Thameslink Programme
Encyclopedia
The Thameslink Programme, originally Thameslink 2000, is a £6 billion project in south-east England to upgrade and expand the Thameslink rail network
to provide new and longer trains between a wider range of stations to the north and to the south of London without requiring passengers to change trains in London. Work includes platform lengthening, station remodelling, new railway infrastructure, and additional rolling stock. The project was originally proposed in 1991 following the successful introduction of the initial Thameslink service in 1990. After many delays, planning permission was granted in 2006 and funding was approved in October 2007. Work started in earnest in 2009 and is expected to be complete in 2018.
rail network was created by joining the electrified network south of the Thames
with the then recently electrified line between Bedford and St. Pancras to the north via the Snow Hill tunnel
, allowing passengers to travel between stations to the north and south of London, including Bedford, Luton Airport, Gatwick Airport and Brighton, without changing trains or using the London Underground. New dual-voltage rolling stock was required for the service on account of differing electrification standards north and south of London; lines south of the river are electrified using a 750-volt third rail
and those to the north by the more modern 25kV overhead
system. Services began in 1988 and the route was fully inaugurated in May 1990.
Passenger traffic between destinations in north and south London that were served by Thameslink services quadrupled after the first year of operation. The success of this initial project encouraged British Rail
to develop proposals to extend the network.
as detailed in the Railways Act of 1993
. This privatisation combined with a recession in the UK economy caused the first of many delays to the project.
powers on 21 November 1997, however, two months later, London and Continental Railways (LCR)
, a company created to construct the High Speed 1 railway between London and the Channel tunnel
announced that it would require a further direct government grant of £1.2 billion (1995 prices) to finance the rail link; and the Thameslink Programme relied on the construction of a 'concrete box' provided by this other project to house the new Thameslink sub-surface station underneath St Pancras station
. The Government and LCR did however reach agreement in June 1998 allowing the construction of High Speed 1 and also the associated works required for the Thameslink programme to proceed.
During this period Railtrack carried out an extensive public consultation exercise, which resulted in the revision of their original proposals and subsequently they submitted a Supplementary Order on 29 September 1999.
decided to call for a public inquiry, which commenced in June 2000 and was brought to a close in May 2001. The Inspector spent several months compiling a report on the proposals submitted by Railtrack and the feedback provided by various parties for and against the project before submitting the report to the Government. On 30 July 2002, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM, now known as the Department for Communities and Local Government
) published the Inspector's report, which stated that although there was a strong case for the project, the Inspector did not recommend that the project should be given approval as there were three 'deficiencies' that he was not satisfied with:
(which had replaced Railtrack by this time) must submit improved proposals and a new Environmental Statement. The delay also led to the 'Thameslink 2000 Agreement', the contract that obliged Network Rail/Railtrack to maintain responsibility for funding the project, being terminated in April 2003. Responsibility for project funding was subsequently transferred to the Strategic Rail Authority
.
Network Rail revised the original proposal and submitted it along with an updated Environmental Statement dated 14 June 2004. The Deputy Prime Minister
and the Secretary of State for Transport
called for a new public inquiry to begin in September 2005. During this period the Strategic Rail Authority was abolished by the Railways Act of 2005
, and the Department for Transport
(DfT) took over funding responsibility for the project in July 2005.
had wanted to bring the Thameslink network into the London Underground
network or have the route branded as a London Overground
route. This would have seen the network being re-branded. The drawback to this plan was that the planned routes to Cambridge
, King's Lynn
, Ashford, Kent
, Littlehampton
and Eastbourne
would have been abandoned and the improvements would have only benefited London and commuter belt towns within 15 to 20 miles of it.
for Transport and 'Communities & Local Government' consequently granted Network Rail
the planning permission and legal powers required to execute the project, and the Order (officially described as The Network Rail (Thameslink 2000) Order 2006) came into force on 13 December 2006; furthermore, on 19 December 2006, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport announced that the DfT would grant Network Rail £30 million to 'enable a more informed decision to be made regarding the case for funding the implementation of the project in summer 2007'.
On 24 July 2007, the Secretary of State for Transport, Ruth Kelly
, formally announced that the Government was fully committed to funding the Thameslink Programme. Since the planning permission and legal powers associated with the project had already been granted, the project was now clear to proceed.
With the downturn in the economy there was some doubt that phase 2 of the project would be completed in its entirety, but on 25 November 2010 the Secretary of State for Transport (Philip Hammond) confirmed that no cutbacks would be made. However the project completion would be delayed until 2018 as the schedule was already difficult to achieve and because cost savings could be made if the level of concurrent activity was reduced.
. Work for Key Output 2 will start after the London Olympics with a planned completion of 2018.
This involved signalling works and alterations to the tracks and overhead line equipment between Farringdon and City Thameslink to allow the merged services to operate. Trains from the south which previously terminated at Blackfriars now terminate at Kentish Town
or further north, and 23 dual-voltage Class 377/5
Electrostars have been procured in order to meet the additional rolling stock requirements.
route (due to open in 2018), while Blackfriars will gain a new entrance on the south bank of the Thames. Platforms at Hendon
, Cricklewood
, and Kentish Town stations will not be extended. Those on the Thameslink suburban (Wimbledon/Sutton) loop, from southwards, will likewise remain 8-car stations.
