On Feb 28, 10:45*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:
There's my 2p worth.

2p? More like £20bn worth!

Some excellent suggestions there Paul. I particularly agree with your
point concerning interchange as currently several opportunities are
being missed. The lack of platforms on the 'fast' at Willesden
Junction or any proposals for an adjacent station on Crossrail
(something which my own borough is campaigning for) is a missed
opportunity for one. No doubt others here can contribute other
examples (I know it's not actually in London but I mention the Croxley
Rail Link under this general theme).

I'd tweak your DLR suggestions, again with interchange in mind, and
send the western branch from Bank up to Moorgate and Farringdon
instead along the old City Widened alignment once this is no longer
used by FCC. It would provide grade one interchange and access from
Thameslink (and Crossrail when constructed) and would be then ideally
placed for extension to KXSP and even Euston if both the demand and
finance are there (some hope though).

All I can do on your points regarding information provision and
ticketing is endorse them. I'd hate to be the person in charge of the
Oyster or son-of-Oyster-with-ITSO National Rail rollout though! A
knighthood would surely await successful implementation...

THC

Paul Corfield wrote:
I also
believe there is scope for a programme of new lines and possibly some
extensions and I believe the lessons from places like Madrid, where
lines can be built in next to no time, should be learned for London.

Our railway building strategy has been copied from Spain - we're building
them mañana.

In message , Steve Fitzgerald
] writes
In message , Paul Corfield
writes

I like to see much more detail about how the National Rail network would
be developed to give consistent, frequent services that provide
sufficient capacity. I'd like to see some bravery around improving
signalling capacity, removing conflicting junctions and better
co-ordination of service patterns. I'd certainly want to see ELLX Phase
2 completed and I'd be brave and double and rebuild the Canonbury tunnel
to get Overground up to Finsbury Park. Electrification of the GOBLIN
would also be an absolute priority as would extra stations and further
improved interchange.

stuff snipped

There's my 2p worth.

You do realise you just got my vote for mayor - now how do we pay for
it?`
Can anyone work out to what level we would need to put up the Congestion
Charge to pay for it? ;-)

--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

In message
, THC
writes
All I can do on your points regarding information provision and
ticketing is endorse them. I'd hate to be the person in charge of the
Oyster or son-of-Oyster-with-ITSO National Rail rollout though! A
knighthood would surely await successful implementation...

Don't you feel that "Sir Paul Corfield" has a certain ring to it?
--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

On Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:02:48 +0000, Ian Jelf
wrote:

In message
, THC
writes
All I can do on your points regarding information provision and
ticketing is endorse them. I'd hate to be the person in charge of the
Oyster or son-of-Oyster-with-ITSO National Rail rollout though! A
knighthood would surely await successful implementation...

Don't you feel that "Sir Paul Corfield" has a certain ring to it?

Behave Mr Jelf. Anyway they didn't even give me an interview when I
applied for the (Oyster) job.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

On Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:28:41 +0000, Michael Hoffman
wrote:

Paul Corfield wrote:

I'd like to see a move towards more tram lines and the reintroduction of
trolleybuses for busy routes or networks that don't justify conversion
to trams.

What do trolleybuses get you?

I guess my reasoning is that trolleybuses represent a form of
"permanence" in terms of the electrical infrastructure being put in
place - similar to a tram. They are also quiet, smooth, fast and
display reasonable environmental credentials. I'm not an obsessive
enthusiast but I do think it is a huge shame that London's system was
shut down when it was. I wish I had a trolleybus level of service [1] on
my local route (formerly the 623 / 625 in Walthamstow).

I'm not entirely convinced by the dash towards hybrids and fuel cells
given that trolleybus technology is mature and well understood. It has
also advanced considerably in recent years meaning that it is a more
flexible mode than it was. I do recognise that there are some issues
over the ability to overtake, the risk of breakdowns, complex junction
work with the wiring plus people may not wish to see lots of "knitting"
above London streets.

Do I assume you don't see a place for trolleys in London?

