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RAIL USERS' DISAPPOINTMENT AT DELAYED IMPROVEMENTS TO TRAIN SERVICES The Thurrock Rail Users' Group (TRUG) learned this week that plans by Network Rail (NR) to extend the terminating platform at Grays station to 8-coach length, already delayed from early 2008 to late 2008, will now be too late for the December 2008 timetable change, which will put the consequent improvement in train services back by a full year, from May 2008 to May 2009.
This project, for which local train operator c2c had been pressing Network Rail for some time, will unlock the ability to schedule more 8-car trains between Grays and London, via both the Chafford and the Rainham routes, including the extending of some 4-car trains to 8, and thereby reduce uncomfortable crowding. Users will have noticed absolutely no action on site yet, though TRUG understands from c2c that a start is expected in September, and that much of the delay has involved NR providing assurance that operational issues - particularly, managing the train service locally while the construction is in progress - have been addressed and will be managed adequately. Unfortunately, these issues were not resolved in time for the 'deadline' for agreeing the schedule to be operated from December, which is what has pushed back these consequent improvements until the following opportunity, May 2009. However, TRUG understands that, once the work has been done - currently expected around early December - the platform will be used by 8-car trains whenever it is operationally beneficial to do so. Perhaps ironically, the more likely situations where this would be particularly useful, would be failures of Network Rail infrastructure (points, overhead wires, etc.), or further instances of their engineering work overrunning, along the lines of the most recently reported such incident. TRUG Chairman Adrian Brown commented that "It is very disappointing that, again, Network Rail has been unable to deliver, or to promise with confidence, a very small but very effective enhancement to the local railway infrastructure. It means that against the background of continuing increases in demand from new housing developments along the line, and continuing increases in the popularity and patronage of rail services, commuters who want to take the train, to get to work faster and more environmentally sustainably than by car, will continue to suffer increased crowding, as a result of waiting another year for this project to be delivered and ready for use."
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TRUG News 
