Guns or butter? Crossrail or cross-connections?

In the run-up to the first world war, Germans were asked to choose
between "Guns or butter", that is, between war and home comforts. They were
asked to choose guns, but at least they were told that they had a choice.
The people of London are now being asked to choose "guns" in the form of the
Crossrail project, without being told that "butter" is also a choice.

So far as I remember the Crossrail project was first mooted in the
70s, more or less as a drawing lines on a map exercise. It was justified
by saying that it would relieve congestion, though in fact all its length it
is paralleled by other routes, or simply takes them over. It is also said
that it is essential to the development of London, and here we are coming to
the real truth. Most of the route mileage is outside of London, so it can't
be of any benefit to to Londoners. What it will do is bring more commuters
into London, so overstuffing London, increasing congestion and prices and
forcing more to commute. Not really for the benefit of Londoners! More for
big business and the CITY, to give London an even stronger grip on the
South-East, as if it needed it. Truly, guns! The current talk is fairly
frank about that.

There a trickle of mentions of Crossrail in the press to give the
impression that the project exists and is going to happen, but it is pie
in the sky because it is not value for money. So as not to formally abandon
the idea, the promoters don't mention the alternative, the butter, the home
comforts. That money and effort could be much better spent in another way,
obvious every day to travellers in London.

There are dozens of places in London where stations on different
routes are just too far apart for cross-connection, the result of the
railway politics of the 19th century and the bad planning of the 20th.

The kinds of places I am think of are :-

* The cross-over of the Northern Line and the North London Line. This would
mean building two new underground stations. Simple, but expensive!

* Putney and East Putney stations. Both stations could demolished and a new
station built at the crossover, but it might be cheaper and better to link
the existing stations, for example with a rope-hanging cable car. Tricky but
cheap!

* Create a new station on the nameless piece of land west of Old Oak
Common sidings. This would allow at least 4 routes to have interchange, and
more could be set up to call at this newly attractive interchange. By
building a platform over the lot, space could be created for housing and/or
shopping, so the cost could be offset or maybe even make a profit. This
should be made the opportunity for some station rationalisation, for example
closing East Acton, very inappropriately sited in a residential road. and
opening a new station opposite Hammersmith Hospital; hospitals are huge
traffic generators. A major project!

To make this kind of cross-connection would allow much better use of
what there is, and make easy journeys which are now difficult. Truly home
comforts. Truly, butter!

How can Ken Livinstone and the CITY justify spending money to bring
more people and activity into London when they haven't done their best for
those they already have.?

--
Michael Bell