Alan (in Brussels) wrote:
snip
Indeed. Looking at the timescale (Building work will start in 2008 and is
due to finish in 2013) I can't help thinking that the money could be spent
better in helping to provide alternative rail routes from southern London to
central London - notably the Thameslink 2000 scheme, but also the ELR
extension and Crossrail. According to press reports, "The "huge influx" of
commuters from the Home Counties and south London has increased pressure on
the station, the mayor said. Every morning about 35,000 passengers pass
through it." Yet despite the clearly identified lack of traffic on the west
of London for Crossrail, the idea of incorporating a service to
Richmond/Twickenham/Kingston has apparently been discarded. Joined-up
thinking, anybody ?

Indeed - if less people come into Victoria by rail, less will want to
cram onto the Victoria Line. It is however a hard task working out what
those alternative rail routes and interchanges that could relieve
Victoria might be, and if they're financially or technically viable.

Part of the problem is the extent to which the Victoria Line is the
victim of it's own success. When it works properly, it's a speedy
(albeit cramped) route across town, as opposed to (for example) the
Circle/District or Northern lines which can chug along a bit.