[dwb]

Rail travellers in Dover are to get a new fleet of trains running on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link into London. Read the full BBC news report here

To borrow a phrase from Railroad Tycoon - Bigger, better, faster.

Enjoy?

David

 

[Oakydoke]

The recent news isn't about the new fleet of trains (they've been ordered for a quite a while), it's about the extension to Dover.

The Javelins will come off the CTRL after Ashford and use the ordinary Network Rail track.

36 minutes to Ashford and 62 minutes to Folkestone?
How come Ashford to Folkestone is another 24 minutes (allowing for 2 minutes at Ashford); it's only 10 to 15 minutes by car???

 

[folkestonekeith]

Currently it takes about 21 minutes from Ashford to Folkestone Central stopping at Westenhanger, Sandling and Folkestone West (my station!!!!) at which stations the Javelins are supposed to stop. Add the 4 minutes to split trains (as we were originally told that trains will be split at Ashford for Canterbury and Folkestone) and another 3 minutes to wait for the Canterbury section to depart you have 28 minutes. So, the Javelin will be faster at 24 minutes - yipee!!

A few months ago our local paper had an article saying that our local big-wigs were trying to get the Folkestone section to depart in front of the Canterbury section so that Folkestone-London will take less than the magical figure of 60 minutes. Nothing heard about that.

Also when the plans were first aired a few years ago Folkestone West was to be renamed Folkestone West Parkway as there is plenty of vacant railway land on which to build a large carpark - this could be good for local property prices (like mine!!) as the house is within walking distance of Folkestone West but far enough away not to be affected by traffic getting into the park-and-ride. Be interesting to see what happens when the trains start running!!!