marcb wrote in message ...
I see the East London Line has now got yet another vote of no confidence
from central government.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/l...ing%20Standard

This story behind this thread has more anticlimaxes than the Archers -
rumpty tumpty tumpty tum rumpty tumpty tum tum. Will Alastair be a
darling? Will Steve be able to prove criminal negligence? Who is the
they Ken is talking about? Will Seb Coe get the train to run on time?

Quote
Bid hangs on £1bn Tube
By Ross Lydall, Evening Standard Local Government Correspondent
21 May 2004
London's struggling Olympic bid would be revitalised if a delayed
£1billion Tube line extension is quickly approved, transport experts
and senior politicians said today.
Pressure was growing on Transport Secretary Alistair Darling to give
an urgent go-ahead to the East London line extension after strong
criticism of the capital's transport infrastructure from Olympics
chiefs.
The International Olympic Committee this week put London on the
shortlist of five cities bidding to host the 2012 Games - but warned
it had no chance of victory against Paris or Madrid unless rapid
improvements were secured to the creaking and overcrowded Tube.
Although the Government officially backs the bid to host the Games,
criticism has emphasised the need to improve the package of transport
measures that will definitely be in place by 2012.
The East London line extension has backing in principle but is in a
desperate battle against other national rail schemes to be awarded
public money to make it happen.
Campaigners now see it as the only way to convince the IOC that both
London and the Government are serious about hosting the Games - and
say construction work must start before July next year, when the
Olympic host city is chosen.
The extension would take the line to Highbury and Islington in the
north and three stations in the south - Crystal Palace, Clapham
Junction and West Croydon. This would allow direct connections with
the Victoria line, North London line - which goes to the proposed
Olympic village in Stratford - and suburban rail services in south
London.
The project has the advantage of being relatively cheap to build -
while dramatically improving the transport options of the expected
500,000-a-day spectators.
Many travelling from east and south-east London would not have to
travel into the centre to change trains, while spectators flying to
Gatwick would need only one connecting service to reach Stratford.
Crucially, the extension could be finished several years in advance of
the opening ceremony, unlike the eastwest Crossrail service, another
delayed project. This would have linked Heathrow direct to Stratford
but is now unlikely to be finished by 2013, at an estimated £10
billion cost.
Ken Livingstone and his Conservative rival for Mayor Steve Norris
joined forces last night to call on Mr Darling to find the money
needed.
Mr Livingstone said: "If they want to win the Olympics they have got
to invest in transport."
Mr Norris said: "Not to do the East London line has been criminally
negligent. If the IOC is a spur to getting it started, so much the
better."
The IOC's criticism has also prompted East London line campaigners to
write to London's new bid chairman, Lord Coe. Archie Galloway-chair of
the East London Line Group, which includes 13 borough councils and
major organisations such as Canary Wharf Ltd, London City Airport and
London First, said the scheme could help rescue the Olympic bid. Mr
Galloway said: "Crossrail is impossible to have done in that time. But
the East London line would not only be ready, it would be tried and
tested.
"If they don't do the East London line I think it will kill the bid."
Unquote