NLL via Crossrail tunnels
 

If anyone's read the recently released Crossrail Business Case Summary,
there are a couple of points to note...

We already knew:
"3.5 Crossrail services would generally operate as "all stations" services,
although a number of lesser-used stations along the corridor would be
omitted. In addition, services to and from Heathrow Airport would call only
at Hayes & Harlington and Ealing Broadway to the west of Paddington.

....which I thought was somewhat disappointing, although I guess this is to
accomodate the fact that six-tracking the GW has been ruled out (6tph to
Heathrow calling at EB and H+H will replace the 4tph Heathrow Express
subject to agreement with BAA apparently)
But AFAIR we didn't know:

"3.6 In the east, provision has been made for the current North London line
service to use the route between Custom House and Abbey Wood. This service
would be rerouted to start at Abbey Wood with Silvertown and North Woolwich
stations being closed. This area would benefit from the proposed DLR
extension to Woolwich."

Custom House to North Woolwich has been slated to close with practically
every proposal for the area... through luck it seems to have survived so
far, since the DLR City Airport extension runs on a different route. However
this seems like a useful idea; access from the North Kent lines direct to
Stratford. However - firstly won't this mean a rather expensive extra portal
at Custom House, which I'd assumed would be underground? And secondly,
extending the NLL will cause problems for DLR's proposal to take over the
NLL lines from Canning Town to Stratford so they can reach Stratford
International.

Also new:
3.10... Each train would have a maximum practical capacity approximately
double that of a Central Line train.
There are 24tph running across the central section from Paddington to
Whitechapel.

There is also an interesting table predicting the percentage fall in
passengers boarding each LU line (except the East London since this is
counted as part of National Rail) and the DLR, and overcrowding relief on
each line. Benefits are predicted to be highest for the W&C, DLR, Bakerloo,
Central and Met/H+C/Circle, followed by Jubilee, Piccadilly, then Victoria
and Northern. Interestingly passengers boarding the Northern are predicted
to increase by 2%.

--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7