On 12 Feb, 16:04, "Peter Masson" wrote:

"Mizter T" wrote

The other issue is probably future lack of trains to and from
Battersea Park from SLL destinations. I think a good number of people
using Battersea Park via the SLL are actually changing for trains to
Clapham Jn, so the ELLX will provide a direct service. However the big
plans for Battersea Power Station's redevelopment mean that it will
become a centre of employment, so it's a bit of a shame to lose direct
trains there from the SLL. Plus Battersea Park station is obviously
great for getting to Battersea Park itself, which is a rather splendid
park. Passengers will of course be able to change at either Clapham Jn
or Victoria to get to and from Battersea Park, or they could walk or
get a bus from Wandsworth Rd station.

AIUI the SLL platforms at Battersea Park are doomed anyway, as indeed is the
SLL between Wandsworth Road and Battersea Park, as the South London Metro 10
car scheme will involve extending the Down Slow platform across the
junction.


Yeah, somewhere in the midst of my second lengthy post I did mention
the fact that the platform lengthening plans would sever the SLL/
Atlantic Lines at Battersea Park - I then threw in a query as to
whether these plans will actually reach fruition any time soon, as I
suppose the recession might cast a shadow over it all. The thing with
the RUS modus operadi is that we hear what the planners'
recommendations are, but we never then hear what the masterplan of
action is from DfT Rail (cue hilarity) - thus we're left guessing
whether the new Victoria to Bellingham service will actually
materialise. If I was to guess I'd say it would happen, and that it's
in the DfT's gameplan, but at present it has not yet been finalised. I
wonder how long we'll wait for an announcement - the longer there
isn't one, the more people will wonder whether it's ever going to
happen or not.

It's silly as the DfT could avoid adverse publicity by making an
announcement sooner rather than later, though I suppose it's possible
that they might wait and see if there is any uproar - if there is
they'll react, if there isn't they'll forget about it - in other words
the delay in itself is a kind of sounding board. Perhaps I'm crediting
them with being somewhat more wiley than they actually are!

The other thing about the Victoria - Bellingham service ('SLL2' as
I've called it) that I didn't mention earlier is that it conveniently
runs out of Victoria's less busy eastern side, thus freeing up
platforms in the central side of the station - the South London RUS
highlights this as a benefit of this plan. So the SLL is basically
seen as the weakest link at both London Bridge and Victoria (central),
getting the boot from both of them, though space is then offered up in
Victoria eastern for its SLL2 replacement to Bellingham. Of course
this also precludes a stop at Battersea Park, because trains from the
eastern side of Victoria can't even get on to the central side's
tracks to get to Battersea Park in the first place (and making complex
alterations to enable this would no doubt be unwelcome).

Anyway I didn't really mean to focus so much on the issues surrounding
the oncoming ELLX link to Clapham Jn - I think it's great that it's
happening, it completes the picture of an orbital route around London
- but I don't think it's great because it'll look all neat and tidy on
a map, I think it's great because it'll be genuinely useful.