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Crossrail: the friendly alternative |
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The Teddington Society puts forward a cheaper and more friendly alternative for the Crossrail link through Richmond and Kingston. Brian Holder, Leader, Roads and Transport Group, states: "The Montague Report on Crossrail has just been published, it indicates that the potential cost of the Kingston extension is close to £1billion, almost certainly ruling out the Kingston link. This is relatively good news for those residents who were to lose their houses and gardens if the Kingston link went ahead, and bad news for those who looking forward to an improved rail service between Kingston, Richmond and central London. "Unfortunately, the planning blight may remain for some considerable time, and will remain, unless some less disruptive and less costly alternative, such as the Teddington Society proposal outlined below is adopted. "All local political parties agree that better rail services are required, they differ over how this can be achieved, and whether the costs and disruption caused by Crossrail could have been justified by the benefits likely to be achieved. "The superficial attraction of Crossrail is that it would provide by 2013 a fast service from Kingston to the Paddington area via a tunnel from Turnham Green to Wormwood Scrubs, at the cost of losing the District line service from Richmond, and loss of valuable properties and gardens along various parts of the route. "There was also the major problem of where to locate a new rail depot to service and store new long trains when not in use. "About six years ago, the Teddington Society proposed that either the North London line or District line services at Richmond should be extended to Kingston - to at least double the very poor two trains per hour service. As this required additional engineering work around Richmond Station, that proposal was dropped a couple of years ago in favour of a revised scheme based on expanding the Southwest Trains loop line service and linking it to Silverlink's Clapham Junction to Willesden Junction Shuttle service. "This would replicate most of the Crossrail route and connections, without the costly tunnel between Turnham Green and Wormwood Scrubs. There would be no loss of property, the Richmond District line would remain, and costs would only be a fraction of those needed for Crossrail, as most current track and signalling equipment can be used - although the shortage of dual voltage rolling stock might delay, but not prevent, implementation of the complete route. "The Kingston to Clapham Junction leg needs to be much faster than the loop service, with just five stops at Hampton Wick, Teddington, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham and Richmond. The Clapham Junction to Willesden Junction section might eventually have more stops to allow interchange with other rail services. At present there are just two stops, they are West Brompton (also Wimbledon District line service), and Olympia (also District line from Earls Court). "Willesden Junction itself, has a variety of other routes including the Bakerloo from Harrow & Wealdstone to Elephant & Castle, North London line from Richmond to North Woolwich, South Central to Rugby and others to Watford and national routes north. "It would seem logical to eventually create four further stations in an area devoid of north south rail services. These would be; Chelsea Harbour/Kings Road, Shepherds Bush (interchange with central line to Oxford Circus), White City (interchange with Hammersmith and City line to Paddington and Kings Cross), and Wormwood Scrubs (to interchange with Crossrail). A new service such as this would obviously have to go out to tender. "At present, Silverlink are probably best placed to operate a Kingston to Willesden Junction shuttle service via Richmond and Clapham Junction, as they could start their present shuttle service from Kingston instead of Clapham Junction. "Network Southeast could certainly operate the Kingston to Clapham Junction section with present rolling stock, but this may require adaptation or replacement to operate the Clapham Junction to Willesden Junction section. "The Society has no preference as to operator, but it does want improved services as soon as possible. These improved services would also play an important part in London's Olympic bid, and remove the planning blight hanging over so many of our neighbours in other parts of the Borough." See
Annexe B: Monday, August 2, 2004
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