From eWatford Observer 10/07/08

Rail link cost spirals


5:10pm Thursday 10th July 2008

The cost of the Croxley Rail Link has soared to almost £150m after
years of government indecision and battles against red tape.

However, the on-again off-again saga appears back on track after the
scheme was this week backed to receive a £120m investment.

The rail link, which will extend the Metropolitan Line into Watford
Junction, was priced at £66m in 2006.

Just one year later, the scheme is now estimated to cost close to
£150m, if completed by 2014.

The rail scheme will, however, only be given the go-ahead if £119.5m
is invested by the Department for Transport (DfT).

This week, the project received a huge boost after it was backed by a
transport panel at the East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) on
Tuesday.

The regional assembly has rated the scheme as a “priority” in its list
of transport policies.

Furthermore, it has now recommended the government contributes the
£119.5m towards the costs.

Hertfordshire County Council has already guaranteed the remaining
£25.8m for the rail link.

The news means that after years of battling through red tape and
against several public departments at once the rail link’s business
case will again be sent to the Department for Transport, where the
project will be decided.

Mayor of Watford, Dorothy Thornhill, said the process was now about
getting “all our ducks lined up in a row”.

She said: “What this means is the East of England Regional Assembly
sees this as an important project.

“If it didn't say that then central government would not take it
seriously.

“It is a small milestone and we just welcome every little milestone
that gets us nearer.”

She added she has written to Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, to get
Transport for London to back the scheme.

.................................................. ......

.................................................. ......

John Burke

WRUG

On Jul 10, 2:51*pm, wrote:
From eWatford Observer 10/07/08

Rail link cost spirals

5:10pm Thursday 10th July 2008

The cost of the Croxley Rail Link has soared to almost £150m after
years of government indecision and battles against red tape.

However, the on-again off-again saga appears back on track after the
scheme was this week backed to receive a £120m investment.

The rail link, which will extend the Metropolitan Line into Watford
Junction, was priced at £66m in 2006.

Just one year later, the scheme is now estimated to cost close to
£150m, if completed by 2014.

The rail scheme will, however, only be given the go-ahead if £119.5m
is invested by the Department for Transport (DfT).

This week, the project received a huge boost after it was backed by a
transport panel at the East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) on
Tuesday.

The regional assembly has rated the scheme as a “priority” in its list
of transport policies.

Furthermore, it has now recommended the government contributes the
£119.5m towards the costs.

Hertfordshire County Council has already guaranteed the remaining
£25.8m for the rail link.

The news means that after years of battling through red tape and
against several public departments at once the rail link’s business
case will again be sent to the Department for Transport, where the
project will be decided.

Mayor of Watford, Dorothy Thornhill, said the process was now about
getting “all our ducks lined up in a row”.

She said: “What this means is the East of England Regional Assembly
sees this as an important project.

“If it didn't say that then central government would not take it
seriously.

“It is a small milestone and we just welcome every little milestone
that gets us nearer.”

She added she has written to Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, to get
Transport for London to back the scheme.

.................................................. ......

Well, I suppose, that is sort of good news!

wrote:

5:10pm Thursday 10th July 2008

The rail link, which will extend the Metropolitan Line into Watford
Junction, was priced at £66m in 2006.

Just one year later, the scheme is now estimated to cost close to
£150m, if completed by 2014.

One has to suspect the accuracy of the rest of the reporting, when it is
clear that the journalist can't successfully subtract 2006 from 2008.

--
http://gallery120232.fotopic.net/p9632903.html
(D7018 (Class 35) at Tyseley, 4 Oct 1987)

On Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:55:28 -0700 (PDT), 1506
wrote:

On Jul 10, 2:51Â*pm, wrote:
From eWatford Observer 10/07/08

Rail link cost spirals

5:10pm Thursday 10th July 2008

The cost of the Croxley Rail Link has soared to almost £150m after
years of government indecision and battles against red tape.

However, the on-again off-again saga appears back on track after the
scheme was this week backed to receive a £120m investment.

The rail link, which will extend the Metropolitan Line into Watford
Junction, was priced at £66m in 2006.

Just one year later, the scheme is now estimated to cost close to
£150m, if completed by 2014.

The rail scheme will, however, only be given the go-ahead if £119.5m
is invested by the Department for Transport (DfT).

This week, the project received a huge boost after it was backed by a
transport panel at the East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) on
Tuesday.

The regional assembly has rated the scheme as a “priority� in its list
of transport policies.

