On 10 Oct, 09:41, Mizter T wrote:
What would the benefits of ditching HEx be for Crossrail, apart from
increased passenger numbers - would it just be more capacity in the
Heathrow tunnels?

Ken's job is to make Londoners and visitors to London happy, and
arranging a service to/from Heathrow that's both fast and direct
instead of having to choose between the two seems to fall under that
remit.

I don't think there's any direct benefit to Crossrail itself, though
freeing up a couple more platforms at Paddington must be good for the
cost-benefit ratio.

I find it incredibly unlikely that the Abbey Wood branch would be
delayed, as it is the branch that would serve Canary Wharf and the
docklands via Isle of Dogs station (and Canary Wharf Ltd has already
agreed to contribute towards Crossrail too). Unless the plan is to
stop tunnelling at Isle of Dogs and terminate and then reverse trains
there?

Custom House is more logical - there's no crossover before there, and
the tunnels are being dug from nearby anyway. That still saves the
cost of building the entirely separate tunnels under the Thames,
refurbishing Connaught Tunnel, building their part of Woolwich
station, rebuilding Abbey Wood, and several miles of new
electrification, all to serve a line that already has a DLR
interchange (soon two) and direct trains to the City and West End. I
can't imagine the business case for it has ever been good, especially
since it stopped continuing to Ebbsfleet.

(and if this and today's other rumour are true, maybe Crossrail can go
to Dagenham Dock instead...)

U

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