Crossrail gets approval from Government
New proposals suggest range of options for local Crossrail services
Transport Secretary has given his approval for the ambitious Crossrail project to proceed. The £10 billion link could carry 200,000 people during the morning peak and will make trips between East and West London much more convenient.
There was disappointment however when the Government revealed that it was very unlikely that the project would be ready in time for the Olympics in 2012. With rival bidders such as New York and Paris already with necessary infrastructure in place or in the process of construction, London's poor transport infrastructure seems likely to thwart the bid. Some observers see this as a deliberate snub to the Mayor who has campaigned hard for Crossrail in the hope that it would become a cornerstone of the Olympic bid.
Mayor Ken Livingstone pulled no punches in his reaction claiming it was still possible to build the link before the games saying, "If the Secretary of State got off his arse and pushed the Bill through, we could start some time towards the end of 2004 or 2005, we would have a chance,"
The project is being taken forward by Cross London Rail Links - a joint venture company formed by Transport for London (TfL) and the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA).
Crossrail
would require the building of a deep underground tunnel across central
London which would dramatically reduce journey times between east and
west London. Although Acton Mainline station has been included on the
plans for Crossrail there is some concern that when the service is introduced
it may not stop at this station. The recently announced service from Paddington
to Heathrow funded by BAA which is to be introduced next year will not
be serving Acton Mainline. The service which duplicates the route of the
Heathrow Express but serves more stations would have provided a fast link
for Acton with central London and Heathrow.
Current Option 2 - 5.3m tunnel through Chiswick
Earlier this year this site was the first in the media to publish details
of additional plans that the Crossrail board had asked to be drawn up
that would create a spur from the main Crossrail line into the South West
of London - the so-called �Norbiton Corridor�, which has two options �
overground and tunneled. This is a supplementary scheme and is unlikely
to form part of the project given initial approval by the Government.
However the confirmation of the main project means that the supplementary
schemes suddenly come much closer to realisation. A report prepared by
Hounslow Council into the Norbiton options has raised concerns about aspects
of this corridor and contributed some additional suggestions as to how
the Crossrail network could be developed in this part of London.
The Council is sceptical that Crossrail trains could travel by viaduct
across Old Oak Common then overground towards Chiswick via the North London
Line. For instance the level crossing at Bollo Lane would be almost permanently
closed due to the increased frequency of the trains. The Council�s report
resurrects the proposal to construct an interchange station at Chiswick
Business Park with funding from the developers, in preference to use of
the already overcrowded Gunnersbury Station, but also points to other
shortcomings in the overground option including poor interchange with
other rail and tube lines and the potential loss of the District line
Richmond services.
This leaves the more expensive option of a 5.3km tunnel between Wormwood
Scrubs and Chiswick Back Common. The Council is not in favour of a major
tunnel portal on the site of the Back Common tennis courts and is even
less impressed with the idea of a major worksite for tunnel operations,
which could claim up to half the common for several years.
Instead,
the Council suggests that the tunnel could be extended to emerge at the
back of the Chiswick Business Park at which point the line would join
the freight spur that links the North London line and the Hounslow Loop.
Under this proposal, Crossrail trains would serve the proposed interchange
station at the business park before running through to Hounslow and Feltham
instead of Kingston and Norbiton.
The Council�s report also proposes a major interchange at Turnham Green
tube station which would allow passengers to transfer between Crossrail
and District and Piccadilly line services. A cut-and-cover Crossrail station
under Chiswick Back Common would be linked by a walkway to the existing
tube platforms.
July 16, 2003
More Details on Crossrail Plans
Crossrail could be coming to Chiswick and Acton
Mayor Says Yes to West London tram scheme
Council submission to Crossrail