On 10 Oct 2006 01:15:04 -0700, Kev wrote:

Plus look at the example the West London Line and the "Two Junctions" /
"Junction to Junction" service (why does no-one ever call it either of
those!) from Willesden Junction to Clapham Junction which never existed
at all whatsoever before '94 (I think) - it's now a pretty popular
route on a day-to-day basis (as well as it's revived popularity for
Olympia exhibitions).

I don't think that drawing comparisons with the WLL is valid. For a
start it is much further from the centre so a journey from Willesden to
Clapham avoiding central London is a big boost. In fact if the
Silverlink County service stopped at Willesden the the WLL would be
even more popular.
I don't see the ELL offering the same advantages as the WLL to cross
London travellers as they will be dumped at Highbury and Islington. OK
if you are going to Arsenal I suppose but do people in SE London
support a North London team. I know that the Southern trains were very
crowded on days that Chelsea were playing.

I bet if the were the WLL opening instead of the EELL, you'd be saying
that with only 4 stations, and no obvious reason why large flows of
people would want to travel between any of them, and an infrequent
service using grubby trains, the WLL will be a complete non-starter
and a waste of money.