On Jun 26, 6:57*pm, E27002 wrote:
On Jun 25, 12:37*pm, Jamie *Thompson wrote:



On Jun 25, 7:26*pm, E27002 wrote:

On Jun 25, 9:27*am, burkey wrote:

Watford to St Albans Tram link to 'go ahead', says MP

From eWatford Observer - Friday 25th June 2010

By Neil Skinner

The Watford to St Albans Tram Link, a feared casualty of swingeing
cuts to public spending, will go ahead, the town’s new MP said this
morning.
Richard Harrington, who came to power in May, said he was assured this
morning that the project would definitely go ahead by the Department
for Transport.
The project, announced in October, will convert the existing Watford
to St Albans rail link into a tram system, possibly by the end of
2011.
As reported by the Watford Observer today it was feared that the
project could have fallen victim to cuts in public spending – along
with the Croxley Rail Link and Watford Junction Interchange.
Mr Harrington, however, says he obtained a guarantee from the
department this morning that the project would get the green light.
He said: “I have been assured by the ministry [Department for
Transport] this morning that the project is going to go through.
“I am very pleased about that because it shows that the Government in
listening and is keen to further these important investment schemes
for Watford.”
If all goes to plan the two carriage trams will be able to run two or
three services an hour along the six-and-a-half mile line, depending
on which of two proposed passing loop systems is adopted. That would
represent a big improvement on the current 45 minute intervals.
When formal approval is given, Hertfordshire County Council, which
will adopt the line, can begin a tendering process to find a private
operator for the line.
The Department for Transport has not yet confirmed the announcement..

IMHO The Croxley Link would have been a much better investment.

They haven't said only one or the other would still happen.

FWIW, I still think the best investment would have been a flyunder
south of Watford Junction AND the Croxley Link, giving Chiltern access
to St. Albans from Aylesbury via Watford Junction.

How practical is that? *Are there not road bridges under Watford
Junction Station? *It is nearly forty years since I was last there.

It would be tricky on the gradients, but nothing modern trains can't
handle; the main obstacles being Orphanage Road and Radlett Road.

At Orphanage Road the line would need to be either over or under the
road, as closing or diverting it isn't an option. If the line was
below it, then the platforms at Watford would have to be subterranean.
Not necessarily a problem (means they can be closer to the main
platforms, and would enable the entire former yard area to be given
over to parking), but something to be considered. If the line was at
the surface, then clearly Orphanage Road wouldn't be a problem, but
the line would have to dive down and back up again between Radlett
Road and Orphanage Road, which I believe is quite manageable,
especially as land is available (taken from the sidings between the DC
lines and the mainline) for widening the alignment for the southern
portal, should the line need to burrow rather than using bridges. Land
would probably be required from the telephone exchange's car park for
the ramp up to level on the other side however.

I base this on the flyunder at Willesden you can see he
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&so...04823&t=h&z=18