From Watford Observer Friday, January 23, 2004

Future is bleak for Croxley Rail Link

Confusion surrounds the future of the Croxley Rail Link with the Government and
London Underground blaming each other for the scheme's recent failure to secure
funding.
And in a separate development this week it emerged that the link, which has
been dogged by delays and setbacks, faces being scrapped altogether as the
project site could be sold to developers next year.
This week, the Department of Transport (DFT) agreed to consider funding the
£97million project but only if Tube bosses back it by paying about 25 per cent
of the overall cost.
In a letter to transport watchdog, the London Transport Users Committee (LTUC)
transport minister Tony McNulty said the proposal to link the Metropolitan Line
to Watford Junction was "very commendable" and had "technical merit".
But London Underground has flatly refused to stump up any cash until the
Government does the same.
"We are disappointed at the recent decision by the DFT not to grant the funding
for the link at this stage" said spokeswoman Ann Laker.
And at a Watford Council cabinet meeting on Monday, the confusion deepened
further when corporate director Mike Hayes told councillors that the scheme had
only just lost out on Government funding last month.
"It is a sorry tale because the story from the Government officers is that the
plan in the bidding process was doing extremely well until the last minute," he
said.
Meanwhile, the LTUC warned this week that time is running out for the scheme.
From 2005 Network Rail can sell the land off, the group said.
"This golden opportunity to regenerate Watford's transport infrastructure could
be lost if London Underground doesn't agree to invest in the future of
passengers," said committee director Rufus Barnes.
"This is a relatively small rail scheme compared with Crossrail Thameslink 2000
or even the East London line extensions, but the benefits to users will be
substantial.
"It would be a disaster if the present opportunity to build it were to be lost
forever."
London Underground said it would hold urgent talks with the Government to
discuss how to resolve the impasse.


John Burke
Watford Rail User Group

"JWBA68" wrote in message
...
From Watford Observer Friday, January 23, 2004

Future is bleak for Croxley Rail Link

What a disgusting and disgraceful state of affairs this is. Typical of this
country's lack of forward thinking over the past thirty years. It's a
miracle that the Channel Tunnel ever got built! Here's a project which
screams out "common sense" - use an existing railway to link an Underground
line that currently terminates in the middle of nowhere to a major railway
junction where it will provide frequent connections both into and out of
long distance services and generally benefit the community and it's bogged
down by the pen-pushers squabbling like a bunch of little girls at a tea
party. They should be ashamed of themselves. As usual, it's the
long-suffering travelling public who will fail to benefit and who will have
to continue using road transport (public or private) to gain access to
Watford town centre and the West Coast Main Line. Pathetic!

"JWBA68" wrote in message
...
From Watford Observer Friday, January 23, 2004

This week, the Department of Transport (DFT) agreed
to consider funding the £97million project but only if Tube
bosses back it by paying about 25 per cent of the overall cost.
But London Underground has flatly refused to
stump up any cash until the Government does the same.

Am I reading this right? Government won't give money until LU does, and LU
won't give money until government does?

London Underground said it would hold urgent talks with
the Government to discuss how to resolve the impasse.

Let's hope a third party with a brain is also present.

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

Am I reading this right? Government won't give money until LU does, and LU
won't give money until government does?

Yes! but don't blame us for not building it, it was there fault for not coming
up with the cash Guv.

Paul

(JWBA68) wrote in message ...
From Watford Observer Friday, January 23, 2004

Future is bleak for Croxley Rail Link

Confusion surrounds the future of the Croxley Rail Link with the Government and
London Underground blaming each other for the scheme's recent failure to secure

Why exactly do they want Croxley Green station to re-open? Its in the
middle of nowhere and there is nothing nearby. The Croxley L.U.
station is in a far better postion in terms of actually being in
civilisation. L.U's Watford station is also while not in the town
centre in an area where people actually live. And there are loads of
links into London from Watford Town centre. I think it will be a waste
of money. And if they really want it built why not ask the Croxley
Business Park which is right behind Croxley Green station to put some
money up to have it built.

CJG Now Thankfully Living In The North wrote:
(JWBA68) wrote in message ...

