I agree that South East London needs better transport, and that Crossrail
isn't it. (I think it's mildly ridiculous that it won't serve Woolwich, for
a start). But I definitely don't think it's TL2000 - if I was living in,
say, Eltham and could choose between two trains per hour to Charing Cross
and two more onto Thameslink, and four to Charing Cross, I'd choose the
latter.


But wouldn't TL2000 offer the possibility of four an hour to Charing
Cross plus two on Thameslink?



The train services in South East London are appalling, and sending
a few of them to Luton isn't going to change that. What the area needs,
short of an extension of the Bakerloo line, is proper turn-up-and-go metro
services - something that TL2000 is going nowhere near providing.

Jonn


Personally I think the problem is worst at peaks and extra trains via
TL2000 would help to alleviate overcrowding, although a short term
solution would be longer trains and lengthening platforms where
necessary to accommodate them.

I'm not sure a tube type service off peak is really needed. Moving
from four to six trains an hour, as the Strategic Rail Authority is
currently suggesting, seems to be a lot of investment for
comparatively little benefit. It shouldn't be beyond the wit of most
people to plan their journey to cope with four evenly spaced trains an
hour, at the same times past each hour. If someone does just turn up
on spec then a maximum wait of 15 mins isn't that much worse than one
of ten minutes.


As an alternative to a Bakerloo extension is it feasible to hope for a
Jubilee line branch from North Greenwich in a south-easterly direction
towards Charlton. Eltham and Sidcup? Alternatively this could be a
completely new line going on northwards to Canary Wharf, Mile End and
Hackney and finishing off at Finsbury Park or Tottenham Hale. This
could be delivered either for the 75th Jubilee of Elizabeth II (2027),
the 80th birthday of Charles III (2028) or the 50th birthday of
William V (2032)