"Basil Jet" wrote

Wouldn't it be better and possibly profitable to extend all of the
Crossrail Paddington terminators to North Pole, then on a new track to
near Harlesden Station , then on the freight line up to Neasden where they
could take over the entire Chiltern service (both Amersham and High
Wycombe), allowing the line from Neasden to Marylebone including the
Marylebone Station site to be sold off and also allowing the Met to
terminate at Baker Street? Oh hang on, that would require the Chiltern
Lines to be electrified...

An early iteration of Crossrail was indeed to run it via the Acton Wells -
Neasden Junction line and then the Chiltern Met Line, taking over the
Chiltern Aylesbury via Amersham service as well as the Met Chiltern and
Amersham service. The Met would have been left with Watford and Uxbridge.
Cost benefit analysis showed that there was no adequate business case.

Peter