Charles Ellson wrote:
On 9 Jun 2006 09:54:36 -0700, "Adrian Auer-Hudson, MIMIS"
wrote:


asdf wrote:
On Thu, 08 Jun 2006 03:31:31 +0100, Charles Ellson wrote:

At a glance, it looks like a real blow for anyone commuting to central
London from Kilburn High Road and South Hampstead.

However both stations are very close to Kilburn Park and Swiss Cottage
respectively so there are alternative routes to central London.

They're not that close, the two Kilburns are a brisk five minute walk
apart and Swiss Cottage is about ten minutes uphill. The alternative
services don't run in the same directions either. If services to
Euston are withdrawn then one "what if" for consideration might be
re-opening Primrose Hill, restoring its old name and putting in a
pedestrian tunnel to Chalk Farm Northern Line station (although I
haven't got a map to hand to check the distance).

I think it's around 100m. But they should reopen the station in any
case - I'm surprised it doesn't appear in any of the proposals. I
think they'd be mad not to, unless there's a good reason why it can't
be done. (The platforms and station building are all still there.)
Linking Chalk Farm and Primrose Hill stations seems eminently sensible.
One of them should be renamed. I am not entirely sure which name is
the most geographically
accurate.

Chalk Farm is the more relevant name, and was what Primrose Hill was
previously named.

Also, connecting the South Hampstead platforms to Swiss Cottage station
would be good. However, I suspect the GC (Chiltern) bridge is in the
way of a link to the LU concourse. Elevators and escalators down to a
new mezzanine above the Jubilee tracks would be an alternative. But
this is expensive proposition and probably not worthwhile.

Swiss Cottage is some distance away from South Hampstead. Any link is
probably not worth the bother unless the GC tracks above South
Hampstead have got room to shoehorn in a couple of platforms and make
it a three-way interchange.
--
The slow tracks that complement the GC at this point are in effect the
Jubilee ones. There is little point in delaying passengers from
Banbury, Birmingham and even Wrexham for a minor interchange. As an
aside, West Hampstead is different because of the range of travel
possibilities. Indeed I think there is a case for closing at least one
station on the Neasden to Northolt section.

The Jubilee line is, I believe, below the WCML tracks somewhat beyond
the tunnel entrance behind (East of) the GC bridge. The Swiss Cottage
ticket hall is, I think, below Finchley Road which is the other side of
the flats if you are looking east from the South Hampstead Platforms.

An interchange is almost certainly technically possible IMHO.
Financially it is not viable. The new journey possibilities would be
very small in relation to the costs involved.

Adrian.