" wrote:
On 08.02.15 0:01, Recliner wrote:
Charles Ellson wrote:
On Sat, 7 Feb 2015 23:12:10 +0000 (UTC), Recliner
wrote:

" wrote:
On 07.02.15 16:22, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 15:24:02 on Sat, 7 Feb 2015,
Basil Jet remarked:
The problem with a Holborn-Aldwych cycle route is that unless the
Holborn end is for Piccadilly Line passengers, the round trip
surface-tube-surface will take longer than walking. And don't let us
forget one the main reasons Aldwych closed was it was too expensive
to repair the lifts. Finally, what about the tidal flow of
Boris-bikes - what tooth fairy is going to be shuttling them back to
the other end so that more than a couple of dozen people can use the
route each morning or evening?

It's obvious - you run a train on the other track to take the bikes
back!

Although built for two tracks, there's only one, and also massive
restoration work would be required to bring the second platform at
either end back into use.

Then that's the one the cyclists go in, silly! ;-)

It's not just the platform, it's the whole station tunnel. Add to that
the "closed" platform-tunnel at the Holborn end is significantly less
accessible than the other (which was used until closure in the 90's)

Is there any chance of reactivating Holborn-Aldwych for revenue service?
Or are the lifts the main factor, killing that prospect?

They could, for example, run a crewless train in there.

You'd still have to staff Aldwych, to service minimal passenger demand.
Aldwych is near enough to Covent Garden to be redundant.

From the POV of running a trial of some sort, it is a section which
literally "couldn't get worse" and less staff than before would be
required but there is still the problem IIRC of not having a working
lift.

There are probably better places on the network, or elsewhere, to test
driverless trains than the all-underground Aldwych line. In any case, what
is there to test? Driverless trains are well proven, in London and
elsewhere.


I just don't buy that any longer about Aldwych and Holborn being so
close. I've walked that distance a few times, and they are not that close
in relative terms.

That's not what I said. It's Covent Garden and Aldwych that are very close
(5 mins walking time?). Temple is almost equally close.


Embankment to Charing Cross is walkable in under 5 minutes, whilst Cannon
Street and Monument are within plain sight of each other at platform level.

Thus, I am hoping that they eventually reactivate Aldwych.

Realistically, no chance.

Since the BBC World Service moved away, what massive transport demand is
there at Aldwych that isn't already served perfectly adequately by buses
and the other LU stations nearby?


I suppose the lifts remain an issue, however.

It was a basket case long before the lifts wore out.