[1] about every 5 mins - on Christmas Day !

--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

Paul Corfield wrote:
On Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:28:41 +0000, Michael Hoffman
wrote:
What do trolleybuses get you?

I guess my reasoning is that trolleybuses represent a form of
"permanence" in terms of the electrical infrastructure being put in
place - similar to a tram. They are also quiet, smooth, fast and
display reasonable environmental credentials. I'm not an obsessive
enthusiast but I do think it is a huge shame that London's system was
shut down when it was. I wish I had a trolleybus level of service [1] on
my local route (formerly the 623 / 625 in Walthamstow).

I'm not entirely convinced by the dash towards hybrids and fuel cells
given that trolleybus technology is mature and well understood. It has
also advanced considerably in recent years meaning that it is a more
flexible mode than it was. I do recognise that there are some issues
over the ability to overtake, the risk of breakdowns, complex junction
work with the wiring plus people may not wish to see lots of "knitting"
above London streets.

Do I assume you don't see a place for trolleys in London?

It was a serious question, not a rhetorical one.
--
Michael Hoffman

On Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:26:39 +0000, Steve Fitzgerald ]
wrote:

In message , Paul Corfield
writes

I like to see much more detail about how the National Rail network would
be developed to give consistent, frequent services that provide
sufficient capacity. I'd like to see some bravery around improving
signalling capacity, removing conflicting junctions and better
co-ordination of service patterns. I'd certainly want to see ELLX Phase
2 completed and I'd be brave and double and rebuild the Canonbury tunnel
to get Overground up to Finsbury Park. Electrification of the GOBLIN
would also be an absolute priority as would extra stations and further
improved interchange.

stuff snipped

The other thing I would like to consider is tram / train services. The
local lines out of Liverpool St to the Lea Valley might be a good basis
for this. I've already posted about converting the Chingford line to
"lighter" technology. However thinking further I can see benefit in
extending tram / trains on to street running in say Enfield to link up
other areas or to run on to the GN line near Enfield Chase or across to
Brimsdown. Similarly there could be benefits to cross town links in
Hertford or to have some tram / train coverage in Harlow. This would
raise the quality and connectivity of rail transport hugely in these
areas and start to tie together networks that were destined by history
to be separate. A further "mad" idea would be to start to construct
inter-urban tramways in the more congested parts of the adjoining
counties as a way of offering a high quality alternative to the car.
This is obviously not just a London issue but deregulated buses won't
hack it in these areas but rail might do so.

There's my 2p worth.

You do realise you just got my vote for mayor - now how do we pay for
it?`

Some more money from government.
More use of land value gain taxation / private sector funding / special
levy.
Road use charging within the M25 area.
A more efficient TfL organization.
A more efficient Mayoral / GLA organization.
Cost reductions through faster planning processes, use of modular
designs, longer term planned programme of works giving procurement
savings, revised and cheaper arrangements for maintenance and
enhancement of infrastructure and railway assets.
Investment in cost reducing technology / employment of effective asset
management techniques.
Fare increases on PAYG slightly ahead of inflation. Current fares on
PAYG are a bargain and I think the market can take a level of increase
beyond just inflation.
I'd also look very seriously at fully automatic driverless operation on
new tube lines and possibly on existing ones - I think I might have just
lost your vote ;-)

--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

Paul Corfield wrote:
On Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:02:48 +0000, Ian Jelf
wrote:

In message
,
THC writes
All I can do on your points regarding information provision and
ticketing is endorse them. I'd hate to be the person in charge of
the Oyster or son-of-Oyster-with-ITSO National Rail rollout though!
A knighthood would surely await successful implementation...

Don't you feel that "Sir Paul Corfield" has a certain ring to it?

Behave Mr Jelf. Anyway they didn't even give me an interview when I
applied for the (Oyster) job.

You shouldn't have used this picture on your CV.
http://www.artarchiv.net/sexarte/dok...field%20sm.jpg

Michael Hoffman wrote:
What do trolleybuses get you?

A severe attack of nostalgia?

ESB