Inside Old Oak Common Depot

Oak Oak Common Depot in West London will be the main maintenance depot and stabling point for Crossrail's Elizabeth Line trains. We went for a peek inside, and had a chat with Howard Smith, the Operations Director ...

[@geofftech2]

To start with, the Class 345's will only run to Hayes & Harlington - the existing units used for 'Heathrow Connect' will be used all the way to Heathrow with TfL Rail stickers on the side... this will change at a later date. First Class 345's to run out of Paddington will be on Sunday May 20th.

[@damirmcelfresh1152]

Brilliant video, can't wait till they will take over the GWR service!

[@rmastersrm]

Had a double-take at the "running to H&H" bit. Is this still down to the signalling in the Heathrow tunnels?

[@dominicfindlay]

ultralovestansportforlondon ali this one is the other side of London

[@Ulleskelf]

No, it's in west London www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=51.5249&mlon=-0.2467&zoom=18#map=14/51.5200/-0.2454

[@m.sharif_3d]

Geoff Marshall What is your favourite station from the Piccadilly Line?

[@MadhuttyRotMG]

I do like all your commercial style videos that cater for an informative purpose, but I do LOVE your goofy Geoff-centred unscripted wayfaring ways!

[@alstokesveteranfilmmaker913]

Great stuff and unusually informative for a railway company. I can wait! Thanks for posting.

[@tobysummers471]

Can’t wait to ride on these on this section of line. Old Oak Common has changed drastically over the years. Hard to imagine 20/25 years ago that NSE first gen DMUs were kept here and this was before the loco hauled sets went. This makes the class 165 units somewhat old now. Remember them when they were newer ! Like the new 345s even though they’ll be running eventually under the E word !

[@k.r.baylor8825]

It's going to be interesting to see how the new TfL service from Heathrow to Paddington Station works out, against the existing Heathrow Express trains. When I travel to the UK about once a year, I've used the Express trains exclusively to get from Heathrow to central London, for almost 20 years now. It'll be strange to take a new service, but I'll give it a go. I'm looking forward to watching a video explaining the benefits and drawbacks of each service, once they are up and running together.

[@jlelliotton]

K.R. Baylor These “new” trains for now are really just the Heathrow Connect under a new (temporary) name and TFL.

[@intercity4319]

Its worth noting that unless you live at Hanwell or Acton mainline, all the other stations between Hayes and Harlington and Paddington don't benefit from a frequency increase, all you will see is the GWR Paddington-Hayes shuttle being combined with Heathrow connect with Class 345/360 trains yet TFL will make a big deal out of this as they did with a Class 315 with a blue paintjob.

[@barton1974]

Mr Railman will Hanwell finally have a Sunday service now then?

[@intercity4319]

Yes I believe Acton Mainline, West Ealing and Hanwell will all benefit Sunday services. As a resident in the London Borough of Ealing its long overdue

[@fetchstixRHD]

Barton: No, at least not at the takeover (engineering work and no fast line platforms). The timetables are out: content.tfl.gov.uk/paddington-heathrow-terminal-4-20-may-8-december-2018.pdf One benefit of the TFL takeover that’ll happen immediately however is that Oyster will be accepted throughout, including to the airport. Also Sunday frequencies are doubled from 1 train per hour to 2.

[@adamrozlilek]

Thanks for the update Geoff, nice video!

[@___-yy8ud]

I can just feel the delays already

[@IainG81]

it's the wonderful Howard. Fantastic.

[@andrewholloway231]

Nice little video. Superb. Trains look smart too.

[@sadelsor]

As an apprentice at OOC in 1965 at 9 am all of the apprentices went out the main gate to "Reggies" cafe for breakfast, best all English breakfast in London, well kept secret !!

[@jontytodd-stewart3908]

Hi Geoff keep up the great work, looking forward to another episode of choo choo chat soon!?

[@TheTransportHub17]

Cool video Geoff and the depot looks great. Heathrow express will be taken over by GWR and Heathrow Connect will find under Crossrail.

[@MikeWillSee]

The other day, I rode the new TfL Rail line, and when going past this depot, I saw some of the trains were branded with Elizabeth Line instead of TfL rail!

