News has been released today saying that a number of stations on the LT&SR, or should I say C2C, are to be extended in length to take longer trains and so ease the overcrowding. Work should be started in October and more units will be needed in order to make the longer trains up, but are they going to retrieve those that their customers have been told, have been leased out elsewhere?
Please see the next post for more details.
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COMMUTERS could be waving goodbye to cramped trains sooner than they think, after Network Rail announced improvement plans.
The aim is to add carriages to some services and extend platforms at stations currently unable to accommodate longer trains, in an effort to ease peak travel periods.
Stations along the Tilbury and Ockendon loops of the c2c line are among those lined up for improvements.
Network Rail has already agreed to lengthen the bay platform at Grays to accommodate eight-coach trains, as the station can only cope with four.
Other stations including Ockendon and Chafford Hundred, Dagenham Dock, Rainham and Purfleet are also being considered for extensions and upgrades.
Graham Bashford, communications manager for c2c, said: "Basildon and Laindon stations can already accommodate 12-coach trains.
"The stations on the Tilbury loop can take eight coaches, apart from Grays. If we can increase the length of our platforms to cater for more train coaches then we can use longer trains on our services at peak times.
"Grays has already been agreed. Our other stations will be decided on during the consultation process."
Peter Slattery, co-chairman of Southend Rail Travellers' Association, said: "I use the Tilbury loop when I travel home to Southend from Dagenham Dock every evening. Lots of people get off at these stations and, by lengthening the platforms, it will enable them to cope with the excess passengers. But before that can happen, c2c needs to get more trains."
