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Tom Anderson · January 22nd 07, 11:31 AM posted to uk.transport.london

On Sun, 21 Jan 2007 wrote:

wrote:

From your comments I dont think I can ever see the line going past Epping
again. Would other people agree?

Probably. As things stand at present, there are simply too many
obstacles:-

2) Layout - even if a passing loop were reinstated at North Weald the
line is going to have a very infrequent service, which is what killed it
in the first place. Likewise, through trains from London would probably
not be workable because of the risk of the long single-line section
transmitting delays to the entire line.

Is there room to double-track it?

IMO the only chance for the line serving Ongar again is if there is ever
a big scheme to develop the green space around Ongar or North Weald.
It's quite possible some developer might come up with the "brainwave" of
building houses with a ready-made Tube link (well, almost), but there
would probably be a *lot* of local opposition.

Agreed. Barring the tearing up of the Green Belt in this area, the Ongar
branch is dead; but if it does happen, as seems just about plausible given
the rising demand for new homes in the southeast, the vision of extending
London to the east, and the growing power of central authorities (both Ken
and Number 10) to override local opposition, i would certainly expect the
branch to be central to the transport plan.

tom

--
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