Peter Masson

"Mike Roebuck" <mike.roebuck@> wrote
>
> A clear run to and over the Chiltern main line (and let's face it,
> nothing is going to out-perform a Voyager over that route) was
> followed by a 26 minute wait for our booked path in the up loop at
> West Ruislip, and another 6 minutes at Willesden Junction. In both
> cases, we were waiting to cross a Northbound pair of Voyagers, but I
> find it difficult to believe there is no immediate path which would
> have let us through without there being a conflict in the first place.
> Platforms and paths into at Euston are obviously no problem, either,
> given the skeleton service.
>
Is there anyone who can quote detailed timings for the Blockbusters? It's
obviously not been easy to path them, as they were very much an afterthought
in the timetable compilation process. There are plenty of constraints, not
least the single track between Coventry and Leamington (also used by AXC)
and again between South Ruislip and Greenford [1], and a railway that is
much busier than it used to be, both on Chiltern and on the GWML between
West Ealing and Acton.

[1] It seems that the up train is held at West Ruislip to allow the down
train through the single track section first. But standing for 26 minutes
suggests to me that it could easily get to Greenford before the down train
gets there.

Peter