Furthermore, it has now recommended the government contributes the
£119.5m towards the costs.

Hertfordshire County Council has already guaranteed the remaining
£25.8m for the rail link.

The news means that after years of battling through red tape and
against several public departments at once the rail link’s business
case will again be sent to the Department for Transport, where the
project will be decided.

Mayor of Watford, Dorothy Thornhill, said the process was now about
getting “all our ducks lined up in a row�.

She said: “What this means is the East of England Regional Assembly
sees this as an important project.

“If it didn't say that then central government would not take it
seriously.

“It is a small milestone and we just welcome every little milestone
that gets us nearer.�

She added she has written to Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, to get
Transport for London to back the scheme.

.................................................. ......

Well, I suppose, that is sort of good news!

That might depend on whether or not Boris notices which side of the
county boundary Watford is on.

Charles Ellson wrote:
On Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:55:28 -0700 (PDT), 1506
wrote:

On Jul 10, 2:51 pm, wrote:
From eWatford Observer 10/07/08

Rail link cost spirals

5:10pm Thursday 10th July 2008

The cost of the Croxley Rail Link has soared to almost £150m after
years of government indecision and battles against red tape.

However, the on-again off-again saga appears back on track after the
scheme was this week backed to receive a £120m investment.

The rail link, which will extend the Metropolitan Line into Watford
Junction, was priced at £66m in 2006.

Just one year later, the scheme is now estimated to cost close to
£150m, if completed by 2014.

The rail scheme will, however, only be given the go-ahead if £119.5m
is invested by the Department for Transport (DfT).

This week, the project received a huge boost after it was backed by a
transport panel at the East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) on
Tuesday.

The regional assembly has rated the scheme as a “priority� in its list
of transport policies.

Furthermore, it has now recommended the government contributes the
£119.5m towards the costs.

Hertfordshire County Council has already guaranteed the remaining
£25.8m for the rail link.

The news means that after years of battling through red tape and
against several public departments at once the rail link’s business
case will again be sent to the Department for Transport, where the
project will be decided.

Mayor of Watford, Dorothy Thornhill, said the process was now about
getting “all our ducks lined up in a row�.

She said: “What this means is the East of England Regional Assembly
sees this as an important project.

“If it didn't say that then central government would not take it
seriously.

“It is a small milestone and we just welcome every little milestone
that gets us nearer.�

She added she has written to Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, to get
Transport for London to back the scheme.

.................................................. ......

Well, I suppose, that is sort of good news!

That might depend on whether or not Boris notices which side of the
county boundary Watford is on.

As a fairly well travelled native of the town, I find that most people
think that the boundary is somewhere around Coventry.

--
Corporate society looks after everything. All it asks of anyone, all it
has ever asked of anyone, is that they do not interfere with management
decisions. -From “Rollerball�

"Chris Tolley" wrote in message
...
wrote:

5:10pm Thursday 10th July 2008

The rail link, which will extend the Metropolitan Line into Watford
Junction, was priced at £66m in 2006.

Just one year later, the scheme is now estimated to cost close to
£150m, if completed by 2014.

One has to suspect the accuracy of the rest of the reporting, when it is
clear that the journalist can't successfully subtract 2006 from 2008.


So in summary, the cost for the project was thought to be ridiculous, so
they have doubled it to make it more realistic?

What sort of 'backing' are TfL supposed to be giving anyway, the DfT seem to
be 'investing' the vast majority...

Paul S

On Jul 11, 11:00 am, "Paul Scott"
wrote:
What sort of 'backing' are TfL supposed to be giving anyway, the DfT seem to
be 'investing' the vast majority...

IIRC TfL were putting in a few million to the project because of the
opportunities it provides for people living in Harrow and Brent to get
to work in Watford and vice versa.

--
John Band
john at johnband dot org
www.johnband.org

Erm, with all these unemployed builders being laid off left right and
centre, isn't it going to be much cheaper to do this sort of stuff in
the future?

wrote in message
...
Erm, with all these unemployed builders being laid off left right and
centre, isn't it going to be much cheaper to do this sort of stuff in
the future?

I was thinking much the same thing

tim

No becasue the bulk of the costs these days isnt buildi8ng the thing its all
the reports and paperwork and planning for potential disruption that has to
be gone through first.

In the current way of doing things a couple of objectors with the right
lawyers on board can quite easily make costs spiral out of control until the
project their against is beyond reach.