MLX Metropolitan Line Extension (Go-ahead for Croxley Link)

Currently live...

www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/9973443.Croxley_Rail_Link_public_inquiry__Live/

I have posted my comments on the Watford Observer page I am sure it will ruffle a few feathers!

XF

The old Watford Observer offices were located in the former goods yard of the Met. Not that that has anything at all to do with anything...

Is Michael Fish from Cassiobury Park Avenue THE Michael Fish?!!! ;D ;D ;D

lots of the evidence (for and against) to the enquiry can be found here

www.croxleyraillink.com/publications/twa-public-inquiry-documentation/proofs-of-evidence.aspx

Surely once the Croxley link is built, people will get a train to Watford Jn for a faster service?

Why doesn't the Croxley line reopen as a tram or shuttle to Watford Jn and its connections....

Having read the various sides of this argument I tend to agree wholeheartedly with Nigel. I also suspect the complaints have more to do with local (ludicrously overvalued anyway) house prices possibly falling when the "near Underground Station" premium is gone, than worry of losing the service itself. Oh, and let's be honest, the vast majority of school children who use the station could probably do with an extra bit of exercise before and after school anyway. Olympic Spirit and all that.......

A Busway option using the disused track was considered but their analysis showed their preferred plan would yield better value for money.

www.croxleyraillink.com/media/1898/croxley%20rail%20link%20msbc%20-%20main%20report.pdf

Although quicker to head into town from Watford Junction its outside zone 9 so its £7.30 to Euston and £8.20 to other zone 1 destinations on Oyster. Whereas the 2 new stations and Croxley are in zone 7 which is its £5.30 if you take the longer route. So you could save anything from 27% to 38%.

I think the major benefit is that it opens up access to and from the useful parts of Watford rather than revolutionise journey times into central London

IIRC the closure of Watford Met was submitted in the bid to get government funding in order to strengthen the case by reducing costs. Without doing so it was perceived that the case would be significantly weakened. Should a decision now be made to keep the station remain open I believe that would remove any government funding and the weaker case would have to go through the whole process again with the risk that no funding is given if other projects show better value for money.

I'll post the link here instead. It's the 2010 passenger survey for Watford Met. It's quite interesting. Well, if you like that sort of thing.

www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.croxleyraillink.com%2Fdownloads%2Fapp11%2FAPP31%2520-%2520Watford%2520Metropolitan%2520Line%2520Station%2520Surveys%2520-Technical%2520Report%2520Sept%25202010.pdf&ei=6WV1UJ2zE-i20QW0ooDIAQ&usg=AFQjCNG93Z_wN6OE-H1qZd4JJqEuVa6MMQ&sig2=tx9J2ZPxqpWCNqc51Zb2oA

I posted the info on the Watford Observer thread with a reasoned argument based on the facts- Lets see what occurs tomorrow.

XF

From the evidence I have read I believe 2 factors are at play here. First is to provide a service that provides significant cost benefit to the area and second to ensure the service pattern ensures a reliable flow of 28tph through Finchley Road during the peaks.

To maximise the cost benefit they are limiting the purchasing of new trains to just 1 and to maintain the 28tph they are planning to limit the service to Watford Junction to just 6tph.

The Chesham service used to be run with a 4 car shuttle but with the new S stock they abandoned the shuttle in preference to a through service. I don't know the core reason they did that but I imagine it would be the same reason against running the Watford Junction branch as a shuttle.

FORMAL CLOSURE NOTICE - WITHDRAWAL OF LONDON OVERGROUND SERVICES BETWEEN WATFORD HIGH STREET AND WATFORD JUNCTION

After listening carefully to the views of those wishing to retain Watford Metropolitan Line station and to opponents of the Croxley Rail Link, London Overground Limited are pleased to announce that, in the spirit of not providing useful links between lines converging on Watford, services from London heading north of Bushey station will, in future, terminate at a new station, to be called WGSG (Watford Grammar School for Girls), sited in the 'V' between the existing line and the A4178 Wiggenhall Road. The remainder of the current route into Watford Junction will be be covered with tarmac and made into a pedestrian access route.
This will tie-in nicely with the ethos of providing stations in 'green field' sites that allow travellers to eschew a logical interchange station in favour of the health benefits of a long walk in inclement weather to the place they actually want to get to.



OK, I'm being a tad silly, but I really think that 20 years after the Croxley Link has been built, and been seen to be successful, people will look back to a time when the Met and the DC Lines weren't connected and realise what a stupid state of affairs it was (and currently is).
About as daft as the fictional press release posted above, I would hazard to venture ...!
My belief is that passenger numbers will, over a period of 3-5 years, exceed expectations simply because journeys that are currently slow and cumbersome by tube/bus/train or bus/train combination will be suddenly so easy and reliable. Croxley to Milton Keynes for example would be achievable in around 40mins with, say, 10mins Croxley-WJ + 7mins interchange + 23mins fast London Midland train to MK. How long would that journey take at the moment, and how unattractive are the changes of mode if you're a young mum with a pushchair to contend with ?
You only have to look at what happened in Croydon when trams took over the very-lightly-used ex-BR route from West Croydon - Wimbledon. I'm not suggesting the Croxley Link will achieve that degree of growth, but I do think it will attract more passenger journeys than is currently predicted in CRL's literature.

The Croxley Link is a no brainer and 90 years late - I think it will go ahead and the residents that live near the Watford Met Station will have to admit defeat and give up their rather stupid campaign.

XF

Point made, but does anyone know why the outer extremities of various lines are carting around empty seats instead of being run with shorter configuration shuttles? OK, so it forms a through service, but is that value for money?