On Sat, 02 Jan 2016 18:12:08 GMT, Anna Noyd-Dryver
wrote:

e27002 aurora wrote:
On Fri, 1 Jan 2016 11:32:56 +0000, Robert
wrote:


Er, the Hammersmith & City Railway (H&CR) was financed jointly by the
GWR and the Metropolitain Railway and opened in 1864. There is nothing
artificial about it.

Point taken. When I lived in London 40 years back, the H&C was simply
part of the Met. If TfL want to maintain the GWR connection how about
helping the longsuffering passengers and restoring the cross-platform
interchange at Paddington. Before the issue of crossing the 3rd and
4th rail tracks comes up, that could be avoided with a long single
track from Royal Oak to platform 16.


Cross platform for who? The small number if trains which would use the
particular platform adjacent to the H&C platform - which would not
necessarily be to consistent destinations. Besides which with the new
entrance to the H&C platforms you'd actually further inconvenience non-H&C
travellers who did want to use your platform 16 trains.

The Crossrail tunnel entrance, and lines from there to the Crossrail depot
at OOC, have/will change the railway geography in that area - access to
your 'long single line' ('cos they never cause operational problems or
limit terminal platform re-occupation times) isn't as easy as you seem to
think.


More than happy to take the word of you, a professional.

However, I would point out:
At one time commuters off the GM mainline could continue to stations
to Farringdon.

Later, they could do the same by crossing a platform at Paddington.
Now this is lost. It will be somewhat replaced by Crossrail.

Likewise someone wishing to travel between Ladbroke Grove to Southall
could change at Westbourne Park. Now the traveller has to go thru
Paddington.

It is almost as if there is a conscious effort to isolate the
Hammersmith Branch. :-)