Croxley link cancelled

www.croxleyraillink.com/media/30034/croxley%20rail%20link%20alternatives%20review%20report.pdf

A comparison and review of alternative options carried out in 2011. Note that the guided busway and plain bus options did not include running over the full length of the line into Watford Junction. Of course, turning the bus around at the Watford Junction end might be a bit problematic.

So, anyway, has the Croxley link been cancelled or not?

Admin comment
If it's a duplicate post there are no objections amongst the forum staff if you just delete it yourself. Use the little cog, also available on the mobile version. If you have two threads open in different tabs of the same browser you can get the quirks you describe.

My post was more a tongue in cheek comment on thread drift!

Thanks.

I didn't realise that that facility was available here. On most sites, if implemented, it's an option on 'edit post', but it's rarely implemented.

Is there anything further about where they got their information from, or is it a rewording of existing sources that we've already seen?

Without wanting to get political, I don't think you can use the Croxley link saga as evidence for or against that statement given that it is entirely outside Greater London.

It's still relevant. There are no votes for Sadiq Khan in that area at all and the parliamentary seat is safe Tory.

True, but the people generally using the link are going to be residents of that area.

Which is in no way whatsoever a unique situation for TfL or LU, was the point I was making.

The entire Croxley link is outside the area the mayor is responsible for, pay no tax to TfL, and almost exclusively benefits people who cannot vote for him (or against him) whether they want to or not. The project is new infrastructure, was formerly led by the local authority and TfL have had almost no control over the budget and limited input into the scope until very recently.
The majority of the south eastern metro routes serve the GLA area, the majority of people who would be affected by any changes pay tax to TfL and are entitled to vote in mayoral elections. The project is about the transfer of existing operations, involves (at least initially) no new infrastructure and has been on TfL's wishlist for a long time meaning that budgets and scope are strongly known within TfL.

They are very, very different schemes and so there are far, far too many factors involved to drawn the sorts of conclusions you are attempting to. You might be right, but it simply is not possible to know based on what we know.

Apologies for a bit of pedantry but be careful about using the "pays tax" argument. It doesn't really hold much water. Yes, council tax payers in Greater London pay a TfL precept but it raises a tiny amount of money (£6m per annum) so it's not an issue of any financial significance. Almost all of TfL's investment funding comes in grant from central government (plus borrowing) so all national taxpayers help fund that regardless of their ability to influence who is the Mayor of London. It's no different to me as a resident of Greater London being unable to influence how much investment the Government puts into the Tyne and Wear Metro, Nottingham Trams or concessionary fare funding for Shropshire. We just accept that central government doles out money to a wide range of bodies to try to deliver regional benefits.

TfL's main funding is from fares, grants, a share of business rates and other charges it makes together with extensive borrowing. At present it also receives hypothecated grant for Crossrail's construction. On Croxley the position changed from TfL (LU really) being indemnified for its costs and participation by HCC to a full scale transfer of responsibility from HCC to TfL to undertake delivery of the project. Funding comes various sources but largely external to TfL. TfL were forced, by the previous Mayor, to accept the transfer *and* to take on all cost risk associated with delivering the project.

As we have said umpteen times before if you had taken on that risk you'd want to make sure the costs were accurate, the design and plans were firmly based and there was enough money committed to the budget to allow you to deliver. TfL have done their review and they clearly believe there is not enough money and it seems the Mayor will not sanction the use of a central funding pot for Borough schemes for Croxley. I know we have differing views on the Forum about the project but I can completely understand why TfL does not wish to proceed without certainty over funding. It's almost certainly against its own governance and standing orders to proceed with a project where it is known there is insufficient funding for the anticipated scope.

I'm gobsmacked that this has emerged during election purdah. If the TfL person / City Hall person spoke to the press last week then fine but if it was after Saturday then I'm amazed they released the info / commented even though it's relatively uncontroversial in the greater scheme of things and doesn't change the overall project status.

Purdah started on the 22nd, but not sure if this would be covered.

Personally I know more people that would be annoyed if the link went ahead than if it doesn't