Charing Cross platforms

[Deleted]

Why were the Jubilee line platforms at Charing Cross taken out of passenger service when the extension opened in 1999?

[domh245]

Because the Jubilee line didn't serve the station any more. Rerouting trains into those platforms would have been expensive and not served much use, and continuing to use those platforms would have been difficult because of the junction at Green Park. Even with the new signalling, it would have caused problems with trains backing up waiting to be cleared into Green Park

[londonstuff]

Feb 10, 2014 17:48:25 GMT domh245 said:

Because the Jubilee line didn't serve the station any more. Rerouting trains into those platforms would have been expensive and not served much use, and continuing to use those platforms would have been difficult because of the junction at Green Park. Even with the new signalling, it would have caused problems with trains backing up waiting to be cleared into Green Park

From memory (which frequently lets me down) it was more to do with the escalators being life-expired and needing to be completely replaced. And so the newest part of the station at Charing Cross became the first to close.

[norbitonflyer]

It was a change of plan - the existing tunnels were on the alignment leading towards Fleet Street and Fenchurch Street (they extend almost as far as Aldwych). Twenty years later it was decided to run via Westminster and to Waterloo instead. The point of divergence of the new alignment had to be between CX and Green Park - any further east would require turns which would be very tight, and probably involve more tunnelling anyway. Interchange with the Northern and Bakerloo (and SE mainline services) would still be available at Waterloo (instead of CX).

Other stubs caused by chages of plan exist: some are still open (Mill Hill East), some stayed in service for a while before closing (Aldwych), but both of these had bay platforms available at the junction station. Hounlsow Town was another monument to unrealised ambitions - Watford Met will soon be another.

[abe]

Every train sent to Charing Cross meant no train going to Stratford, so keeping CX open would have reduced capacity on the JLE and wasted the investment.

[JR 15secs]

Feb 10, 2014 18:29:18 GMT abe said:

Every train sent to Charing Cross meant no train going to Stratford, so keeping CX open would have reduced capacity on the JLE and wasted the investment.

Before the JLE opened there was a plan to run a service to Charing X but as you have said it would have impacted on the normal service, they also looked at running early morning journeys but in the end dropped the plan. I have a draft copy of both in my collection.

[crusty54]

Trains can be diverted to Charing Cross to reverse in the event of a problem on the JLE.

Also used for filming.

[bruce]

Was the Charing Cross branch resignalled when the rest of the Jubilee Line was resignalled recently?

[DWS]

Feb 10, 2014 21:02:47 GMT bruce said:

Was the Charing Cross branch resignalled when the rest of the Jubilee Line was resignalled recently?

Yes, it has the same TBTC signalling as the rest of the Jubilee line.

[Deleted]

Charing Cross is also still used as a reversing point, just obviously without passengers on board

[rincew1nd]

Feb 11, 2014 11:33:49 GMT @proji said:

Charing Cross is also still used as a reversing point, just obviously without passengers on board

Indeed, when you see a train from points north advertised as terminating at Green Park, it will (usually) tip out at Green Park then run to Charing Cross out of service, reverse there then re-enter service at Green Park, now running northbound.

[jazza]

Could Charing Cross Jubilee still offer a useful service to passengers if the infrastructure was usable? (Escalators etc) Or have things moved on since it was closed?

[superteacher]

Feb 11, 2014 19:05:09 GMT rincew1nd said:

Feb 11, 2014 11:33:49 GMT @proji said:

Charing Cross is also still used as a reversing point, just obviously without passengers on board

Indeed, when you see a train from points north advertised as terminating at Green Park, it will (usually) tip out at Green Park then run to Charing Cross out of service, reverse there then re-enter service at Green Park, now running northbound.

There has been the odd occasion reported where the train has been set up (mistakenly) with a Charing Cross destination, which no doubt provides confusion to those who are unaware that the Jubilee used to terminate there!

[ianvisits]

Feb 12, 2014 2:26:15 GMT jazza said:

Could Charing Cross Jubilee still offer a useful service to passengers if the infrastructure was usable? (Escalators etc) Or have things moved on since it was closed?

Not really -- there is a huge demand for capacity on the extension part of the line between Waterloo and Canary Wharf. Terminating southbound trains at Charing Cross would reduce capacity on the extension, which would be a disaster for the line.

Now, in theory, if Charing Cross tunnels faced the other way, and you could terminate northbound trains there then reverse them back to Waterloo, it would probably be used as a very useful turnaround.

But it doesn't, so it isn't.

[metrailway]

Feb 12, 2014 20:39:40 GMT superteacher said:

Feb 11, 2014 19:05:09 GMT rincew1nd said:

Indeed, when you see a train from points north advertised as terminating at Green Park, it will (usually) tip out at Green Park then run to Charing Cross out of service, reverse there then re-enter service at Green Park, now running northbound.

There has been the odd occasion reported where the train has been set up (mistakenly) with a Charing Cross destination, which no doubt provides confusion to those who are unaware that the Jubilee used to terminate there!

I remember standing in Neasden during engineering works a couple of years back, and all the southbound trains displayed on the Dot Matrix Indicator stated 'Charing Cross'. Had a chuckle to myself but most passengers seemed to be baffled.