New London Overground trains out and about

c2c's Commuter News (9/08) says that they are providing storage and inspection facilities for the new fleet of class 378 EMUs (Electric Multiple Units). The trains look similar to c2c's trains (class 357s) but "with seating arranged in a Metro style of service [sic]". I don't think these trains are for the Barking & Gospel Oak line as it (controversially) doesn't have electric traction power along the whole route. This is why it currently uses DMUs (Diesel Multiple Units).

The government seems to be coming round to the railway industry majority view (I believe) of using electric traction. This would seem to be better than the current plan to have trains that can use electric traction but also have diesel engines for lines where there's no electric traction power - a lot of uneccsssary weight would be carried around as a result.

New c2c ticket machines

c2c's Commuter News (September 08) reports that they are installing new ticket machines along their route by November 2008.

Amongst the features of the new machines they highlight is the ticket collection on departure facility "so you can order and pay for your ticket on line ... and collect it on the day you want to travel from the station you want to start from".

I don't think this is exactly right. Currently you can collect tickets ordered on line from any ticket machine that supports the TOD feature from not long after you order and pay for it. The 4 big blue ticket machines at Barking already support the feature. Online ticket websites for some reason ask you where you want to collect your ticket and warn you if the station you choose is not on the journey the ticket is for, yet it does not matter which compatible machine you use to collect it.

If you have bougfh tickets in advance I would advise collecting them sooner rather than later, from you nearest/most convenient TOD compatible machine. If you leave it till the day of travel and somehing goes wrong it could disrupt your journey. Why risk it?

Beego Bikes

Check out this company that buys and sells used bikes - and does "much, much more". www.beegobikes.com

Weekend rail closures adversely affect Barking

This weekend (6-7 September):

There is no District line service between East Ham and Upminster (this also applies to weekend of 13-14 September)

There is no Hammersmith & City line service between Whitechapel and Barking

There is no c2c service between Barking and Laindon via Upminster.

The fastest way to travel between central London and Barking is by c2c services.

This is in addition to the Barking and Gospel Oak line being closed from 1-28 September.