On Thu, 2 Aug 2007, Paul Scott wrote:

"Bob" wrote in message
oups.com...

....... - Crossrail has unlike Thameslink not been designed as an
equivalent RER but merely a full gauge fast tube.- Hide quoted text -

I'm not sure this view is correct. Surely the way Crossrail trains will
be sharing tracks on existing routes to Maidenhead, Shenfield and Abbey
Wood, is just like Thameslink; the only main difference is their central
London tunnel will be new, not secondhand...

AIUI, there won't be a huge amount of track-sharing. Crossrail gets
exclusive use of the slow tracks on the GWML, although it'll share with
HEx from Airport Junction to Heathrow Central. In the east, there will
still be non-Crossrail services on the GEML slows, but i think they'll all
be Shenfield - Liverpool Street, so sort of a second service of Crossrail
- in fact, it would make a lot of sense to have the Crossrail operator run
them, rather than the GE franchisee.

By the way for those who don't feel they are part of London the
Government is to allow the Mayor and TfL to increase or decrease
service levels on trains outside the London boundary. No doubt some
contributor can draw the boundaries of this influence - on
Thameslink/FCC IIRC I think this will extend to Saint Albans.

No need to guess, the boundaries of TfL's influence were published on
the DfT website, 'line by line', a couple of weeks ago; including the
services to St Albans as you mentioned.

http://tinyurl.com/2fen9r

This sounds like the stealthy implementation of the 'london regional rail
authority' plan that Bob Kiley floated early in his reign. I can't find a
map or report about that, but Dave says the boundary proposed was:

* Chiltern: Aylesbury via Amersham & High Wycombe
* Silverlink: Metro services to Watford Junction, the Croxley Link and Watford - St Albans Abbey
* Thameslink: Luton to Gatwick Airport
* Great Northern: Stevenage
* West Anglia: Hertford East & Stansted Airport
* Great Eastern: Shenfield
* LTS: Basildon & Tilbury
* Kent Link: Dartford
* South Eastern: Swanley, Otford & Sevenoaks
* South Central: Oxted, Gatwick Airport, Caterham, Tattenham Corner, Epsom Downs, Dorking
* South West: Guildford, Working, Shepperton, Virginia Water, Windsor & Eton Riverside
* Great Western: Slough / Windsor & Eton Central

The boundary in the GNN report you cite is a bit smaller.

tom

--
Standing on the shoulders of Google