On Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:17:07 -0800 (PST), Mizter T
wrote:

But it's hard to imagine the GOBLIN getting electrified any time soon
- that said I find it hard to imagine the Croxley Link happening any
time soon either.

As others have suggested TfL are lobbying to divert the £54m mentioned
below towards doing GOBLIN electrification. I doubt £54m gets you the
whole job done and there would also be the issue of rolling stock unless
we are to be given new DMUs and then have them snatched away and
replaced by knackered old Class 313s. If more 378s were needed then it
might get difficult in procurement terms as I don't believe TfL have any
further contract options left to exercise.

Anyway don't think anyone's got any money for stuff like this at the
moment... unless that ghost of Keynes who's been hovering around
somewhat lately starts visiting Brown & co in their dreams in
earnest...

The DfT seem to have magiced £54 millon extra for the four tracking at
Camden Road from somewhere

Having looked at some other postings in this thread can anyone say
exactly what the £54m buys at Camden Road? I had assumed that it did
put back the missing bridges to the east of Camden Road and also sorted
stuff out to the west. Seems it does neither unless I am comprehensively
misunderstanding.

The NLL upgrade was agreed a while back before the Treasury realised
that the dour and miserly bankers at RBS has taken magic mushrooms
before making their investment decisions. Also the NLL upgrade around
Camden was reduced in scope anyway, when it was realised that some of
the works would cost too much.

If there is any money emanating from the DfT any time soon then I
would very much hope it is for making phase 2 of the East London Line
Extension happen - apparently the funding gap is £15 million, which is
not a great deal in the grand scheme of things with regards to rail
projects. But time is running out - I think the costings all revolve
around the current ELLX construction venture continuing on to build
phase 2. I think it would cost significantly more to set it all up
again from a cold start.

Do you have any evidence for the costing assumption? I ask because the
work would almost certainly have to be competitively tendered - unless
TfL asked for a priced option for ELLX Phase 2 when they tendered Phase
1. Given that I doubt there is a fully developed design there may be
cost issues regardless. I recognise the current ELLX works contractor
would have a distinct advantage though.

Does the £100m cost include the incremental rolling stock requirement -
6 or 7 trains IIRC?
--
Paul C