On Dec 15, 8:38*am, "Peter Masson" wrote:
"Clive D. W. Feather" wrote

The New Lines to Watford Junction, and the Bushey Triangle (to give access
to Croxley depot) were electrified in 1917, basically as soon as the
Bakerloo Line was ready to use it.

The Croxley Green branch was electrified in 1922 and the Rickmansworth
branch in 1927. This is just as likely to be post-war austerity and
dealing with Grouping as any other reason.

The Met Watford branch was opened in 1925, and electrified from the start,
though for the first few months half the service was provided by steam GC
trains from Marylebone. There was also, until 1934, a shuttle service
between Rickmansworth and Watford. When the Croxley link is opened is there
a case for an Amersham to Watford Junction service, as well as Met trains
from Aldgate/Baker Street?

Peter

A discussion on another forum has turned up this:
http://www.croxleyraillink.com/media...20re port.pdf
....which I asked for repeatedly during the consultation but never
got Fairly interesting, largely as expected, but it's the omissions
that are of more interest.

First up, the notion of a shuttle from the existing Watford Met is
given, but only to Croxley! Thus incurring all the engineering
headaches of a new bay platform and track work and staff...when a
perfectly good bay already exists at Rickmansworth....or heaven
forbid, Chesham.

Next up, no consideration is given whatsoever to reinstating the curve
between Bushey and the Croxley branch. Here's where it gets (more)
interesting. One option considered was reinstating the disused NR line
to Rickmansworth and making a junction to the Met main line. However,
they then propose closing the existing Met branch completely,
destroying the case as the Met route has great coverage. However, if
you reinstated the curve as discussed above, you could operate 2tph LO
to Watford Junction from Bushey, 2tph to Rickmansworth from Bushey,
and up to the full Met service via the NR route with new stations
serving the industrial estates, and having a grade-separated
interchange between the two at Cardiff Road, (with total segregation
if you gave up the Bushey to Watford High Street services).

Finally, the West Herts metro is given, but only considered as a light
rail tram or tram-train. The massive amounts of on-street running
required destroying the case for that, and only cursory mention given
to a bridge or tunnel to cross the WCML. Whilst I fully expect the
tunnel to be expensive, it would have been more helpful for a heavy
rail option using said tunnel to have been considered.