wasn't able to retrieve the thread so I may have slightly mangled the reply but I think this is the gist of it - Mike Smith may be able to confirm. The fast stretch between Acton Town and Hammersmith serves two purposes - westbound it ensures that trains in the central section are not backed up by trains in front of them and eastbound it ensures that there are trains on hand to ensure the regularity of the service. Eastbound passengers will be familiar with the regular wait outside Hammersmith station. For eastbound services, there need to be at least two trains in the local signal blocks available to move into Hammersmith when that station is clear. Fast-running through Turnham Green helps ensure that happens. However, generally as the day progresses and a peak service is operating with trains progressing more slowly, there is less need to use maximum speed through Turnham Green which is why I and other station users will often be tantalised by a slow moving Piccadilly line train which deceive ourselves might stop. My interpretation of this, is that trains are less likely to speed through the station during peak hours. Given that fatalities typically seem to occur offpeak or at weekends, it strikes me that operating procedures that discourage controllers from using the full speed capacity at Turnham Green unless absolutely necessary might be effective. Westbound it is slightly less clear cut (and my impression is that fewer trains move through Turnham Green slowly this direction). The Hammersmith to Acton Town stretch is a pinch point before the line splits and there is no operational reason to slow trains. Nevertheless, during off peak and weekend operation there should be limited service impact on timetable operation if speed limitation through Turnham Green was the default. This may have already been considered and ruled out by TfL and it is perfectly understandable that they wouldn't to publish any reports on what they are doing. They can only be judged on results and, while Turnham Green's grisly record continues, they are failing. |