Paul Corfield wrote:

On 10 Aug 2006 07:41:53 -0700, "Mizter T" wrote:

(snip)

So - the 20 billion pound sterling question Mr Arquati - do you think
this railway line will ever get built, and if so when? I know the
Crossrail Bill is making progress, but someone needs to get their
wallet out and agree to pay for it.

My name is not Arquati but I have severe doubts about the scheme. If we
can get round to financing and constructing the rest of Thameslink 3500
then I might feel a bit more confident that there might be a commitment
in government to finance Crossrail. However I'm not sure that Network
Rail could take on the debt to finance Thameslink 3500 or that
government is particularly interested in it. The fact Ken supports both
schemes seems not to carry too much weight but then these are big, long
term schemes which the government will not earn any kudos for while
ELLX, DLR and CTRL trains from Kent might just earn them a fanfare.


But of course a contribution from Mr Corfield is just as welcome, as it
is from anyone else - I'm not trying to create a utl clique (especially
as if I managed to I'd be the first one to be booted out from it!).
Your point with regards to the failure of Thameslink 3500 (ho ho!) to
materialise is a strong one - if that still hasn't happened, then why
should Crossrail. Of course (and this comment isn't meant to be
facetious) Crossrail doesn't have the listed roof of Borough Market in
its way.


I remain unconvinced that Crossrail is correctly structured, serves the
right places or has an attractive service pattern given the imbalance
between west and east and the branch via Docklands. Still we've done
that to death on this newsgroup.

My ears have only just started twitching with regards to Crossrail -
until recently it was something that I largely let wash-over me - in
part because so many have dounts about it. I'll have to go back and
read a few of those exchanges via Google Groups.