On May 28, 9:47*pm, wrote:

From eWatford Observer, 2:19pm Thursday 28th May 2009

Croxley Rail Link 'complete by 2014'

By Filip Hnizdo »

A timetable and funding plan for the long-delayed Croxley Rail Link
proposal has been drafted.
Hertfordshire County Council has announced it hopes to have the
£26million project complete by January 2014.
The recently published East of England Regional Authority's funding
advice document suggests a £119.5million government grant for the
project. London Underground is set to contribute an additional
£18.5million.
The East of England Regional Authority indicated that the project
would be delivered around 2017 but Hertfordshire County Council says
it hopes to bring this date forward.
Public consultations are planned for this summer with a Transport and
Works application set to be submitted in May next year. A public
inquiry is proposed for February 2011.
The rail project would link the Metropolitan Line on the London
Underground with Watford Junction rail station with new stations being
opened in Ascot Road and near the proposed Watford Health Campus and
Vicarage Road Stadium.
………………………………..................
………………………………..................
John Burke
WRUG


Interesting. I remain somewhat sceptical of the Croxley Link actually
happening, but perhaps my scepticism has melted a bit. As others have
said, it'll have to compete against everything else for funding once
Cameron's lot get in in a year's time. Of course, one of the ways of
competing for that funding is by getting as many optimistic messages
out there as possible, and creating a sense that this project is
indeed possible.

On May 28, 9:47*pm, wrote:
From eWatford Observer, 2:19pm Thursday 28th May 2009

Croxley Rail Link 'complete by 2014'

By Filip Hnizdo »

A timetable and funding plan for the long-delayed Croxley Rail Link
proposal has been drafted.
Hertfordshire County Council has announced it hopes to have the
£26million project complete by January 2014.
The recently published East of England Regional Authority's funding
advice document suggests a £119.5million government grant for the
project. London Underground is set to contribute an additional
£18.5million.
The East of England Regional Authority indicated that the project
would be delivered around 2017 but Hertfordshire County Council says
it hopes to bring this date forward.
Public consultations are planned for this summer with a Transport and
Works application set to be submitted in May next year. A public
inquiry is proposed for February 2011.
The rail project would link the Metropolitan Line on the London
Underground with Watford Junction rail station with new stations being
opened in Ascot Road and near the proposed Watford Health Campus and
Vicarage Road Stadium.
………………………………..................
………………………………..................
John Burke
WRUG

Don't lets get too excited kids! This has been happening for about 25
years now. The words project, proposed and planned should tell you
everything you need to know.

Rich

Consultants bank accounts 4, Railway Passengers 0, after a late kick
off and extra time...

Rich

On 28 May, 23:06, Mizter T wrote:
The new construction would be relatively minimal - a link from the
existing line near Baldwins Lane across Watford Road to reach the
existing alignment across the Grand Union Canal (the bridge still
being existent) and on east. I'm not au fait with the exact proposals
for this link, and I'm sure some people would complain (particularly
so if the pub on the roundabout gets it), but the new link is of such
a small distance that I don't think it would lead to any particularly
orchestrated campaign against it.

The alignment to connect directly is built on and there's also a major
height difference to overcome. The link will therefore start further
east along the Met and join the Croxley branch south/east of the
canal. It's a quarter of a mile, roughly the same distance as
Shoreditch ELL (RIP) to the Broad Street Viaduct.

Voici:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=...16351&t=h&z=16

U

On May 28, 1:47*pm, wrote:
From eWatford Observer, 2:19pm Thursday 28th May 2009

Croxley Rail Link 'complete by 2014'

By Filip Hnizdo »

A timetable and funding plan for the long-delayed Croxley Rail Link
proposal has been drafted.
Hertfordshire County Council has announced it hopes to have the
£26million project complete by January 2014.
The recently published East of England Regional Authority's funding
advice document suggests a £119.5million government grant for the
project. London Underground is set to contribute an additional
£18.5million.
The East of England Regional Authority indicated that the project
would be delivered around 2017 but Hertfordshire County Council says
it hopes to bring this date forward.
Public consultations are planned for this summer with a Transport and
Works application set to be submitted in May next year. A public
inquiry is proposed for February 2011.
The rail project would link the Metropolitan Line on the London
Underground with Watford Junction rail station with new stations being
opened in Ascot Road and near the proposed Watford Health Campus and
Vicarage Road Stadium.