A new viaduct
has been built over Borough Market and Borough High Street to provide trains to Blackfriars and to Charing Cross
with their own dedicated routes, and hence allow increased capacity through central London. However, this will not come into use until the project is finished in 2018.
It is planned that the fly-down at Tanners Hill will be widened and become double-track during this period.
will be created at Bermondsey
. New permanent way
(track level, in this case including both plain rail and junctions) and overhead line equipment will be laid out in the new Canal Tunnels just north of St Pancras between the Thameslink route and the East Coast Main Line, thereby opening up the Thameslink network to new destinations north of London.
Once the project is completed, the Thameslink network will be able to handle a nominal peak-period frequency of 24 trains per hour (tph) (equivalent to one train every 150 seconds) through the central core between St Pancras and Blackfriars from 2018, providing an extra 14,500 peak-period seats compared to the current level of service.
As part of the project, a purpose-built fleet of 1,100 new passenger vehicles (equivalent to 275 four-car trains) would operate across the network. The procurement process started on 9 April 2008. To meet the power requirements of this new fleet, electricity-supply enhancement works will be carried out during most of the entire project, creating 11 new feeder stations/sub-stations, upgrading a further 21 and converting 9 from track sectioning/paralleling equipment; in addition, new track sectioning/paralleling equipment will be installed in 9 locations and upgraded in a further 4.
station remained open during this work except for a period between 20 November 2010 and 16 January 2011, when trains passed through without stopping. The Underground
station will remain closed until mid-December 2011.
The through platforms are being extended along Blackfriars Railway Bridge
over the River Thames
to accommodate 12-car trains, and the platform layout altered to avoid the need for trains between City Thameslink and London Bridge to cross the lines giving access to the terminus platforms. The station will house a new shared National Rail/LUL ticket hall and LUL ventilation shaft together with new escalators and lifts between a mezzanine level for National Rail services and the sub-surface level for London Underground services. A new station entrance will be created on Bankside
, with a second ticket hall. Network Rail
is considering renaming Blackfriars station when this entrance is open to include reference to Bankside
and South Bank
so as to fully reflect the area it will serve.
to accommodate longer Thameslink trains and make other improvements. Platforms will be lengthened and a new roof canopy covering the north end of all four platforms is being provided, together with a permanent new entrance and concourse facing Turnmill Street. Platforms will be widened to accommodate increased patronage.
using the new low-level platforms at the north end of that station. The Pentonville Road entrance of the old King's Cross Thameslink station remains open to provide pedestrian access to King's Cross St. Pancras tube station between 07:00 and 20:00 Mondays to Fridays.
London Bridge station will undergo a major transformation to accommodate 12-car trains and achieve many other benefits. Three terminus platforms will be closed and three new through platforms created, to allow additional services to continue into Cannon Street or Charing Cross, or to Thameslink stations north of the Thames. A new station concourse will be built to improve circulation, and the adjacent bus station expanded. New retail facilities will be built into the existing western arcade, which will be re-opened and extended to link the Underground station and Joiner Street.
As shown in the revised timetable from 13 December 2008, capacity constraints mean that through London Bridge there are no northbound Thameslink trains in the morning peak between 07:24 and 09:09, and no southbound Thameslink trains in the evening peak between 16:43 and 18:27. During these times, Brighton line Thameslink trains go via Herne Hill
instead. The proposed work is designed to remedy this situation. It will improve the flow not only of Thameslink services but also of all South-Eastern commuter services from Kent into Charing Cross and Cannon Street.
Work will start in 2013 and is expected to be completed by 2018.
During these works it is expected that more, or all, Thameslink trains will be diverted via Herne Hill and will not call at London Bridge.
which accept 12-carriage trains replaced the old Kings Cross Thameslink station and opened on 9 December 2007. It allows for better interchange with other forms of transport; it has seven escalators and also two lifts which allow people with impaired mobility to use the station; and it is covered by CCTV. 'Fit-out' works began in summer 2006 (following the decision by the DfT to provide a further £60-65 million for the High Speed 1 project).
building to the south.
The new, southern pair of tracks will be used by trains to and from Charing Cross. Thameslink trains will have a dedicated route to Blackfriars on the northern pair of tracks, which is key to providing the nominal peak-hour frequency of 24tph on the core route.
This controversial work has required the demolition of 20 grade 2 listed buildings and many other buildings within Borough Market, which is a Borough High Street Conservation Area, and the original Thameslink programme was rejected at public inquiry partly on the grounds that suitable arrangements were not included to replace the buildings to be demolished within the market. A revised proposal involving remedial work to the market was accepted at a second public inquiry. By January 2009 businesses in the path of the new viaduct were closing down or relocating in preparation for demolition work, and the first section of the new viaduct was installed over the weekend of 10 October 2010. These works had been brought forward to fit in with other, non-railway, developments in the Borough High Street area; the viaduct will not see actual use until 2018 as part of Key Output 2.
