On Jul 23, 1:28*pm, Jamie Thompson wrote:
On 23 Jul, 17:19, 1506 wrote:





On Jul 23, 5:02*am, Jamie *Thompson wrote:

On 23 Jul, 12:28, wrote:

On Jul 22, 8:23 pm, Mr Thant
wrote:

An hour or two ago the Crossrail Bill became the Crossrail Act, which
means as soon as the funding agreement is signed (due in September)

Given the governments record level of borrowing and deficit its
building I wouldn't get too excited just yet. Just because its
approved doesn't mean it'll happen.

B2003

Quite. The history of the railways (and indeed, London Transport
itself) is littered with Acts that never got built. *Sigh* The Watford
& Edgware is my personal poster child for that scenario.

This is not the same thing. *The Watford and Edgware debacle is a
result of WWII followed by the implementation of London's greenbelt.

The W&ER was authorised in 1903. WW2 started, as I'm sure you are
aware, in 1939, with the green belt following around 1946-1950. 36
years of procrastination and insufficient attempts to raise funding
puts even Crossrail to shame, WW2 only halted the first stage to
Bushey Heath that London Transport was interested in building. They
had a notion of later going on to Bushey village if funding came about
after the war (see the redesign of Bushey Heath Station in 1943-44),
but AFAIK they never had the will (or means) to go as far as the full
route to Watford.

Crossrail is needed and it was needed yesterday.

I'd wager yesterday would be to late, TBH.

A closer parallel might be Chelsey to Hackney, now there IS a tale of
procrastination!

You may have me there. I believe that the various proto-plans for the
Chelsea-Hackney line were proposed as sibling schemes of those that
became the Victoria and Jubilee Lines, which would put it somewhere
around the 1930s, I think. What will they come up with once they've
sorted that out?

IMHO Chelsea-Hackney may have been a better line for construction
following the Victoria than the Jubilee. This is not to say that the
Jubilee is not a very useful route. But, as originally constructed,
it lacked that strategic 'vision' of the Vic. By that I mean the Vic.
knitted together the existing network, simplifying journeys, adding
opportunities.

Chelsea-Hackney, if built correctly has the potential to have a
similar impact. I am not optimistic enought to extect to live to see
this route.