On May 21, 2:35*pm, Bruce wrote:
On Fri, 21 May 2010 05:36:52 -0700 (PDT), Andy
wrote:

On May 21, 1:20*pm, Bruce wrote:

A step plate junction is a short spur tunnel that would allow further
tunnelling to take place with almost no disruption of the main line.


I know what a step plate junction is, but they are still more
expensive than putting in the junction tunnel at the correct location
in the first place. They could even put the junction trackwork in, as
was done at Heathrow when the Heathrow Express was first built. The
Abbey Wood branch has several more tunnels, which is where the money
could be saved.

... except that we all know it would probably go to Gravesend, and
"Abbey Wood" is just another "Maidenhead".

Gravesend is probably stretching it, as that would involve a lot of
interrunning with the current South Eastern services beyond Slade
Green / Dartford.

I made the comment because terminating at Abbey Wood seems to make
about as much sense as stopping at Maidenhead.


But Maidenhead makes more sense than terminating at Paddington, it is
replacing existing services. Abbey Wood does at least provide
interchange possibilities from further east.

The sensible point of Crossrail seems to have been
to take over existing services in their entirety, not mix with others,
in order to stop importing delays. So they wanted complete control of
the relief lines on the western side and of the electric lines on the
eastern side. I doubt that they could be given that on any extension
beyond Abbey Wood.

The same would apply to Oxford and Bedwyn, both of which could or
should eventually end up being served by Crossrail. *London commuters
on the GW main line shouldn't all have to change at Paddington.

Crossrail, in its current incarnation, is planned for the slower,
shorter distance services, not the expresses. Much like the RER in
Paris, importing delays from the wider network will be limited by
running trains on their own tracks where possible. Personally, I think
Oxford and Bedwyn would be too complex to integrate with the idea of
an inner suburban service on the other side of London. The rolling
stock is planned for inner suburban use and passengers might not be
happy to be stuck in it for outer suburban journeys. Also, passengers
further out on the eastern end will have to change at Liverpool Street
or Stratford, why should passengers on the western end be any
different, they will still save time getting to the city compared to
currently. Of course, there are the alternative Superlink plans which
would integrate the longer distance services in a similar central
tunnel.