Don't we already have Crossrail 2?

The problem with Thameslink is it only serves a very small part of central London, and a very boring one. Crossrail will be able to take most of its passenger to within one or two tube stops of where they're going.

Direct trains from Finsbury Park to Blackfriars and beyond will be the most interesting part of the new programme, as well as the boost in frequency to tube like levels.

Maybe FCC will rebrand it at some point but I doubt that would be any time soon, especially as they've removed Thameslink name for the train service to Capitial Connect.

I think rather than have Crossrail, it would be better if the DLR was expanded into a SERIOUS railway (it is pretty much there for its original scope, but its scope could be seriously expanded).

My idea; extend from Tower Gateway on elevated section all the way to Holborn Viaduct. Have a turnback from there (like Gloucester, Cambridge or Southampton Central stations) so that after a train that has come from the East terminates at Holborn Viaduct, it reverses but branches off in the opposite direction - towards London Bridge.

Then, convert Abbey Wood - London Bridge into DLR-type infrastructure, and new sets of points to join this up with the existing Woolwich Arsenal DLR. This way SE London can get to the centre, so can NE London.

Then, convert Thameslink to DLR-type infrastructure and have the trains from Abbey Wood direction join up at London Bridge to continue to Blackfriars northbound.

Finally, add a turn-off at KX to take this new DLR-type service westbound towards Paddington, following the path of the Met/H+C lines. Have this emerge at H+C Paddington, but expand this into a 'semi-proper' station building rather than 'Stratford bay platform'-style rubbish that's there now. A bit like what Waterloo East is to Waterloo. Curtail the H+C line here so that it becomes an interchange to the new service, which will then continue towards Hammersmith, follow the District down towards Richmond and onwards towards Slough or Windsor (or perhaps Hayes & Harlington).

I haven't checked the feasibility in terms of tracks or available land/space to suppor this; it's totally blue-sky - but other than that I think it would be a nice (if very expensive), scheme.

I do think there are far too many *different* schemes in the works at the moment - if we standardised on a single, modern system (and let's face it, there isn't a lot wrong with the way the DLR works) - so why invest so many billions of pounds in different systems, different stock, different infrastructure and support mechanisms, and so on.

If it is really being considered to turn Crossrail into tube profile line, then it really shows that it is not public transport priority no.1, unlike Crossrail 2 which is urgently needed to relieve the overcrowded Victoria Line.

The fact that 50% of trains will be reversed at Paddington should maybe ring a few bells for planners as to whether Crossrail is the most cost effective plan! No other options appeared to be seriously considered by the government for Crossrail's needs, such as upgrading the Shenfield Line's signalling capacity. TfL have also refused to publicly release their statutory assessment of Monometro, another Crossrail alternative.