[@CS_22]

Wow, I’ve been inside somewhere transporty before you.... I had a tour of it at Old Oak Commons open day back in September.

[@HenrysAdventures]

Looking forward to a trip on the 345s through the tunnel!

[@tonyivey5399]

My dad Lennox Ivey worked at Old Oak Common maintenance and break down day and night in the 50s ,60s ,70s & 80s ,it seems a lot cleaner environment now

[@stephenreardon2698]

Geoff. Two related issues to this piece that you may want to comment on. Firstly the repoted shortfall in TfL financing that could yet cause problems before it opens. Secondly the new Heathrow link from the west and why it has taken this long to get to the formal planning stage.

[@jakubtheexplorer5718]

Goeff what time will you be on the 20th may at Paddington to see the new route ?

[@oforid2227]

Omg I can't wait I haven't been on one before

[@azer8663]

Hey Geoff, can you make a video locating all the crossrail construction works inside stations such as bond street, etc ?

[@MrJaybob500]

Azer 8663 if you look back at his older videos I think he has done something like this, or mentioned it at least

[@BestUserNameUK]

Will this run from Langley to Hanwell without having to change?

[@Leccy86Hybrid]

Geoff, Are happy that the TFL rail are taking over the Heathrow Connect service?

[@jlelliotton]

Query for you. I am flying Toronto to London arriving on June 2 and I normally take the Heathrow Express to Paddington. Would you suggest I try out TFL Rail to Paddington instead? I will be arriving and departing on a Saturday.

[@geofftech2]

yes. i. You'll be able to use an Oyster or Contactless card. ii. It's cheaper (half the price)

[@customtransport2777]

In the bus community, saying E******** Line (the E word) is forbidden as we like it as Crossrail only

[@ZacharyUKTransport]

Nice Video Geoff!!

[@AlisonWheeler]

When he says "Elizabeth line" I presume he actually means Crossrail. The question now is when the tunnel signalling will be sorted. In many ways it's a pity that this is taking up so much surface area at OOC though.

[@harveydee9115]

Awesome Video!

[@stevencassidy6982]

Old Oak Common is near Acton Town tube isn't it?

[@anthonymathias4043]

Will they still extend the trains this summer

[@MadnessIncVP]

To those of you who actually believed the Elizabeth Line would come out in 2018, i've got info on a new tube line, it's called the TIOD (Troll In The Dungeon) Line, and TFL took inspiration from Platform 9 and 3 Quarters, at King's Cross. It marks how y'all will believe anything.

[@joeturner1597]

They can call it what they want, it'll still be the up and down main and relief.

[@shaunwest3612]

Nice video Geoff 😀

[@Roo63]

OMG! And I thought "OC" was just a diesel depot with a HST depot (OO) added in the 1970s. Hell of an expansion by the looks of it & so many changes. I am so out of touch. lol Seems the Airfix trains are taking over England. Not sure if you are out to make a video about the ECML, Geoff? ECML must be the Last line to be using BR Stock? We are set to lose our HSTs & Electras shortly, as the Airfix Azumas take over.

[@RuloRubik]

Hey Geoff! When will the new tube maps be put out there?

[@oforid2227]

I believe crossrail 2 will stop at my 2nd home station Kingston

[@thomaswhitcomb624]

Crossing my fingers they change ‘TfL rail’ to ‘Crossrail’ on the trains, not to the E word

[@fetchstixRHD]

I doubt it, the 9 car 345’s at Abbey Wood have -Elizabeth- E*******h line on them if I recall correctly...

[@wolf6543211]

Better than the "R" word.

[@tobysummers471]

Too late they are branded as Elizabeth line some of them

[@garethbisgrove4482]

Elizabeth Line or as I prefer to say, " The Betty".

[@itzjac4370]

Elizabeth

[@Toxicpen456]

Lovley depot Geoff!

[@JohnTalbot-k6xi]

Pro Video (!!) Solid Content

[@ThatBusDriverKane]

How do you get to go to places like this

[@NickPearsonCGI]

I must admit I really don't see the point of renaming the Heathrow connect service. Calling two different routes on opposite sides of london by the same name for no good reason seems like it would only confuse people to me

[@NickPearsonCGI]

That is a fair point, and I suppose the overground has had the same situation for a while with minimal issues

[@annettebrighton405]

Did you really go into the old oak depo which will hold the crossrail trains in but i don't like the e word.