With the completion of Borough Market Viaduct to the west of London Bridge, Thameslink trains will need to run on a pair of tracks to the north of the pair used by trains to Charing Cross. However, Thameslink trains currently arrive on the southern pair of tracks. The lines will therefore be rebuilt to the east of London Bridge so that Thameslink trains from the Brighton Main Line
can cross over trains from Kent headed for Charing Cross.
Charing Cross services will be diverted slightly south in the vicinity of Trundleys Road onto the route of the former branch line to Bricklayers' Arms. They will then slope up alongside the Brighton Main Line just north of South Bermondsey
station. Thameslink trains can then cross over the line on a new bridge, meeting the existing alignment just north of Jarrow Road. The Charing Cross line and Thameslink will each cross Rotherhithe New Road on the other's present alignment.
now have to change at Farringdon
and use the underground.
system has been extended from Farringdon to City Thameslink and was commissioned in December 2009 although it is not currently in normal use. Combined with a new crossover in Snow Hill tunnel
between the two stations, this allows southbound trains to be turned back should they fail to change from London Midland Region AC
traction current to Southern Region third rail
. The crossover currently located within City Thameslink station for the purpose of allowing trains from Smithfield sidings to enter platform 2 will be removed once Blackfriars station is rebuilt.
Between City Thameslink and Blackfriars a large electrical substation has been built at Ludgate Chambers. This 20MW substation is the largest on the 750 V DC third-rail network.
, which was not exploiting their dual-voltage capacity, of 12 Class 319s, so that First Capital Connect now have all 86 Class 319 units. Once project funding was guaranteed, 23 Class 377/5s were also cascaded from Southern to meet the capacity requirements of Key Output 0.
The December 2011 timetable (i.e. after Key Output 1) will introduce 12-car trains on the Thameslink main line, and as a result further rolling stock will be required. This will partly filled by three 377/2 units to be borrowed from Southern in November 2011 until enough new rolling stock becomes available.
The Thameslink Rolling Stock Project (itself a part of the Thameslink Programme) began in 2008 and aims to procure a brand-new fleet of electric trains. A consortium led by Siemens
was named preferred bidder for the train contract on 16 June 2011. Maintenance depots for the new trains are to be built at Hornsey
and Three Bridges
.
The reason regarding Hendon and Cricklewood is the imminent development of a new station
in between, at Brent Cross
. In the case of Kentish Town, the cost of having to rebuild one or other of the road bridges at the station is considered to be excessive.
This permanent limitation to 8-car trains has created speculation, perhaps unfounded, of future station closures, on what is acknowledged to be the very busy Midland Main Line
.
Network Rail has responded by saying that "four 8-car trains an hour will still call at the three stations". However, Network Rail has also insisted that such trains will not also stop at '' (if it is built) which undermines the strategic planning guidance of the Greater London Authority
and the London Borough of Barnet
that this should be a 'major new transport interchange' in north London.
Thameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
to provide new and longer trains between a wider range of stations to the north and to the south of London without requiring passengers to change trains in London. Work includes platform lengthening, station remodelling, new railway infrastructure, and additional rolling stock. The project was originally proposed in 1991 following the successful introduction of the initial Thameslink service in 1990. After many delays, planning permission was granted in 2006 and funding was approved in October 2007. Work started in earnest in 2009 and is expected to be complete in 2018.
Background
The original ThameslinkThameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
rail network was created by joining the electrified network south of the Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
with the then recently electrified line between Bedford and St. Pancras to the north via the Snow Hill tunnel
Snow Hill tunnel
Snow Hill Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the northern edge of the City of London between City Thameslink and Farringdon stations. The tunnel runs beneath the Smithfield meat market and was constructed using the cut and cover method immediately prior to the building of the market...
, allowing passengers to travel between stations to the north and south of London, including Bedford, Luton Airport, Gatwick Airport and Brighton, without changing trains or using the London Underground. New dual-voltage rolling stock was required for the service on account of differing electrification standards north and south of London; lines south of the river are electrified using a 750-volt third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
and those to the north by the more modern 25kV overhead
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
system. Services began in 1988 and the route was fully inaugurated in May 1990.
Passenger traffic between destinations in north and south London that were served by Thameslink services quadrupled after the first year of operation. The success of this initial project encouraged British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
to develop proposals to extend the network.
British Rail plans
British Rail proposed to expand and upgrade the original network in the early 1990s with plans to increase the number of stations served from 50 to 169 and increase the passenger capacity of the network by allowing 12-carriage trains and allowing more trains per hour. In 1993 responsibility for the project, which was intended to be completed by 2000 was transferred to RailtrackRailtrack
Railtrack was a group of companies that owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and all but a handful of the stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002...
as detailed in the Railways Act of 1993
Railways Act 1993
The Railways Act 1993 was introduced by John Major's Conservative government and passed on 5 November 1993. It provided for the restructuring of the British Railways Board , the public corporation that owned and operated the national railway system...
. This privatisation combined with a recession in the UK economy caused the first of many delays to the project.
