Today I would like to propose to you the TFL Crossrail (futur Elisabeth Line) to the section Paddington at Reading and Heathrow terminal 4 and 5. Crossrail (which will now be called the Elizabeth line) is a future RER line in London. Crossing the British capital from west to east through a new dedicated railway tunnel, then splitting into several branches at each end of its central section, the future line is comparable to the RER A in the Ile-de-France region. In the west, the line runs to Reading and Heathrow Airport stations. To the west, the route connects with the Great Western Main Line at Paddington and goes to Hayes and Harlington, where it splits. One branch serves Heathrow Central (for Terminals 2 and 3), Heathrow Terminal 4 and Terminal 5, while the other runs on the existing main line to Reading. The Elizabeth line service is due to run 12 trains per hour in each direction. Rolling stock: Crossrail will operate using the new Class 345 trains. These are currently used on TfL's two interim rail branches which will later become part of the Elizabeth line when it opens. The requirement was for 65 trains, each 200 meters (660 ft) long and carrying up to 1,500 passengers. The trains are accessible, including dedicated areas for wheelchairs, with audio and visual announcements, CCTV and speakers connected to the driver in case of emergency. They will drive up to 140 km/h (90 miles/h) on certain parts of the course. The first Class 345 train entered service in June 2017 and they are notable in being the first main line trains in Britain since 1962 not to have a painted yellow warning sign of any kind on the motor extremities. Class 345 Cab, insider and outsider: Electrification and signaling: Crossrail will use 25 kV, 50 Hz AC overhead lines, such as on the Great Eastern Main Line and the Great Western Main Line. Overhead electrification has been installed between Airport Junction and Didcot Parkway as part of the 21st Century Modernization of the Great Western Main Line (GWML upgrade), but Crossrail will only use it up to Reading. Signaling is a mix of ETCS 2 on the western branches as of 2019; communication-based train control with automatic train operation on Abbey Wood core and branch (with possible later upgrade to ETCS); and automatic warning system with train protection and warning system on the Great Western Main Line and the Great Eastern Main Line. Deposit: Crossrail will have a depot in west London at Old Oak Common and another at a new signaling center in Romford in Essex. Thanks for watching this thread
Unfortunately the spur to Heathrow is a private railway, owned by the airport itself and they don't give licenses out, so until this changes this route isn't likely. The remainder of the route is a rehash of GWE, so something we already have. Much likelier is the GEML section between Liverpool street and Shenfield (or onto Colchester) as this isn't in game yet
And the Reading branch would be possible do you think? I will soon propose the eastern branch. Thanks for coming back
The reading portion will require an upgrade to GWML London Paddington to reading with 25kv 50hz wires Hayes and Harlington to Reading complete with layered Class 387/2 Gatwick Express in addition to Class 800 & 802. Class 345s will then do stopping services to Reading.
Time period. In GWE the OHLE is just being installed - today it's all up. Plus there is plenty of FGW-era stuff that would need replacing. Plus, there are sooooooo many routes out there to do - do we need a GWE remake already?
387/2 has a quick acceleration on Pantograph up mode. The upgraded GWML London Paddington with Class 345 can be a speedway between Class 387/2 GWR IRL leased from Gatwick Express US Metro-North M8 Germany DB BR474.3 & 490 (PZB Hamburg S-Bahn) EMU commuter trains for having the same feature 3rd train and OHLE systems.
I agree with your comment questioning the need of route remakes in general. This specific case is a different story, however. Remaking the existing GWE route as part of an Elizabeth Line DLC would simply be amazing. The amount of route footage and plans should be huge due to the ongoing construction and testing work. And a release of the virtual route in line with the real one would bring the game tons of publicity and revenue. I would love this!
Really can’t get excited over this. If GWE needs a makeover, if anything it needs to be retroed to an earlier period of time. I’ve watched the cab ride of the new Crossrail tunnel section through central London that’s popped up on YouTube and it’s really not that exciting.
Don't get me wrong - I'd love to see a 345, 387 and IETs racing up and down from Reading to Paddington - but I don't think it's time yet. The best case scenario is we get a route with the IET (ECML?), And one with the 345 (GEML?), and they are redone for GWML, along with the 387, Catenary is installed, bang, that's us. A bit of a Diesel Legends but Modern, and the route is actually changed. I'd imagine that would reduce development time as well, which is a win-win.
I still think people would be more inclined to buy a revised GWE if either the main line itself was extended to Didcot, Oxford or Swindon or all the branch lines (excluding Heathrow due to permissions from BAA) were included. I’ve been doing Journey Mode the last couple of days and while motoring up and down with the HST is good fun, I would really like to see a TV network with a Joe timetable.
The OHLE on the route in game is incomplete and the line isn't set to electrified past Hayes and Harlington (I believe) so yes, it would be a problem Not sure if a lot more people would be drawn to it in those cases. Either people want a commuter network OR they want long distance, so unless there was a lot more traffic from PAD out to the regions (I believe a lot of the branches are shuttles so very little actual gameplay) and the 15 mins to Didcot doesn't add much either
Yes to a version with all of the branch lines, probably best for a period between 1935-1960 so that Brentford Dock, Staines West, Uxbridge Vine Street and High Wycombe can be included along with the larger versions of Windsor and Eton Central and Henley on Thames. A long gone station that could make a debut is the old Westbourne Park which closed in 1992 and is almost a mile outside Paddington. With steam trains on their way, this might be a superb choice.
Depending on the period, until the 387's took over both the Henley and Bourne End branch had through services to/from Paddington during the morning and evening peaks, usually a Class 165.
So four services - assuming one ECS service or shuttle to the end of the line and one full run service into PAD for each branch
I think there were two or three off each branch that ran through in the morning, fairly complex service structure as they would run up ECS from Reading, cover a Down working then the Up through service and vv in the evening. The Bourne End to Marlow section would go over to “Donkey” working in the morning and evening peaks with the regular 2 car 165 locked in on the section while the 3 or 5 car formations to/from Maidenhead or Paddington ran to the Up platform at Bourne End.
I would love this route but I would think that they would have to start at shenfield to Liverpool st, and then do an expansion pack to Paddington and because they already have the Paddington line to redding the could just add new signs. And then after that, they add the last expansion pack to abbey wood.
So long as you're happy with the electric running out at Hayes... The OHLE isn't complete (or energized in game) after this
It's not just OLHE aswell. The platforms are longer now and the main station buildings got a massive reworking.