[@djtrainspotter]

RIP the real Old Oak Common depot

[@richardpicking4459]

Nice video Geoff but where are the class 47's, 50's and 52's, the turntable and the scrap line. No engine sounds, no diesel smells and no oil marks on the sleepers. Can't be Old Oak Common.....

[@bfapple]

*That* Old Oak is being bulldozed for HS2.

[@dangleoof6944]

It’s December 2018 elizebath line will open

[@mercifulzeus01]

Oak Oak Common... is that a remix of Ice Ice Baby?

[@MrRevika]

TFL Rail already started running to Reading

[@williamfall2214]

Anyone fancy getting the inaugural 05:11 out of Paddington on Sunday?

[@CB-by9nf]

Whats gonna happen to the class 377 electrostars

[@bfapple]

chris beverley which 377s?

[@bfapple]

The GWR Class 387s will be used on services beyond Reading.

[@orangecountry2355]

This station name willesden junction This station is same Clapham junction This big railway junction

[@huigao6544]

What is the song

[@alfies.trains]

Crossrail not Elizabeth line

[@owenchuarbx]

New Oak Common....

[@brayand8022]

But now it is!

[@nrlooleegamingraw5303]

Sometimes you can still just see the derails/full

[@Yourguardsman]

Geoff im going to make the crossrail class 345 train model

[@EliteXtasy]

Heathrow Connect will be missed.

[@bfapple]

Why? Crossrail provides double the number of trains.

[@itsthatsebguy93]

Somehow i think that they are making a mess of things, certainly building an hs 2 station here is a mistake.

[@tinblue]

I prefer a slow paced documentary style. Maybe you were given limited time and access and if so then fine but I had just come from viewing the recent Business Insider video which was similarly frustrating in that they claimed to have spent an entire day with a tube driver only to compact it into a 3 and half minute video byte similar to this one. Maybe I am in the minority but I find the trend for this 2 or 3 minute style of media annoying. I guess I am just spoilt by the far more engaging, unedited style lengthy vlogs and the documentary style videos you produce and do so well. I just hope this trend isn't going to become the norm everywhere on youtube. I am taking this opinion based on a presumption that 2-3 minute videos attract more people and generate more revenue because there is a greater chance of the viewer watching the whole thing. Maybe I am wrong and it's simply a trendy thing content makers do.

[@Ed-n-Hats]

Go Geoff

[@halimahocine943]

I think I saw this deport in real life

[@SK_3PT1]

**depot*

[@stanpatterson5033]

Just call it "E" Line.

[@itzjac4370]

Stan Patterson no

[@SK_3PT1]

@@itzjac4370 why

[@tobys_transport_videos]

It's not the Great Western way... There are two ways of doing things: the *Great Western* way, and the *Wrong* Way!!!

[@M0LHA]

Excellent video. Shame some idiots vandalised the x-rail train at abbey wood :(

[@unclestuka8543]

Cant the English name anything without including " Elizabeth " in the title

[@jfreelan1964]

That place is a misnomer. Its not old, its not oak, and it isn't a depot. LOL.

[@RobinHillyard]

Well, as I'm sure you know, "Old Oak" refers to the adjacent common. Questionable about "depot." That word has different meanings in different parts of the world. We used to call it Old Oak Sheds back in the steam days. It looks a bit different now!

[@jfreelan1964]

Robin Hillyard There were allot of places I didn’t see when I was there from 1994 to 1996, working at Croughton afb. I did like there.

[@photoisca7386]

As a kid I remember nipping through a hole in the wall by the canal and down some stairs to track level. Inside the steam shed was like I imagined Dante's Inferno to be.

[@kamrantailor]

How do you get the privilege to do these things?????????????????????????? If the (e word) has any open days can you tell me ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[@kieranthornton82]

I worked on this project, worse job I’ve ever done. Taylor Woodrow couldn’t run a bath!!!