Railtrack plans
Railtrack applied for Transport and Works Act 1992Transport and Works Act 1992
The Transport and Works Act 1992 was established by the Parliament of the United Kingdom to provide a system by which the construction of rail transport, tramway, inland waterway and harbour infrastructure could proceed in the UK by order of the Minister of State for Transport rather than, as...
powers on 21 November 1997, however, two months later, London and Continental Railways (LCR)
London and Continental Railways
-History:Created at the time of the privatisation of British Rail it bid for and won the contract from the UK government in 1996 to build and operate High Speed 1 between London and the Channel Tunnel...
, a company created to construct the High Speed 1 railway between London and the Channel tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
announced that it would require a further direct government grant of £1.2 billion (1995 prices) to finance the rail link; and the Thameslink Programme relied on the construction of a 'concrete box' provided by this other project to house the new Thameslink sub-surface station underneath St Pancras station
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
. The Government and LCR did however reach agreement in June 1998 allowing the construction of High Speed 1 and also the associated works required for the Thameslink programme to proceed.
During this period Railtrack carried out an extensive public consultation exercise, which resulted in the revision of their original proposals and subsequently they submitted a Supplementary Order on 29 September 1999.
First public inquiry
Given the size of the project, the Deputy Prime MinisterDeputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a senior member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not a permanent position, existing only at the discretion of the Prime Minister, who may appoint to other offices...
decided to call for a public inquiry, which commenced in June 2000 and was brought to a close in May 2001. The Inspector spent several months compiling a report on the proposals submitted by Railtrack and the feedback provided by various parties for and against the project before submitting the report to the Government. On 30 July 2002, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM, now known as the Department for Communities and Local Government
Department for Communities and Local Government
The Department for Communities and Local Government is the UK Government department for communities and local government in England. It was established in May 2006 and is the successor to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, established in 2001...
) published the Inspector's report, which stated that although there was a strong case for the project, the Inspector did not recommend that the project should be given approval as there were three 'deficiencies' that he was not satisfied with:
- The poor quality proposals for the redevelopment of London Bridge stationLondon Bridge stationLondon Bridge railway station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the London Borough of Southwark, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge and 1.6 miles east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the...
; - The lack of proposals for the 'missing tooth' near Blackfriars stationBlackfriars stationBlackfriars station, also known as London Blackfriars, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the City of London, England. Its platforms will eventually span the River Thames a short distance downstream from Blackfriars Bridge. The current entrance is located on the...
; - The lack of proposals for the replacement of listed buildings around the historic area of Borough MarketBorough MarketBorough Market is a wholesale and retail food market in Southwark, London, England. It is one of the largest food markets in London, and sells a large variety of foods from all over the world.-Information and History:...
.
Revision of plans
As a result, the Deputy Prime Minister said in January 2003 that the project would not receive approval and that Network RailNetwork Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
(which had replaced Railtrack by this time) must submit improved proposals and a new Environmental Statement. The delay also led to the 'Thameslink 2000 Agreement', the contract that obliged Network Rail/Railtrack to maintain responsibility for funding the project, being terminated in April 2003. Responsibility for project funding was subsequently transferred to the Strategic Rail Authority
Strategic Rail Authority
In existence from 2001 to 2006, the Strategic Rail Authority was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom set up under the Transport Act 2000 to provide strategic direction for the railway industry....
.
Network Rail revised the original proposal and submitted it along with an updated Environmental Statement dated 14 June 2004. The Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a senior member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not a permanent position, existing only at the discretion of the Prime Minister, who may appoint to other offices...
and the Secretary of State for Transport
Secretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
called for a new public inquiry to begin in September 2005. During this period the Strategic Rail Authority was abolished by the Railways Act of 2005
Railways Act 2005
The Railways Act 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerning the regulatory structure for railways in the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
, and the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
(DfT) took over funding responsibility for the project in July 2005.
Second public inquiry
The second public inquiry took place between September to December 2005 and the Inspector completed the report in February 2006 which it was submitted to the DfT for consideration. In October 2006 the DfT subsequently published the second report which declared that the Inspector was satisfied that the deficiencies from the previous Thameslink 2000 proposals had been resolved satisfactorily recommending that the project be approved.Transport for London's plans
In 2004 TfLTransport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
had wanted to bring the Thameslink network into the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
network or have the route branded as a London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
route. This would have seen the network being re-branded. The drawback to this plan was that the planned routes to Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
, Ashford, Kent
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
, Littlehampton
Littlehampton
Littlehampton is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, on the east bank at the mouth of the River Arun. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton and east of the county town of Chichester....
and Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
would have been abandoned and the improvements would have only benefited London and commuter belt towns within 15 to 20 miles of it.
Project approval
In conjunction with the second report, the Secretaries of StateSecretary of State (United Kingdom)
In the United Kingdom, a Secretary of State is a Cabinet Minister in charge of a Government Department ....
for Transport and 'Communities & Local Government' consequently granted Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
the planning permission and legal powers required to execute the project, and the Order (officially described as The Network Rail (Thameslink 2000) Order 2006) came into force on 13 December 2006; furthermore, on 19 December 2006, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport announced that the DfT would grant Network Rail £30 million to 'enable a more informed decision to be made regarding the case for funding the implementation of the project in summer 2007'.
