More seats set for rail commuters (BBC News)

[RF News]

Rail passengers commuting between London and Hastings are to benefit from extra seats.

More from BBC News...

[Flying Pig]

Originally Posted by BBC News

Network Rail said some trains would have extra carriages, with a new siding planned near Tunbridge Wells, in Kent, so they can be added to trains.

Work is expected to be completed on the site between Grove Hill and Strawberry Hill tunnels by December.

Hmm, interesting. This is the first I've heard of this. Does anyone know exactly where this is going to be ? (Googlemap reference if possible).

Thanks

[Deathbyteacup]

I always wonder what they mean when they publish stories like this, as most passenger trains these days are not loco-hauled with coaching stock, but rather D/EMUS or fixed formation, that you can't easily just "add a carriage" too?

Or am I missing something?

[Flying Pig]

I suspect that somebody is 'dumbing down' the information because they think the public can't understand the concept of units. IIUC the problem is that Tunbridge Wells platform isn't quite long enough to take a 12 car train fully. So trains often split, attach & terminate there in order to work around the problem. I guess that stabling units very close by will enable them to do this more often and quicker.

What they can do is take an 8 car up from the coast, and once it has pulled into TW they can attach a 3 or 4 car unit to it for its journey up to London. This obviously makes sense as the train gets busier as it progresses with the journey.