Improvements - 12-carriage trains
First Capital Connect (FCC) is now running 50% longer 12-carriage trains between Bedford and Brighton as the first phase of the Thameslink Programme nears completion.
Now in service: The first 12-carriage services (four in the morning and four in the evening) are Electrostar trains. These will be replaced with a new design of train when a new Thameslink fleet is delivered in 2015
There are four 12-carriage trains made up of Electrostars in each peak every weekday which have been targeted on the busiest services:
- Bedford to Brighton: 0658, 0730, 0748 and 1706 (arrives London Bridge 1827)
- Brighton to Bedford: 0802, 1604 (arrives St Pancras 1732), 1630 (arrives St Pancras 1802) and 1702 (arrives St Pancras 1832)
That's almost 2,000 extra seats at the busiest times of the day and thanks to another train FCC's engineering team has made available from the maintenance pool, they'll have doubled the length of four peak 4-carriage trains as well, creating a further 1,200 additional seats on the following services:
- 0737 Sutton to St Albans
- 0914 St Albans to Sutton
- 1614 St Albans to Sutton
- 1741 Sutton to Luton
How can the Thameslink route now run 12-carriage trains when it couldn't before?
When the Thameslink Programme began, in December 2008, a number of platforms north of London simply weren't long enough for 12-carriage trains and the power supply was not up to the job. By the time FCC's new timetable started in December, Network Rail had upgraded the power supply and finished lengthening platforms at a dozen stations north of London.
Extending platforms is a huge and expensive job as signals and overhead wire gantries all had to be moved. In central London the task was even trickier: Farringdon's platforms had to be extended south, cutting off the old branch route to Barbican and Moorgate and the constraints of the Grade II listed station meant a new ticket hall has had to be built for the longer Thameslink route trains. At Blackfriars, the entire station is being rebuilt, with 12-carriage long platforms straddling the River Thames, creating a new southern entrance.
Why can't you put on more 12-carriage trains?
It's all down to the number of trains in FCC's Thameslink route fleet. There is a limited number of trains available nationally that can run on the two different power supply systems north and south of London.
FCC is hiring 12 Electrostar carriages from Southern to create December's first 12-carriage services. More 12-carriage trains will follow from 2015 when the new fleet of Thameslink trains enter service.
When will stations between St Albans and London have 12-carriage trains?
12-carriage trains will be able to call at Radlett, Elstree & Borehamwood, Mill Hill Broadway and West Hampstead from 2018 when the final Thameslink Programme timetable is introduced. Click here to find out why Kentish Town, Cricklewood and Hendon platforms have not been extended.