On 24 July 2007, the Secretary of State for Transport, Ruth Kelly
Ruth Kelly
Ruth Maria Kelly is a British Labour Party politician of Irish descent who was the Member of Parliament for Bolton West from 1997 until she stood down in 2010...
, formally announced that the Government was fully committed to funding the Thameslink Programme. Since the planning permission and legal powers associated with the project had already been granted, the project was now clear to proceed.
With the downturn in the economy there was some doubt that phase 2 of the project would be completed in its entirety, but on 25 November 2010 the Secretary of State for Transport (Philip Hammond) confirmed that no cutbacks would be made. However the project completion would be delayed until 2018 as the schedule was already difficult to achieve and because cost savings could be made if the level of concurrent activity was reduced.
Construction
Construction is divided into three stages, each with 'Key outputs'. Key Output 0 was to make service changes to allow other work to proceed. Key Output 1 is for work that must be completed prior to the 2012 Olympics2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
. Work for Key Output 2 will start after the London Olympics with a planned completion of 2018.
Key Output 0 (Completed March 2009)
The first stage, completed on 22 March 2009, was to introduce service changes to allow the major work to take place. The terminal platforms at Blackfriars were closed as was the Farringdon to Moorgate branch line. A 15tph peak hour service was introduced on the core section between St. Pancras and Blackfriars. A new footbridge was constructed at Farringdon to improve interchange with London Underground's Circle line. A temporary entrance (now removed) was created at Blackfriars station.This involved signalling works and alterations to the tracks and overhead line equipment between Farringdon and City Thameslink to allow the merged services to operate. Trains from the south which previously terminated at Blackfriars now terminate at Kentish Town
Kentish Town station
Kentish Town station is a London Underground and National Rail station in Kentish Town in the London Borough of Camden. It is at the junction of Kentish Town Road and Leighton Road...
or further north, and 23 dual-voltage Class 377/5
British Rail Class 377
The Class 377 Electrostar is an electric multiple unit type built by Bombardier Transportation at their Derby Works, from 2001 to present. The Electrostar family, which also includes Classes 357, 375, 376, 378, and 379, is the most numerous type of EMU built in the post-privatisation period of...
Electrostars have been procured in order to meet the additional rolling stock requirements.
Key Output 1 (by mid 2012)
All aspects of Key Output stage 1 are planned to be complete by mid-2012, in time for the London Olympics. A major objective of this phase is to enable 12-carriage trains to run on the Bedford-Brighton route. Work affecting this should be complete in time for the December 2011 timetable change and will result in 10,000 extra peak-period seats from then. By then 23 stations between Bedford and Brighton should have been extended to accommodate the longer trains; in addition, Farringdon and Blackfriars stations would have been rebuilt to take 12-car trains and allow for increased passenger flows. Works at Farringdon also allow for the east-west CrossrailCrossrail
Crossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
route (due to open in 2018), while Blackfriars will gain a new entrance on the south bank of the Thames. Platforms at Hendon
Hendon railway station
Hendon railway station is a National Rail station situated to the west of Hendon, in the London Borough of Barnet in North London, at .The station lies on the north-south Midland Main Line and is served by First Capital Connect trains as part of the Thameslink Line service...
, Cricklewood
Cricklewood railway station
Cricklewood railway station is in the London Borough of Barnet in North London. The station lies on the north-south Midland Main Line where it crosses Cricklewood Lane. It is served by First Capital Connect services as part of the Thameslink service...
, and Kentish Town stations will not be extended. Those on the Thameslink suburban (Wimbledon/Sutton) loop, from southwards, will likewise remain 8-car stations.
A new viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
has been built over Borough Market and Borough High Street to provide trains to Blackfriars and to Charing Cross
Charing Cross railway station
Charing Cross railway station, also known as London Charing Cross, is a central London railway terminus in the City of Westminster, England. It is one of 18 stations managed by Network Rail, and trains serving it are operated by Southeastern...
with their own dedicated routes, and hence allow increased capacity through central London. However, this will not come into use until the project is finished in 2018.
It is planned that the fly-down at Tanners Hill will be widened and become double-track during this period.
Key Output 2 (2013-2018)
From 2013 there will be major track, signalling and station remodelling works at London Bridge station as part of the Masterplan project (some works within the station building may start during Key Output 1). A grade-separated junctionFlying junction
A flying junction or flyover is a railway junction at which one or more diverging or converging tracks in a multiple-track route cross other tracks on the route by bridge to avoid conflict with other train movements. A more technical term is "grade-separated junction"...
will be created at Bermondsey
Bermondsey
Bermondsey is an area in London on the south bank of the river Thames, and is part of the London Borough of Southwark. To the west lies Southwark, to the east Rotherhithe, and to the south, Walworth and Peckham.-Toponomy:...
. New permanent way
Rail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
(track level, in this case including both plain rail and junctions) and overhead line equipment will be laid out in the new Canal Tunnels just north of St Pancras between the Thameslink route and the East Coast Main Line, thereby opening up the Thameslink network to new destinations north of London.
