Croxley Link - online petition

A bit of both. The email is actually a really good summary of the current position - it's up to Herts council to make a compelling case to the DfT for funding. It's impossible to say how successful his might be.

Or in other words, not dead, but I wouldn't hold your breath.

This scheme update (presumably issued by HCC) was posted on uk.railway at the weekend by John Burke of the Watford Rail Users Group. Dates given for construction and opening should be taken with a huge dose of salt given that I first heard of this scheme in 1979!

THC

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Croxley Rail Link - Position Update October 2007

The Croxley Rail Link continues to be progressed by Hertfordshire County Council and remains one of the Council's identified Major Schemes within the Local Transport Plan 2006/7-2010/11, for which it is seeking grant funding from DfT.

It is very unusual for a County Council to act as a lead partner promoting such a railway scheme. We are leading because of the continuing changes of fortunes and structures within the rail industry and TFL. This produces the double challenge of leading a project in an arena for which we do not have the primary responsibility and in an arena which is subject to continuous change.

The project was identified as a Priority 1A scheme within the Regional Transport Priorities and has been included within the Regional Funding Allocation programme for funding in the period 2009/10 to 2015/16.

Whilst this overall funding time frame appears lengthy, placing the delivery of Croxley Rail Link within it is realistic, given that the scheme still has to be taken through a Transport & Works Act (TWA) process to secure the powers to construct.

HCC are currently working with consultants toward production of 'Major Scheme Business Case' for submission to the Department of Transport to seek 'Programme Entry' status for the project. This is effectively an updated resubmission of previous bids, taking account of some specific queries DfT have raised regarding cost updates and clarification of risk allowances, in line with their recently revised guidance for bids of this nature.

Through previous bid submissions to DfT and through negotiations with London Underground (LU) it has been previously established that:

The scheme meets all the necessary economic criteria of DfT and TfL has approved the economic appraisal for the scheme.
The Mayor of London has demonstrated support for the scheme and has publicly committed a funding contribution to the project of some £17m.
TfL is prepared to formally enter a promotion agreement with Hertfordshire County Council to co-promote the Transport & Works Application

Programme Entry (PE) status at this stage is required to reduce risk in the proposed delivery timetable. To achieve an opening date within the Regional Transport Priority funding window, the project needs to be granted PE as soon as possible by DfT as PE provides the trigger for the TWA process - HCC cannot advance a TWA process without an 'intention to fund' decision from DfT.

Following recent discussions, DfT have sought to revisit some core assumptions around the project, and clarification of their requirements has led to some delay in the bid preparation, but HCC anticipate making a submission to DfT before the end of the calendar year. Under their new guidance, DfT have indicated that a decision on the granting of PE status will be forthcoming within 26 weeks.

A possible timetable for the Project from that point forward is as follows:

Summer 2008 Programme Entry Granted
TWA Application Summer 2009
TWA Inquiry Autumn 2009
SoS Decision Summer 2010
Start On Site Summer 2012
Scheme Opening Summer 2014

In case anyone is interested, here's the latest update on the Croxley Rail Link project courtesy of the Watford Observer and John Burke of the Watford Rail Group.

THC

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Rail link a step closer

A £95million upgrade of Watford's rail system edged closer to approval this week, with the submission of the business case for the Croxley Rail Link.

The Department of Transport (DfT) now has 26 weeks to look at the application which, if agreed, could see a link between the Metropolitan Line and Watford Junction running by 2013.

The scheme would include two new stations, one in Ascot Road and one serving the proposed Watford Health Campus and Vicarage Road stadium. Watford MP Claire Ward, Mayor of Watford, Dorothy Thornhill, and Leader of Hertfordshire County Council Robert Gordon all voiced their support for the project this week in a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Transport, Ruth Kelly.

Mayor Thornhill said the project was vital to the growth of the town, adding: "Watford needs a decision which will make a dramatic and positive impact on the lives of its residents and those who work or travel through the town.

"The benefits of the Croxley Rail Link are clear and deliverable within a short time frame. The town and its people have waited a long time for progress."

The project is estimated to cut down on 300,000 car trips and be used a million times a year.

Ms Ward said she had supported the scheme for many years and has had regular meetings about it with Mayor of London Ken Livingstone and transport ministers.

She said: "Now is a golden opportunity for this public transport scheme to be put in place and we are desperate for the authorities to support it.

"People have been waiting 20 or 30 years for this and now is the best time ever to make a case for the Croxley Rail Link."

Transport for London has already agreed to contribute around £17.5million towards the project. Subject to approval, a public consultation will start in September.

On the section you mention there will only be a replacement for Watford Met (I hope the powers that be come up with a better name for it than Ascot Road) and a reopened Watford West. The Watford Stadium station will not reopen so you're left with just two, or three extra stations in total if you include WHS and WJ.

With the promise of an extended Bakerloo to WJ it should make the top left corner of the map more "interesting", that's for sure.

THC

would this require building new station premesis for both WHS and WS as I thought the old ones were demolished some time ago?

Surely there is the chance that a station at Watford Stadium might reopen someday. It is at the side of a massive redevelopment afterall. Granted though it mentions a new exit from Watford West...

I believe it belongs to Network rail.

It's hardly surprising - I first came across the project when living locally back in 1979 and am still waiting for the first Met to reach Watford Junction nearly 30 years later! Maybe it'll happen in my lifetime.

Maybe...

THC

Yeah, I took a few photos (10!!) years ago as part of my A level Geography project! West Watford bridge is good-great views of the platform. The bridge at Croxley Green is nice too! The road bridge where the Ricky/Croxley branch joins the DC line is good to! Check out google maps. The Ebury way is a nice walk/ride too!

This photoset covers the last days of the branch pretty definitively. Don't miss there's a second page.

The line isn't great for taking pictures - they'll be identical to every other set. But it's definitely worth going to the far end to ponder where the viaduct is meant to go, and Croxley Green and Watford West are nice and eery, but there's very little to see between there and Watford High St. Most of Watford Stadium is gone.