On Saturday, October 31, 2015 at 1:31:25 AM UTC, Denis McMahon
wrote:
On Fri, 30 Oct 2015 22:09:37 +0000, Richard J. wrote:

The ORR say that in 2013/14 New Southgate had a total of 637,320 entries
and exits. If New Southgate was an Underground station, that figure
would make it the 4th smallest passenger usage on the network. Arnos
Grove, half a mile away, had 4.71 million entries and exits in 2014.

My back of an envelope scribbling extrapolates 637,320 annual entries and
exits to 2500 max per weekday, so about 1200 in each of morning and
evening peak of 2 hours, or about 10 a minute in the peaks.


So, we have a project that is more ill thought out than HS2. Boris
Island is dead, so now he wants a bizarre Crossrail 2.

Do not misunderstand. There is a need for more Crossrails. But this
one does nothing well and a lot badly.

There is nothing especially wrong with running on to the Cheshunt
line. But, then there is the expensive tunnel to New Southgate. If
more service is needed to the New Southgate area, there are cheaper
and better ways to provide it. But first let's see how things improve
when Thameslink starts serving the GN suburbs.

Dalston, Angel and St Pancras look reasonable. BUT, then the line
heads for Victoria. Victoria already has a direct route toKX/St P.
But Waterloo does not. Why not follow the route of the WWI plan for
an express Northern Line pair to Waterloo?

Boris's new toy then follows a zigzag route to Wimbledon. Wimbledon
is already well served and cramped. Adding the entrances here for a
Crossrail station will be difficult. Moreover it adds little value.
Anyone heading from Wimbledon to Victoria has a choice of routes. One
can change at Clapham Junction, or use the District Line.

Why not continue to shadow the Northern Line with Stations at
Kennington, Clapham North, Balham, Tooting Broadway, and South
Wimbledon?

Borisrail then continues to Raynes Park. There is a logic to this
because several of the main SW suburban routes have converged there.
But Boris's route then runs onto them ALL. That begs the question: Why
retain the slow pair from Waterloo. How does TfL, et al, expect to
maintain the discipline of a rapid transit service with four branches?

No, from Colliers Wood Crossrail two should continue to Raynes Park
for interchange and then take over the pair towards Motspur Park. The
route could terminate at Chessington and Horsham. The later will
provide many valuable connections to, and from, the outer suburbs.