Once the project is completed, the Thameslink network will be able to handle a nominal peak-period frequency of 24 trains per hour (tph) (equivalent to one train every 150 seconds) through the central core between St Pancras and Blackfriars from 2018, providing an extra 14,500 peak-period seats compared to the current level of service.
As part of the project, a purpose-built fleet of 1,100 new passenger vehicles (equivalent to 275 four-car trains) would operate across the network. The procurement process started on 9 April 2008. To meet the power requirements of this new fleet, electricity-supply enhancement works will be carried out during most of the entire project, creating 11 new feeder stations/sub-stations, upgrading a further 21 and converting 9 from track sectioning/paralleling equipment; in addition, new track sectioning/paralleling equipment will be installed in 9 locations and upgraded in a further 4.
Blackfriars station
Blackfriars station is being rebuilt by Balfour Beatty Plc to accommodate 12-car trains and to make many other improvements to both the main line and underground stations. The mainlineNational Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
station remained open during this work except for a period between 20 November 2010 and 16 January 2011, when trains passed through without stopping. The Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
station will remain closed until mid-December 2011.
The through platforms are being extended along Blackfriars Railway Bridge
Blackfriars Railway Bridge
Blackfriars Railway Bridge is a railway bridge crossing the River Thames in London, between Blackfriars Bridge and the Millennium Bridge.There have been two structures with the name. The first bridge was opened in 1864 and was designed by Joseph Cubitt for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway...
over the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
to accommodate 12-car trains, and the platform layout altered to avoid the need for trains between City Thameslink and London Bridge to cross the lines giving access to the terminus platforms. The station will house a new shared National Rail/LUL ticket hall and LUL ventilation shaft together with new escalators and lifts between a mezzanine level for National Rail services and the sub-surface level for London Underground services. A new station entrance will be created on Bankside
Bankside
Bankside is a district of London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. Bankside is located on the southern bank of the River Thames, east of Charing Cross, running from a little west of Blackfriars Bridge to just a short distance before London Bridge at St Mary Overie Dock to...
, with a second ticket hall. Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
is considering renaming Blackfriars station when this entrance is open to include reference to Bankside
Bankside
Bankside is a district of London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. Bankside is located on the southern bank of the River Thames, east of Charing Cross, running from a little west of Blackfriars Bridge to just a short distance before London Bridge at St Mary Overie Dock to...
and South Bank
South Bank
South Bank is an area of London, England located immediately adjacent to the south side of the River Thames. It forms a long and narrow section of riverside development that is within the London Borough of Lambeth to the border with the London Borough of Southwark and was formerly simply known as...
so as to fully reflect the area it will serve.
City Thameslink station
City Thameslink station has been upgraded to enable 12-car trains to call. The platforms themselves were already long enough, but it was necessary to replace and enhance the CIS (Customer Information Screens) so that information is displayed in a standard format across the central section. New lighting and ticket gates have also been installed. The work was completed in October 2010.Farringdon station
Works began in 2009 to remodel Farringdon stationFarringdon station
Farringdon station is a London Underground and National Rail station in Clerkenwell, just north of the City of London in the London Borough of Islington...
to accommodate longer Thameslink trains and make other improvements. Platforms will be lengthened and a new roof canopy covering the north end of all four platforms is being provided, together with a permanent new entrance and concourse facing Turnmill Street. Platforms will be widened to accommodate increased patronage.
King's Cross Thameslink station
King's Cross Thameslink closed in 2007 and trains now call instead at St Pancras InternationalSt Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
using the new low-level platforms at the north end of that station. The Pentonville Road entrance of the old King's Cross Thameslink station remains open to provide pedestrian access to King's Cross St. Pancras tube station between 07:00 and 20:00 Mondays to Fridays.
London Bridge station
As shown in the revised timetable from 13 December 2008, capacity constraints mean that through London Bridge there are no northbound Thameslink trains in the morning peak between 07:24 and 09:09, and no southbound Thameslink trains in the evening peak between 16:43 and 18:27. During these times, Brighton line Thameslink trains go via Herne Hill
Herne Hill railway station
Herne Hill railway station is in Herne Hill, a location in the London Borough of Lambeth, South London, England. Its location is .The station is above road level near the junction of five main roads, between Railton Road and Milkwood Road. There is no entrance in Milkwood Road, but there is a...
instead. The proposed work is designed to remedy this situation. It will improve the flow not only of Thameslink services but also of all South-Eastern commuter services from Kent into Charing Cross and Cannon Street.
Work will start in 2013 and is expected to be completed by 2018.
During these works it is expected that more, or all, Thameslink trains will be diverted via Herne Hill and will not call at London Bridge.
St Pancras International station
Two new low-level platforms at St Pancras InternationalSt Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
which accept 12-carriage trains replaced the old Kings Cross Thameslink station and opened on 9 December 2007. It allows for better interchange with other forms of transport; it has seven escalators and also two lifts which allow people with impaired mobility to use the station; and it is covered by CCTV. 'Fit-out' works began in summer 2006 (following the decision by the DfT to provide a further £60-65 million for the High Speed 1 project).
