"Rich Mallard" wrote in message
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"Dave Arquati" wrote in message
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http://www.ctrl.co.uk/photos/gallery...asp?L=30&SL=43
Examination of the second plan on that page (very large file which
seems to have the wrong headers so may need downloading/renaming as
a JPEG) shows Northfleet as a tiny structure, dwarfed in comparison
to the vast Dartford International site with its 6 car parks.
However, Northfleet is reasonably close to Ebbsfleet (or at least
Car Park A) and I wonder why no pedestrian link is being put in.
People from Dartford might actually want to reach their
International station without getting in the car. Plus, since this
massive development is on Northfleet's doorstep, I would hope that
some reasonable pedestrian access will be built. After all, this is
the centre of the new Kent Thameside development with an extra 3000
homes and 790,000mē of commercial space apparently...
It does seem like a wasted opportunity having Northfleet just a
little too far away for an easy interchange, and having the link to
the North Kent line towards the east to reach Gravesend. Indeed,
what are you supposed to do if you live near the existing Dartford
station? Get a train to Gravesend, then change for a train to
Dartford Int'l? No-one will do that, they'll just get a taxi. Same
for people in neighbouring Bexley borough to the west - easy reach
of Dartford and North Kent line from existing stations, but looks
like there'll be no easy reach of Dartford Int'l = everyone in
Bexley and west Dartford will be taking car/taxi/bus when they
*should* be able to go by rail!
I'm sure Arriva or some other operator will cotton on to the idea of
running a bus link between existing stations and the new international
station to give fairly easy transfers between them.
Early on, I was hoping they'd extend the Dartford line services from
London to Dartford Int'l by default, but that now looks unlikely,
particularly given the suggested link to the North Kent line which
permits access from the east only. Shame the new station isn't
being built slightly further north to incorporate Northfleet within
its boundary (no, that would be just too convenient...)