From Watford Observer Friday, January 23, 2004

Future is bleak for Croxley Rail Link

Confusion surrounds the future of the Croxley Rail Link with the Government and
London Underground blaming each other for the scheme's recent failure to secure

Why exactly do they want Croxley Green station to re-open? Its in the
middle of nowhere and there is nothing nearby. The Croxley L.U.
station is in a far better postion in terms of actually being in
civilisation.

Croxley LU is not going to close as part of the Croxley Link. The only
station to be closed would be Watford Met.

L.U's Watford station is also while not in the town
centre in an area where people actually live.

Maybe if it were on the other side of Cassiobury Park.

And there are loads of
links into London from Watford Town centre. I think it will be a waste
of money. And if they really want it built why not ask the Croxley
Business Park which is right behind Croxley Green station to put some
money up to have it built.

The Link isn't necessarily about journeys from Watford into London but
will provide useful local links into Watford from suburbs which are
currently nearby geographically but have no direct rail link into the
town. It will also provide more useful access to and from the West Coast
Main Line for these suburbs, at pretty low cost.

It also provides an opportunity for direct services from towns along the
Chiltern Line which have workers travelling to Watford, like Wendover,
Amersham and Rickmansworth. Such a service isn't included in the project
but is would require no extra infrastructure in addition to the existing
Link project.

--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7

The Link isn't necessarily about journeys from Watford into London but
will provide useful local links into Watford from suburbs which are
currently nearby geographically but have no direct rail link into the
town. It will also provide more useful access to and from the West Coast
Main Line for these suburbs, at pretty low cost.


So people get off at Watford Junction and then a bus takes them out
into the suburbs of Watford.
The point still is there is nothing nearby Croxley Green station to
make it worthwhile to be kept. If you want to re-open old train lines
and provide train links to the subhurbs of towns and cities around
London and the home counties Im sure a lot of people could give more
needy examples than Watford

CJG Now Thankfully Living In The North wrote:
The Link isn't necessarily about journeys from Watford into London but
will provide useful local links into Watford from suburbs which are
currently nearby geographically but have no direct rail link into the
town. It will also provide more useful access to and from the West Coast
Main Line for these suburbs, at pretty low cost.

So people get off at Watford Junction and then a bus takes them out
into the suburbs of Watford.

I mean suburbs like Croxley, Northwood, Pinner and even
Harrow-on-the-Hill (which is pretty poorly linked to the WCML despite
being almost next to it). Yes, you could get a bus to Wealdstone, a
train to Watford Junction and then another train from there... but why
not just get one train to Watford Junction? It's much more attractive.

The point still is there is nothing nearby Croxley Green station to
make it worthwhile to be kept.

The link isn't designed to solely reopen Croxley Green station! Anyway,
what's wrong with the Croxley Centre industrial park?

If you want to re-open old train lines
and provide train links to the subhurbs of towns and cities around
London and the home counties Im sure a lot of people could give more
needy examples than Watford

As cheaply and to as important a place?

--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7

"CJG Now Thankfully Living In The North" wrote in
message om...

So people get off at Watford Junction and then a bus takes them out
into the suburbs of Watford.
The point still is there is nothing nearby Croxley Green station to
make it worthwhile to be kept. If you want to re-open old train lines
and provide train links to the subhurbs of towns and cities around
London and the home counties Im sure a lot of people could give more
needy examples than Watford

Have you ever tried getting off a train at Watford Junction and then trying
to get home to Northwood, Moor Park, Rickmansworth, Chorleywood? From
Harefield or Croxley to King's Langley/Apsley/Hemel? Not easy.

Croxley Green station is an irrelevance. It makes little difference to the
project whether it opens or not.

Many people from the west of Watford currently drive into Watford town
centre because public transport from the west side of town is so bad. The
Metropolitan line ends in the middle of nowhere, at Cassiobury Drive,
requiring a walk across Cassiobury Park (not lit or pleasant after dark) and
down Rickmansworth Road to reach the town centre. Taking the Met line to
Watford High Street and Watford Junction would provide public transport
opportunities that are currently denied to many people. The trackbed for the
link is in place (barring the bridge linking the Metropolitan to the branch
at Croxley) and decaying further by the year. Surely it makes more sense to
reinstate a *useful* service than to reinstate a *useless* service (to
Croxley Green) or abandon the formation entirely?