Caroline recently joined Brian Paddick in travelling along the Barking to Gospel Oak Line. The visit which was at the invitation of the Barking - Gospel Oak Line User Group provided an opportunity for both Caroline and Brian Paddick to visit the stations along the line, as well as to find out about the level of overcrowding facing commuters.
Caroline is no stranger to the line having travelled the full length of the line back in 2009, again at the invitation of the line's user group.
After the recent visit Caroline said:
"While there have been clear improvements in the service since I last travelled the line with User Group members in 2009 it is clear further improvements are still needed. Above all we must keep up the pressure to ensure that the line is finally electrified. This would deliver better services for passengers as well as making a useful contribution to reducing air pollution."
Brian Paddick further commented:
"The Barking to Gospel Oak User Group have done a great job in campaigning for improvements in train services. This is an increasingly popular line and that must mean improvements to it have to continue."
Caroline has recently pressed the Mayor for answers about the future of the line:
Caroline Pidgeon: Aside from presenting the business case for electrification of the Barking to Gospel Oak Line in your Rail Vision, what actual discussions have you or your officers held with the Department for Transport to argue the case? Please list any meetings which have been held with this aim since 2008.
Boris Johnson: TfL officers meet Department for Transport officials extremely regularly, and electrification of the Gospel Oak – Barking line has been discussed many times since 2008, alongside other agenda items.
The outstanding issues with electrification of the line are cost and funding, rather than the socio-economic business case (the ‘benefit-cost ratio’). We are awaiting the outcome of a feasibility study undertaken by Network Rail in advance of the DfT’s High Level Output Specification expected in July 2012.
TfL is also considering other options to provide more capacity, such as lengthening the existing diesel trains, should electrification not go ahead in the next Control Period (2014 to 2019), or if it happens towards the end of the Control Period.
Caroline Pidgeon:Further to your answer to MQs 448/2012 and 449/2012, what discussions have been held with train manufacturers and train leasing companies about the prospective supply of electric trains for the Barking to Gospel Oak Line?
Boris Johnson: TfL has discussed indicative prices and programmes with a train manufacturer for additional electric trains that could be used across the Overground network, including the Barking to Gospel Oak line, subject to electrification. The details of these discussions are commercially sensitive..