Other Stations
Work has been or is being carried out at a number of stations north of the Thames to extend the platforms to accommodate 12-car trains. These vary from quite major works such as at Luton, where new bridges had to be installed, and West Hampstead, where a new station footbridge has been built, to relatively straightforward platform extensions.Borough Market Viaduct
Between London Bridge and the vicinity of Stoney Street, an extra pair of tracks is being built on a new viaduct to the south of the existing one. Widening of the existing viaduct west of Stoney Street will be to the north to avoid affecting the Hop ExchangeHop Exchange
The Hop Exchange is a Grade II listed building at No. 24 Southwark Street, London, in the Bankside area of the London Borough of Southwark. Opened in 1867 and designed by R.H. Moore it served as the centre for hop trading for the brewing industry....
building to the south.
The new, southern pair of tracks will be used by trains to and from Charing Cross. Thameslink trains will have a dedicated route to Blackfriars on the northern pair of tracks, which is key to providing the nominal peak-hour frequency of 24tph on the core route.
This controversial work has required the demolition of 20 grade 2 listed buildings and many other buildings within Borough Market, which is a Borough High Street Conservation Area, and the original Thameslink programme was rejected at public inquiry partly on the grounds that suitable arrangements were not included to replace the buildings to be demolished within the market. A revised proposal involving remedial work to the market was accepted at a second public inquiry. By January 2009 businesses in the path of the new viaduct were closing down or relocating in preparation for demolition work, and the first section of the new viaduct was installed over the weekend of 10 October 2010. These works had been brought forward to fit in with other, non-railway, developments in the Borough High Street area; the viaduct will not see actual use until 2018 as part of Key Output 2.
Bermondsey dive-under
Brighton Main Line
The Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer...
can cross over trains from Kent headed for Charing Cross.
Charing Cross services will be diverted slightly south in the vicinity of Trundleys Road onto the route of the former branch line to Bricklayers' Arms. They will then slope up alongside the Brighton Main Line just north of South Bermondsey
South Bermondsey railway station
- External links :...
station. Thameslink trains can then cross over the line on a new bridge, meeting the existing alignment just north of Jarrow Road. The Charing Cross line and Thameslink will each cross Rotherhithe New Road on the other's present alignment.
Farringdon to Moorgate
The Farringdon to Moorgate branch was permanently closed in March 2009 at the start of the project. Passengers for Barbican or MoorgateMoorgate station
Moorgate station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station on Moorgate in the City of London; it provides National Rail services by First Capital Connect for Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth and also serves the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan Lines and...
now have to change at Farringdon
Farringdon station
Farringdon station is a London Underground and National Rail station in Clerkenwell, just north of the City of London in the London Borough of Islington...
and use the underground.
Tanners Hill fly-down
To improve capacity on the line between London Bridge and Lewisham, a new stretch of single track will be built alongside the existing bi-directional single track between Tanners Hill Junction (near St John's Station) and Lewisham Vale Junction. Before the new track is laid, St John’s Vale Road Bridge will be partially demolished and reconstructed with a concrete pier, as well as a new south span over the new track; and the existing embankment along the fly-down will also be widened. As the existing footbridge will be rebuilt, a temporary footbridge will be provided for the duration of the works.Other infrastructure works
The OHLE (overhead catenary)Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
system has been extended from Farringdon to City Thameslink and was commissioned in December 2009 although it is not currently in normal use. Combined with a new crossover in Snow Hill tunnel
Snow Hill tunnel
Snow Hill Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the northern edge of the City of London between City Thameslink and Farringdon stations. The tunnel runs beneath the Smithfield meat market and was constructed using the cut and cover method immediately prior to the building of the market...
between the two stations, this allows southbound trains to be turned back should they fail to change from London Midland Region AC
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
traction current to Southern Region third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
. The crossover currently located within City Thameslink station for the purpose of allowing trains from Smithfield sidings to enter platform 2 will be removed once Blackfriars station is rebuilt.
Between City Thameslink and Blackfriars a large electrical substation has been built at Ludgate Chambers. This 20MW substation is the largest on the 750 V DC third-rail network.
Provisional timetable
In 2011 a provisional timetable was released for Thameslink services in the London and South East Route Utilisation Strategy. It confirms that the Sutton loop services will be curtailed at Blackfriars.| No. | South of London | North of London | Length | Times | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | semi-fast | semi-fast | 12-car | All day | ||
| 2 | ||||||
| 3 | stopping | semi-fast | 12-car | All day | ||
| 4 | ||||||
| 5 | via | semi-fast | 12-car | All day | ||
| 6 | ||||||
| 7 | via | semi-fast | 12-car | All day | ||
| 8 | ||||||
| 9 | semi-fast | 12-car | Peak only | |||
| 10 | ||||||
| 11 | fast north of | stopping | 8-car | All day | ||
| 12 | ||||||
| 13 | fast north of | stopping | 8-car | All day | ||
| 14 | ||||||
| 15 | via | semi-fast | 12-car | Peak only | ||
| 16 | ||||||
| 17 | via | semi-fast | 12-car | Peak only | ||
| 18 | ||||||
| 19 | semi-fast via | stopping | 8-car | All day | ||
| 20 | ||||||
| 21 | skip-stop via | stopping | 8-car | All day | ||
| 22 | ||||||
| 23 | stopping via | stopping | 8-car | All day | ||
| 24 | ||||||
Rolling stock
As of 2008, the existing Thameslink fleet consisted of 74 dual-voltage Class 319s and two Class 317s. While the Thameslink Rolling Stock Project (TRSP) will provide a brand-new fleet, the timescales involved are such that interim solutions are required. On 4 April 2007, the DfT authorised the transfer to Thameslink from SouthernSouthern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
, which was not exploiting their dual-voltage capacity, of 12 Class 319s, so that First Capital Connect now have all 86 Class 319 units. Once project funding was guaranteed, 23 Class 377/5s were also cascaded from Southern to meet the capacity requirements of Key Output 0.
