Thameslink core

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The Thameslink core is the central section of the Thameslink route, between London St Pancras and London Blackfriars. It runs underground in central London through St Pancras, Farringdon, City Thameslink and Blackfriars. All Thameslink services converge at St Pancras and Blackfriars and run through the core, branching out at either end to run south via London Bridge and East Croydon or via Elephant & Castle, and north via Finsbury Park or West Hampstead Thameslink.

The core section is part of three different lines: The City Widened Lines, the line through Snow Hill tunnel and the Holborn Viaduct–Herne Hill line.

Ticket restrictions[]

Passengers arriving into London with tickets to London Terminals are not permitted to travel through the Thameslink core to reach terminals on the other side of London—those with tickets from north of London cannot travel south of St Pancras, and those with tickets from south of London cannot travel north of City Thameslink. In contrast, tickets to "London Thameslink" can be used from the north or the south to travel through the core, including to London Bridge and Elephant & Castle.[1] Passengers holding tickets with a Maltese cross can use the Thameslink core to travel between two London Terminals.[2]

Infrastructure[]

Between St Pancras and Farringdon, the Thameslink core runs on the Widened Lines, opened in 1866 by the Metropolitan Railway.[3]

Between Farringdon and City Thameslink, it runs through the Snow Hill tunnel. The Snow Hill tunnel was opened in 1866 by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway, but passenger services ceased in 1916 and the tracks were lifted in 1971; new tracks were laid in 1988 and these are currently in use. In 2008, the Planning Inspectorate suggested that the tunnel's internal structure needed repairing or replacing, but Network Rail dismissed their concerns and no repairs were made.[4]

Between Snow Hill tunnel and Blackfriars services use the Holborn Viaduct–Herne Hill line, opened in 1865 by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway.

Stations[]

City Thameslink, looking southbound towards Blackfriars.

The Thameslink core includes four stations—from north to south, St Pancras International (a London Terminal), Farringdon, City Thameslink and Blackfriars (another London Terminal). Of these stations, only City Thameslink is served exclusively by Thameslink.

St Pancras is the London Terminal for the Midland Main Line (East Midlands Railway services) and the Eurostar international route to Belgium, France and the Netherlands. It also offers interchange with London Underground Circle, Metropolitan, Hammersmith and City, Northern, Picadilly and Victoria lines through Kings Cross St Pancras tube station, and, as their sharing a Tube station suggests, is very close to Kings Cross for the north-east and Scotland.

Farringdon is just outside the City of London (technically, it is in Clerkenwell) and offers interchange with London Underground Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith and City lines. From 2023, it will also offer interchange with Elizabeth Line.

City Thameslink is in the City, close to St Paul's Cathedral—as well as St Paul's tube station on the Central line.

Blackfriars is situated on a bridge with entrances and exits on both sides of the Thames. It has interchange with London Underground Circle and District lines.

Allocations and timetabling[]

At peak times, the Thameslink core has a 24 tph[a] service pattern,[5][6] meaning there is a two-minutes and thirty-seconds wait between trains.

Notes and references[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Trains per hour, i.e. how many trains call at each station in any given hour.

References[]

  1. ^ 'London Terminal' Stations; National Rail, accessed 20 August 2020.
  2. ^ Crossing London with tickets marked '✠' ; National Rail, accessed 20 August 2020.
  3. ^ Alan Jackson, London's Metropolitan Railway, p. 47; Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1986.
  4. ^ Report to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, dated 20 May 2008, ref APP/K5030/V/07/1201433-36
  5. ^ "Thameslink Programme". Network Rail. 18 October 2006. Archived from the original on 8 February 2009. Retrieved 29 November 2006.
  6. ^ "Thameslink aims for Olympic gold". Modern Railways. London. February 2007. pp. 41–47.
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