Our Ref:          FOI-2537-1819

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 17 December 2018 asking for information about the Gospel Oak to Barking line (GOBLIN). I apologise for the delay in my response.
 
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm we hold some of the information you require. You asked:
 
Are the passengers the victim of some sort of contractual dispute?
 
There is no contractual dispute between TfL and train manufacturer Bombardier. We share our customers’ frustration at the delays to the new trains entering service on the Gospel Oak to Barking line, however Bombardier need to carry out further software development before the trains can be released for driver training and brought into use. We are in constant contact with them to do everything they can to deliver a fully operating train as soon as possible.
 
Have all the new Trains completed their 2000 Mile Testing?
 
We have been advised by Bombardier that, as at 9 January 2019,  the accumulated test mileage run on the national rail network was:
 
Unit                 Mileage
710261           1192
710262           1076
710263           1311
710265           1508
710266           1305
710267           976
710269           1287
 
Why are the additional 2 Riverside Trains not being produced now and brought into Service to save resetting the Production Line?
 
The additional trains were added to the existing order with manufacturer Bombardier on 12  December 2017 with no production line remobilisation costs payable.
 
When will Driver Training Start and Finish?
 
We currently expect driver training to start from the end of February, subject to no further software issues arising.
 
When will all the Stations be Access for All?
 
We do not hold this information, stations are nominated for Access for All funding that is provided by the Department for Transport.
 
When will Gospel Oak Station be redesigned with the help and support of the City of London Corporation and Camden Council?
 
We do not hold this information, please contact the City of London Corporation and the London Borough of Camden for further information.
 
When will the people of North East London have a restored Upper Holloway to Kentish Town Shuttle, to access Thameslink , without a 15 minute transfer at Kings Cross / St Pancras? ( it would mean one Junction, the Bay Platform reintroduced and 1 Diesel Train retained on Lease, rather than sent to Coventry)
 
There are currently no plans to provide this service. An interchange between Thameslink and London Overground services is already available at West Hampstead.
 
When is Blackhorse Road gong to get a new 3rd Platform and a new  London Overground Entrance? ( either side of Blackhorse Road)
 
There are currently no plans for either of these ideas.
 
When is the 397 Bus going to be extended to Blackhorse Road via Priors Croft and Paper Mill Place from the Crooked Billet?
 
We are not planning to extend route 397 to Blackhorse Road station. We have consulted on re-routing the W11 via Blackhorse Road Station and will decide the next steps in due course: https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/w11/.
 
When will Renwick Road Station be constructed?
 
Passive provision for a future station at Renwick Road is included as part of the Barking Riverside extension which is due to begin construction shortly. We are currently working with Network Rail, the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham and the GLA to confirm the case for the providing the station and identify a funding strategy linked to the provision of new homes and jobs in the local Castle Green area. The outcome of this work will determine the timescales for construction.
 
Why aren't their plans in lieu of Crossrail 2, to have a Station on the Goblin to connect with the Lea Valley Lines South of Ferry Lane near Jarrow Road?
 
There is no evidence that this idea would offer adequate value for money, being just 500 metres from Tottenham Hale station, and it would aversely affect capacity on the busy Lea Valley line. There is already an out-of-station interchange with the Southbury loop at Seven Sisters / South Tottenham. It is also possible to get to Tottenham Hale from Seven Sisters or Blackhorse Road on the Victoria line.
 
When will TfL commence a Consultation to allow all Stakeholders and potential Funders to suggest improvements?
 
The Mayor’s Transport Strategy sets out a programme of improvements for London’s transport. There was a detailed consultation before the MTS was published: https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/transport/our-vision-transport/mayors-transport-strategy-2018.
 
Why is it not possible to run a Train from Blackhorse Road to Brent Cross Shopping Centre via the Carlton Road Curve on existing Rails or a new Rail in the same Wide Cutting?
 
It is possible to run a train that does this. However, it would not be possible to do this on a regular basis without an adverse impact on the frequency of existing high frequency Thameslink train services and their reliability, therefore we do not have any plans to do this. An interchange between Thameslink and London Overground services is already available at West Hampstead.
 
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please feel free to contact me.
 
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely

Gemma Jacob
Senior FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London

[email protected]