London Overground future plans

In November 2007 I asked Transport for London what their plans were for the London Overground concession - the details on the web site are better now that when I asked, but are still not as detailed as this helpful reply I received:

Dear Alistair

Thank you for your email.

London Overground

New trains

TfL has ordered 44 new high capacity, three and four-car trains which are expected to be introduced on the London Overground network from November 2008. However, the new trains have to undergo rigorous testing before entering passenger service and no-one can predict if this will create any delays. The new trains will provide increased capacity, quicker boarding and alighting times, air conditioning and greater security with on-train CCTV.

Timetable

In the short term, the existing timetable will continue to operate but with some minor changes from December this year. Further improvements through to December 2010, including more frequent services, will be delivered as part of a longer term investment programme. From September 2009, capacity on the Gospel Oak to Barking line will increase to 4 trains per hour throughout the day and from December 2010 up to 8 trains per hour will operate on the North London line.

Stations

Over the next 6 months to May 2008, all the Overground stations will be undergoing intensive cleaning and repair of the existing systems and fabric. Between August 2008 and November 2010, all Overground stations will be extensively refurbished and have updated systems. The systems are: improved lighting, CCTV, Public Address, real time train information and Help Points. In addition, buildings, platforms, stairways and footbridges will be refurbished to improve the look, feel, safety and security of the station for all the travelling public.

It is not possible, at this stage of the project, to give definitive dates for when each station will see these improvements. However, passengers will be updated as each station refurbishment progresses to give them plenty of notice of any disruption. It is not intended at this moment that any of the stations will close to passengers completely during these upgrades.

I hope this is useful.

Kind Regards,

XXXX
Transport for London
Central Customer Services