Crossrail could be coming to Chiswick and Acton

Plans have been drawn up for a new spur to the Crossrail scheme that would bring the massive trans-London railway scheme through Acton and Chiswick.

This line would branch out from Paddington and join the North London line at Gunnersbury passing through either Acton Central or Chiswick Park. The first option would require the building of a viaduct to carry trains but the second is on an even grander scale with a 5.3km tunnel passing under Wormwood Scrubs and through Chiswick Park tube to Gunnersbury.

Option 1 - Crossrail passes through Acton Central by viaduct

Option 2 - 5.3m tunnel through Chiswick

The Crossrail Board has decided that the company should carry out further evaluation work on options to extend the scheme beyond the basic plan of linking Paddington and Liverpool Street with a high speed line. Crossrail is making an initial consultation to determine if a new route corridor linking the main line with Kingston and Richmond is feasible.

There would be interchange with the Silverlink North London Line and London Underground District line services at stations east of Richmond and with South West Trains beyond Richmond.

If the surface option were to be taken with the line running via Acton, Crossrail services would replace some District line trains between Gunnersbury and Richmond. These trains could be diverted to enhance the service to Wimbledon.

The Silverlink North London Line service would be diverted to Hounslow. There could also be alterations to some South West Trains services.

If the tunnelled route is chosen all District line Richmond services would be replaced. Passengers could change to the District line at Chiswick Park. There appears to be no contigency for the reduction in service that would take place at stations east of Gunnersbury such as Turnham Green. Silverlink North London Line services would remain but there could be alterations to some South West Trains services

To access the North London Line a new viaduct would be required in the railway lands at Old Oak Common depot with a new bridge across the Great Western. The alternative tunnelled route would run under Wormwood Scrubs and Chiswick Park to Gunnersbury.

�Crossrail 1� is a proposed high capacity east-west rail link across London serving Heathrow, the West End, the City and Docklands. The �Core Route� will link Heathrow, Stratford and the Isle of Dogs, via the Great Western Line to Paddington (i.e. the route currently taken by the Heathrow Express) and a deep underground tunnel under central London. Stations will be at Heathrow Terminal 5, Terminals 1-3, Hayes, Southall, Hanwell, West Ealing, Ealing Broadway, Acton Main Line, then deep underground at Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel, and the Isle of Dogs. The service is due to commence in 2012, subject of course to funding.

Responses need to be made by 14 February 2003 to:
The Consultation Manager, Crossrail,
1 Butler Place, London SW1H 0PT

If the initial consultation proves positive then a further appraisal and more details consultation will be made.

February 6, 2003

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