King's Cross

A contributor named SMG4 submitted this railway several years ago but publication awaited a timetable. Unfortunately no timetable was submitted so it was left for a long time gathering dust. It was a detailed and impressive layout so on rediscovering it recently it seemed appropriate to resurrect and update it in line with the current track layout, and develop a timetable for it.

King's Cross
Description	The lines from King's Cross and Moorgate to Biggleswade and Royston
Country	United Kingdom
Time period	2021
Train Operating Company	London North Eastern Railway, Grand Central, Hull Trains, Thameslink, Great Northern
Simulation difficulty
Author	RailOS Dev Team
Repository	King's Cross
Website	King's Cross
Route map Cambridge Royston Royston Freight Depot Ashwell & Morden East Coast Main Line Baldock Biggleswade Biggleswade Sidings Letchworth EMU Sidings Arlesey Letchworth Garden City Hitchin Up Yard Hitchin Down Yard Hitchin Hitchin Civil Engineers Stevenage Redland Aggregate Knebworth Watton-at-Stone Oil Terminal Watton-at-Stone Welwyn North Watton-at-Stone Loop Welwyn EMU Sidings Hertford North Welwyn Garden City Hertford Sidings Bayford Cuffley Hatfield Crews Hill Welham Green Gordon Hill Brookmans Park Potters Bar Enfield Chase Hadley Wood North Tunnel Grange Park Hadley Wood Winchmore Hill Hadley Wood South Tunnel Palmers Green New Barnet New Barnet Up Sidings New Barnet Down Sidings Bowes Park Reversing Siding Oakleigh Park Bowes Park New Southgate Wood Green Tunnel Bounds Green Depot Alexandra Palace Hornsey Reversing Sidings Hornsey Hornsey EMU Depot GOBLIN Line Harringay Finsbury Park Copenhagen Tunnels Drayton Park London St. Pancras International North London Line Thameslink Core Highbury & Islington Gasworks Tunnels Essex Road Old Street London King's Cross Moorgate

The railway includes the lines from King’s Cross and Moorgate in the south to Biggleswade on the East Coast Main Line and Royston on the Cambridge line, a distance of over 40 miles south to north.

Timetable

The timetable corresponds to the 2021 summer working timetable (courtesy www.realtimetrains.co.uk) and includes all King’s Cross and Moorgate services from just before 6:00am to after 2:00pm. Excluded so far are freight and services that avoid King’s Cross or Moorgate, notably those running via St Pancras and Thameslink. These may be added at a later date.

The standard off-peak services are given below.

King's Cross Services
Train Operating Company	Origin	Destination	Frequency (tph)
London North Eastern Railway	London King's Cross	Leeds	2
		Lincoln	1
		York	1
		Edinburgh Waverley	2
Grand Central		Sunderland	5tpd
		Bradford Interchange	4tpd
Hull Trains		Hull	5tpd
		Beverley	2tpd
Thameslink		Cambridge	2
Great Northern		King's Lynn	1
		Ely	1
	London Moorgate	Welwyn Garden City	4
		Hertford North	2
		Stevenage	2

Operating Tips

• Take care with trains approaching King's Cross. All trains indicate the required platform in the description - keep train information turned on. Note the required platform in good time and route the train accordingly. The Up Fast line can reach any platform but it's best to use it only for platforms 0 - 6 to avoid obstructing other arriving or departing trains. The Up Slow can only reach platforms 7 - 10 and should be used for these platforms.
• Before setting routes into or out of King's Cross check that the points are set appropriately and correct any that aren't to avoid holding up other trains. This also applies to a lesser extent at other locations to avoid trains looping to an adjacent line and back unnecessarily.
• Check King's Cross arrival times for approaching trains. There is often time for them to be held to allow departing trains to pass first or to allow another train to arrive first even though it approaches later.
• In general use fast lines for trains that cover long distances before needing to stop, switching them to and from slow lines according to their future stopping pattern (see detailed service information below). However before switching a train to a fast line check for slower or stopping trains in front that might hold it up - it is sometimes useful to route a fast train temporarily to a slow line to pass a slower train.
• Trains that are scheduled to pass a location must use a line with a platform at that location or the pass will be missed.
• Trains bound for Cambridge must use the Down Slow line at Hitchin.
• Where platforms are shown, other than at King's Cross, only the lowest and highest numbers are labelled. Other platform numbers increase in order from lowest to highest.
• Trains bound for the Hertford Loop must use platform 4 at Alexandra Palace.
• Except when there is ample time for a slow train to get clear allow faster trains priority at the short two-track section at Welwyn North.
• Northbound Moorgate trains normally use platform 8 at Finsbury Park, exceptionally using platform 7.
• Trains that reverse at Welwyn Garden City should normally use platform 4, or exceptionally platform 3.
• Trains that reverse at Hertford North should use platform 3.
• Trains that reverse at Stevenage should use platform 5.