TfL Question Time

Two TfL managers have just done an online Question Time session with an uncharacteristically eloquent and on-message section of the general public. There are quite a few interesting answers:

• On tube cooling: "A new ventilation shaft is being installed at Liverpool Street"
• On the Northern Line split: "We're currently reviewing the prospect of being able to separate the service and the likely timescales involved. [...]
  The option of fully separating the line would mean all Charing Cross branch trains would only go on to Edgware. All Morden - Bank trains would go on to High Barnet. [...]
  It's unlikely we would be able to implement any proposal before 2015 at the earliest."
• On the King's Cross St Pancras Northern Ticket Hall: "This redevelopment programme is due to complete in December 2009" That's a little bit earlier than previous official dates.
• On extending the Bakerloo to Watford Junction. The strategy guy says: "There are no plans at present [...] The Bakerloo line is being upgraded by 2020 and this would be the time to consider this"
  However the possibly-less-informed operations guy is slightly more positive: "At the moment we don't have funding to do this so London Overground services will continue to serve Watford Junction for a few years to come."

[via District Dave]

Bakerloo Line extenstion on?

This week's Time Out is tube themed and has an interview with Tim O'Toole, the man in charge at London Underground. He says the usual stuff about Crossrail, Thameslink and other things before dropping this bombshell:

We've also got plans to extend the Bakerloo south.

This is news to me (though apparently not to Wikipedia, where an anonymous user claims it's part of the Mayor's "South London Tube Plan", whatever that is). The TfL Transport 2025 document has no mention of a southern extension. The only thing I can find that backs it up is this evergreen news story, which is indistinguishable from Ken being polite to a campaign group so they'll go away.