London Banter - View Single Post - Why can we never get anything built around here?

Kev · May 23rd 06, 03:22 PM posted to uk.transport.london

wrote:
Hi all,

I'm curious - is there some institutional or legal reason why it's so
hard to get new transport built in London?

The Parisians seem to manage it easily enough. But in London Crossrail
has made essentially no progress in twenty years, the Chelsea and
Hackney line remains entirely theoretical after longer, and Thameslink
2000 has become a joke.

I know there are exceptions - the DLR being the obvious one, but also
the JLEx; and that London isn't alone (New York has been waiting a long
time for the 2nd avenue subway line).

But is there a reason why it should be so hard to get new underground
lines built in London? Is it finance? Planning regulations? The
political process?

Just wondering,

Jonn
The original DLR was hardly new either using existing routes. I doubt
it would have been built if they had started from scratch.

Kevin