Jonn Elledge wrote:
"Aidan Stanger" wrote...

Whom would you get to design and develop the scheme
instead of them?

The leading contender would be London Regional Metro Co.

I've been looking at their site, and two words come to mind: "performance
pollution". It'd be wonderful if Crossrail could act as a decent suburban
railway, and also serve longer distance routes; but it'd be an operational
nightmare if a tube frequency service in Ilford or Gidea Park could be
disrupted by a slight delay in Reading or Colchester.

Firstly it doesn't have to serve places as far afield as you mention.
Secondly it's quite easy to counteract the performance pollution with
recovery time.