Minecraft:Elizafox/Relocation of North Dock Station

This is a proposal for relocating the North Dock Station to a new location, whilst preserving existing service. A new station is necessary due to problems with the current location, and obstruction of the dock works.

History

The location of the North Dock Station was selected for its proximity to the center of the north Malaclypse Docks. It is located directly above a large below-ground warehouse, on top of a bluff about 5 metres above the ground.

The station was initially built as a purple line terminus (modelled after the station at New Seattle), and was considered adequate for this job. However, at the time, there were difficulties with its construction. The nearby road to the docks from Bureaucracy presented an obstacle for a ramp coming upwards for the purple line. It could not emerge from another point to the south due to the docks, could not emerge from another point to the east due to a nearby building which existed prior, and could not emerge from the north or south unless it came back around (a solution narrowly avoided). The problem was ultimately solved by widening the distance between the east and west tracks and having the lines emerge on both sides of the road, intercepting the station with an overhead line. This did lead to unfortunate obstruction on the dock paths, resulting in the dock road being widened. It was noted at the time this arrangement was not ideal, but was considered too late to change.

When Portsmouth received ERIS service, an extension was created using an overhead trestle over the docks. This further obstructed the docks, and required an overhead trestle above the western docks in Portsmouth.

The white line was later added to Finejo. Due to limited space at Portsmouth (which was considered the ideal initial location), and adjacency to an existing pedestrian tunnel, North Dock Station became the terminus for the white line. Unfortunately, there was little room in the area, so a further trestle had to be constructed above the purple line rail for Bureaucacy station, and then come back around to a fenced-off area behind a building, which then descended downwards into a tunnel. This was extremely distasteful to all involved, but there was no other realistic choice. This resulted in the platform, only designed for one or two rails, to have 3 rails now.

Later, a second storey was added to North Dock Station, and the purple line for Portsmouth was relocated upstairs. This was to facilitate a direct purple line spur from Zarathud to North Dock, as there was no more room in the station for it. A stairway was constructed going upwards, but was severely limited in space and and led to an aesthetically suboptimal result.

Proposal

I hereby propose the following:

• Create a new North Dock Station with mixed aboveground/belowground platforms directly west of the station
  • Recent improvements in the roads in that area have created space for this
• Purple line to Portsmouth will use existing trestle west of the docks; platform will be aboveground
  • Trestle portion above docks will be demolished
• Purple line from Bureaucracy will be relocated to a tunnel emerging onto the surface
  • Trestle will be demolished
• P1 Spur to Zarathud will be partially rerouted underground (TBD; can use existing trestle)
• White line and platforms will be relocated underground
  • Trestle will be demolished as well as old entrance
• Possible spur from West Aftermath (TBD)
• Old station will be turned into a museum, restored to YOLD 3180 state (platforms will loop around)

Stations will be moved piecemeal to avoid disruption, and temporary signage placed to show platforms have moved. Upstairs platforms will be moved first, then the second story demolished (with the tower moved down).