The December 2011 timetable (i.e. after Key Output 1) will introduce 12-car trains on the Thameslink main line, and as a result further rolling stock will be required. This will partly filled by three 377/2 units to be borrowed from Southern in November 2011 until enough new rolling stock becomes available.
The Thameslink Rolling Stock Project (itself a part of the Thameslink Programme) began in 2008 and aims to procure a brand-new fleet of electric trains. A consortium led by Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
was named preferred bidder for the train contract on 16 June 2011. Maintenance depots for the new trains are to be built at Hornsey
Hornsey
Hornsey is a district in London Borough of Haringey in north London in England. Whilst Hornsey was formerly the name of a parish and later a municipal borough of Middlesex, today, the name refers only to the London district. It is an inner-suburban area located north of Charing Cross.-Locale:The ...
and Three Bridges
Three Bridges
Three Bridges is a neighbourhood within the town of Crawley, in the county of West Sussex in England.-History:Three Bridges was a tiny hamlet, which first began to grow with the coming of the London and Brighton Railway in 1841...
.
Political developments
Questions have been raised in the north London local press, and taken up by local politicians, over the decision not to extend the platforms for 12-carriage trains at three current Thameslink stations:- HendonHendon railway stationHendon railway station is a National Rail station situated to the west of Hendon, in the London Borough of Barnet in North London, at .The station lies on the north-south Midland Main Line and is served by First Capital Connect trains as part of the Thameslink Line service...
- CricklewoodCricklewood railway stationCricklewood railway station is in the London Borough of Barnet in North London. The station lies on the north-south Midland Main Line where it crosses Cricklewood Lane. It is served by First Capital Connect services as part of the Thameslink service...
- Kentish TownKentish Town stationKentish Town station is a London Underground and National Rail station in Kentish Town in the London Borough of Camden. It is at the junction of Kentish Town Road and Leighton Road...
The reason regarding Hendon and Cricklewood is the imminent development of a new station
Brent Cross Thameslink railway station
Brent Cross Thameslink is a planned Thameslink station on the Midland Main Line. It would serve the Brent Cross and the northern parts of Cricklewood and Dollis Hill areas of North London and the proposal is part of the Brent Cross Cricklewood development, which also sees an investment to station...
in between, at Brent Cross
Brent Cross
Brent Cross is an area of north London, in the London Borough of Barnet. It is located near the A41 Brent Cross Flyover over the A406 North Circular Road. Brent Cross is best known for its shopping centre and the proposed Brent Cross Cricklewood development....
. In the case of Kentish Town, the cost of having to rebuild one or other of the road bridges at the station is considered to be excessive.
This permanent limitation to 8-car trains has created speculation, perhaps unfounded, of future station closures, on what is acknowledged to be the very busy Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
.
Network Rail has responded by saying that "four 8-car trains an hour will still call at the three stations". However, Network Rail has also insisted that such trains will not also stop at '' (if it is built) which undermines the strategic planning guidance of the Greater London Authority
Greater London Authority
The Greater London Authority is the top-tier administrative body for Greater London, England. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of London, currently Boris Johnson, and an elected 25-member London Assembly with scrutiny powers...
and the London Borough of Barnet
London Borough of Barnet
The London Borough of Barnet is a London borough in North London and forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 331,500 and covers . It borders Hertfordshire to the north and five other London boroughs: Harrow and Brent to the west, Camden and Haringey to the south-east and Enfield to the...
that this should be a 'major new transport interchange' in north London.
Documents
- Network Rail (2004a) - "Thameslink 2000 Environmental Statement: Main report (Inner Area)". Network Rail, June 2004
- Network Rail (2004b) -
- Network Rail (2005a) -
- Network Rail (2005b) -
- DfT (2006) -
External links
- Thameslink Programme website
- Thameslink Programme - Network Rail
- Thameslink Programme - First Capital Connect
- Thameslink Programme (DfT) - Projects and infrastructure
- Thameslink Rolling Stock Project (DfT) - Projects and infrastructure
- Thameslink Programme (DfT) - Decision letters
- Thameslink Programme (DfT) - Inspectors' reports
- Thameslink 2000 Public Inquiry 2005 - Official website for the second public inquiry
- Information and Pictures on the Thameslink Programme