James wrote:

Just been announced that the government is to give Ken authority over
all railways "within the GLA area".

See
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3894791.stm

Does this mean that the mutterings about zones 7, 8 and 9 might go ahead?

Possibly, but remember that the boundary of zone 6 is in almost all
cases coterminous with the boundary of the GLA area. (i.e. 'Greater
London' or the 33 London Boroughs) Indeed, if zone 7 comes into
existence, Buckhurst Hill-Epping, Roding Valley-Grange Hill and Thames
Ditton-Hampton Court might well be moved into it. (Are there any other
places within Zone 6 but outside Greater London?)


Yes. Stoneleigh station is in Ewell, Surrey (but only just). It's
probably why it's in zone 6 rather than 4 or 5. It also makes it look
slightly less obvious that the GLC boundary suddenly zig-zags in and
out by about 3 miles at that point (and is consequently very silly and
rather inconvenient).

Really, the whole issue of zones shows up how the GLC boundary is in
the wrong place. There are two approaches I would like to see - either
that Epsom & Ewell and Reigate & Banstead get pushed into Greater
London, or that Kingston and Richmond are moved back into Surrey
(which would at least have the useful function of moving the centre of
gravity of the county away from Guildford), forcing co-operation
across borders.

If Richmond were to go back into Surrey as-is, then Hounslow would look
very silly (I know looks aren't everything) and Surrey would stretch to
Hammersmith Bridge. Plus more Underground stations would be shunted
outside London - look how much trouble it is to fund the Croxley Link.

Better to stick Epson & Ewell into London (but why Reigate & Banstead?).
It might also be reasonable to absorb Watford and environs and exile
some of the more remote bits of Bromley and Havering. Maybe swallow up
some Dartford whilst you're at it.

Alternatively, if you read that report about an archipelago Britain
where London essentially stretched across most of the southeast,
southwest and east, then you could just absorb most of southern England,
declare independence and banish the north to a Londonless fate. Not that
they'd care :-)

--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London