Sunday 13 July 2008

Chelsea-Hackney Line results published

The Department for Transport has published their results for their updating of the Chelsea-Hackney route (aka Crossrail 2). The only real change is that the route via Sloane Square will continue to be safeguarded, in addition to the newly proposed route further south. The original consultation documents are here, including a nice set of detailed maps at the bottom.

It's important to remember that this is only a safeguarded route and not a proposal to build anything. At some point between now and 2025 it's likely a proposal will be made, and they may use the route safeguarded here, or they may do something entirely different. Decisions about the locations of stations, the choice of outer branches, the tunnel diameter and so on simply haven't been made yet.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope I will live long enough to see this built!

Anonymous said...

I really like the idea of the C-H Line, but I am becoming increasingly cynical about it ever being built.

I think if we are lucky enough to get crossrail paid for, the goverment will baulk at funding another major transport project in London and instead will distribute the transport budget to other cities like Glasgow and Manchester.

The only way this'll happen is if the London Goverment manages to raise the cash itself, possibly by a bond issue, and I don't see that happening under Mayor Boris somehow.

Anonymous said...

I've always thought that although the line is supposed to serve Chelsea, it doesn't do that very well, look at the big gap between Chelsea and Parson's Green stations.

More stations = more money, but if the line were diverted slightly, there is an obvious site for a station on Fulham Road near the hospital, and then the line could capture the District Line at Fulham Broadway rather than Parson's Green. I don't know how they would prune back the District Line service, but doing it this way there would be no need at all for District Line main line trains to serve the stub, so all that would be needed would be Edgware Road to Fulham Broadway shuttle.

Anonymous said...

I hope this gets built, but what I don't like is the fact that its ends are already served by the Underground. A tunnel to Clapham Junction and the Chingford branch would add more places to the tube map, and thus make more money.

I am worried that Crossrail will be several years late, the budget will spiral out of control and it won't do what it was intended to do, meaning the government will tar any scheme like this with the same brush and won't let this worthwhile project ever happen.

As for what type of railway, I suggest the Underground. The Underground is a tried and trusted brand, and although the trains won't have the same capacity, even the Victoria Line can cope with being an Underground line, and the the C-H won't be nearly as crowded. And you can't miss Piccadilly Circus off, because the central interchanges will be by far the busiest on the line.

Anonymous said...

they could start work tomorrow!

Anonymous said...

actually, tomorrow's the weekend but you get the general idea...

Anonymous said...

I agree with Max. They're not very keen on building too many stations in London - look at the Victoria and the JLE.
In my opinion this line is neither one nor t'other. Its extension is similar to other LUL lines, not at all like a "Crossrail" line, which is supposedly modelled on the Parisian RER concept, and extends way out of the city... perhaps a terminus at Guildford and another at Colchester?
However, I think it should be atube line, and it should have a sensible number of stations. It won't get built though. Not through any financial problem, but the psychological barriers that we have in the UK. The Spanish would get this done in 2 years.

Anonymous said...

ONE new station! And this is costing how much??? (rearrange the words "is point the what")

Anonymous said...

I don't want this as I would prefer to be still able to go to Oxford Circus without having to change lines. Leave the Central Line alone

Anonymous said...

If this line is built, each below ground station should have platform edge doors like the Jubilee Line Extension in 1999. There should be a service between Stratford & Epping just in case someone wants to get from Epping to Stratford without having to change trains.

Anonymous said...

Burning question.

If this safeguarded route ultimately came to fruition, it would need an interchange with the Jubilee Line Extension which hadn't been built at the time of the initial safeguarding. This would be where the two routes cross; the Jubilee between Green Park and Westminster, and the 'Chelney' between Piccadilly Circus and Victoria.

What do you think they'd call such a station?

Unknown said...

"The Mall"

Anonymous said...

I actually reckon this new line should take over the National Rail branch to Chingford. The Central line between Woodford and Epping would therefore be taken over by the Victoria line with a connection from Walthamstow Central via Wood Street.