Shepherd's Bush Overground: Mystery Solved
The last couple of weeks I've been ringing and emailing pretty much everyone involved with Shepherd's Bush Overground station, and although no one's keen to speak, I think I might have figured out what's going on. Here goes:
There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the station. It was designed correctly, it was built correctly, and the platform isn't really all that narrow. It was only when London Overground got involved last summer that objections were raised, demanding after the fact that the station be built to a higher standard.
This would explain why we haven't heard any fuss from the Mayor's office, and how the station came to be completed without anyone saying anything, because as far as Network Rail and Westfield were concerned, there wasn't a problem. And the Office of Rail Regulation (responsible for health and safety) have very frankly denied any involvement.
I still need to confirm some of this theory, but the key part has been stated explicitly to me: The station hasn't opened because, rightly or wrongly, London Overground refuse to use it.
[Latest: The wall will be moved, taking at least four months]
8 comments:
Good work Mr Thant. Over to you LO.
THC
Good work!
It seems plenty big enough compared to other stations. If it gets too full to manage they should implement a queuing system like other stations.
Not very helpful to have this finished but not open.
What happened to the discrepancy in the placing of the lights? Surely even this would help...
JF
As I mentioned before H&S from SILVERLINK told the people in charge, before the wall was built, that it was too narrow but they still went ahead and bulit it anyway...
Thanks for this, good information.
Thanks for the blog in general, interesting (and useful) bits of information.
If true, what odds on them starting to use it when they close the Central line station in Feb, or when they re-open it at the end of the year?
A work colleague of mine recently telephoned LOROL and was told that the new Shepherd's Bush station would be opening in October 2008.
The person at the other end could just have been getting confused with the opening of the new Underground station, of course, but it might be worth chasing up...
RJB
Rumour has it at LOROL that it will open in May for the start of the new timetable..
Dazz285
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