R A I LT R AC K - The Railways Archive

Route characteristics
DESCRIPTION The North London Line comprises the Richmond–North
Woolwich route, the Gospel Oak–Barking route, the Dudding Hill Lines and
associated connections. These are two-track lines with a maximum speed of
50mph, except for Camden–Dalston which has three- and four-track sections,
and the line between Custom House and North Woolwich, which is single track.
The core route from Richmond to North Woolwich is electrified, as are the
connections to the Great Western Main Line and West Anglia Main Line.
BOTTLENECK ANALYSIS Demand on the North London Line is driven by a
mixture of work, leisure and freight journeys, and is not as dependent
upon commuting as the London arterial routes. Passenger growth is forecast to
grow by around 20% in the peak and 30% off-peak over the next ten years,
while freight traffic is expected to double. With the reintroduction of the four-
Route vision
The North London Line is an important part of London’s transport
infrastructure and a major strategic link between the key arterial routes to and
from the capital. It is an important freight route, provides a passenger service
around London, and enables trains to connect from one main line to another.
We are developing options to maximise the potential of this route. A ke y
feature will be a detailed assessment of the demand for future paths on this and
associated lines, including those as a part of longer journeys linking other routes.
We are assessing how best to improve the ease of interchange at the large number
These are the route improvements we plan to deliver
train-per-hour service this year, the passenger demand can be met with existing
capacity by extending platforms and lengthening trains.
We are installing new signals between Woodgrange Park and South
Tottenham this year. These will allow diesel-hauled freight trains to be diverted
away from Stratford to the Gospel Oak–Barking Route to help relieve the
bottleneck identified in the 1998 NMS.
We recognise that this route is a key component in the development of
new cross-London passenger services. It is also critical to routeing freight
services. We are undertaking, with our Franchising Director industry partners, a
detailed appraisal of the development options for sections of this route. This will
be completed by August 1999, and the conclusions set out in the 2000 NMS
together with an appropriate package of enhancements.
of intersections, both with rail and with other fo rms of tra n s p o rt.
There is potential for new orbital services, particularly as major projects are
completed in the future, including Thameslink 2000, West Coast Main Line
upgrade and Heathrow–St Pancras, which is being jointly developed with BAA.
The North London Line is also likely to feature in bids for paths to new
destinations by different operators following the relaxation of Moderation of
Competition Rules this year.
CAPACITY CHANGES TO MEET FRANCHISING DIRECTOR, PTE AND CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS AND DELIVER ROUTE VISION
LOCATION PROPOSED SOLUTION YEAR REF
North London Lines Not yet identified – study taking place
Barking Gospel Oak Additional capacity being installed, Woodbridge Park to South Tottenham 1999
CAPABILITY CHANGES TO ACHIEVE ROUTE VISION
JOURNEY TIMES km STOPS CURRENT POSITION 2001 POSITION SUSTAINING THE ROUTE ACHIEVING ROUTE VISION
Richmond–Stratford 28 22 19mph (56min) No change No change No change
Willesden–Stratford 19 17 18mph (40min) No change No change No change
Hampstead Heath–Stratford 13 11 18mph(26min) No change No change No change
Stratford–North Woolwich 8 5 20mph (14min) No change No change No change
Barking–Gospel Oak 19 11 21mph (34min) No change No change No change
LINESPEEDS (km of track)
Up to 35mph 28 28 28 28
40–75mph 90 90 90 90
80–105mph 0 0 0 0
110–125mph 0 0 0 0
Over 125mph 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 118 118 118 118
GAUGE (km of route)
W6A 65 65 65 65
W7 55 55 55 55
W8 49 49 49 49
W9 34 34 34 34
W10 0 0 0 0
AXLE WEIGHT (km of track)
Up to 20.3 tonnes 7 7 7 7
20.4 tonnes to 23.4 tonnes 111 111 111 111
23.5 tonnes to 25.4 tonnes 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 118 118 118 118
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