We can but hope. I will believe it is happening when construction
starts. This project has drug on for so long that I view it with some
cynicism.

On May 28, 1:58*pm, wrote:

Thats excellent news! Does that mean the current Watford station will close?
Bet the residents nearby will not be too happy. Also trains "Semi Fast
Watford Junction" trains

The existing Met. Station, IIRC is next to Canonbury Park. I doubt
many folks will be inconvenienced. Many, many more Metroland
residents will gain the benefit of a main line connection.

On May 28, 2:08*pm, wrote:
On 28 May, 21:47, wrote:

Hertfordshire County Council has announced it hopes to have the
£26million project complete by January 2014.

Not surprised - but very happy - to hear this. *I noticed from the
Regional Funding Allocation statement that CRL funding was due to be
spent by 2013/4 instead of 2017/8 as proposed at the end of 2008.
That said, what chance the Tories ditching all this when they attain
power nationally next year?

Is Watford normally a Tory voting area? I suspect that it is. In
which case, this has a small chance of going forward. That said I am
not especially optimistic.

On May 28, 1:58*pm, wrote:

Thats excellent news! Does that mean the current Watford station will close?
Bet the residents nearby will not be too happy. Also trains "Semi Fast
Watford Junction" trains

The existing Met. Station, IIRC is next to Cassiobury Park. I doubt
many folks will be inconvenienced. Many, many more Metroland
residents will gain the benefit of a main line connection.

On May 28, 3:21*pm, darkprince66
wrote:
On May 28, 9:47*pm, wrote:





From eWatford Observer, 2:19pm Thursday 28th May 2009

Croxley Rail Link 'complete by 2014'

By Filip Hnizdo »

A timetable and funding plan for the long-delayed Croxley Rail Link
proposal has been drafted.
Hertfordshire County Council has announced it hopes to have the
£26million project complete by January 2014.
The recently published East of England Regional Authority's funding
advice document suggests a £119.5million government grant for the
project. London Underground is set to contribute an additional
£18.5million.
The East of England Regional Authority indicated that the project
would be delivered around 2017 but Hertfordshire County Council says
it hopes to bring this date forward.
Public consultations are planned for this summer with a Transport and
Works application set to be submitted in May next year. A public
inquiry is proposed for February 2011.
The rail project would link the Metropolitan Line on the London
Underground with Watford Junction rail station with new stations being
opened in Ascot Road and near the proposed Watford Health Campus and
Vicarage Road Stadium.
………………………………..................
………………………………..................
John Burke
WRUG

Don't lets get too excited kids! This has been happening for about 25
years now. The words project, proposed and planned should tell you
everything you need to know.

Rich

Consultants bank accounts 4, Railway Passengers 0, after a late kick
off and extra time...

Sadly, I have to share that sentiment.

On May 28, 3:06*pm, Mizter T wrote:
On May 28, 10:19*pm, wrote:

Works application set to be submitted in May next year. A public
inquiry is proposed for February 2011.

Thats excellent news! Does that mean the current Watford station will
close?

Yes

All this pre-supposes such an enquiry will rule in favour.

If a public enquiry goes against, it won't happen. And the Cassiobury
Park area - where Watford Met. lies - strikes me as an area that might
have quite a lot of nimbies in it.

Er, "imbies" surely - the problem for Cassiobury Park residents is
that they'd be *losing* their Met line station altogether, and instead
they'd have to troop south to either the new Ascot Road or the re-
opened Watford West stations.

The new construction would be relatively minimal - a link from the
existing line near Baldwins Lane across Watford Road to reach the
existing alignment across the Grand Union Canal (the bridge still
being existent) and on east. I'm not au fait with the exact proposals
for this link, and I'm sure some people would complain (particularly
so if the pub on the roundabout gets it), but the new link is of such
a small distance that I don't think it would lead to any particularly
orchestrated campaign against it. There might be some complaints from
people along the course of the existing alignment opposing it being
reopened, but that would weigh against the convenience of a new
station nearby so I wouldn't expect this to be a problem.

Was the old Watford High St to Croxley route ever formerly closed? I
had the feeling that it had its serviced reduced until it could be
replace by a bus.

On May 28, 11:44*pm, Mr Thant
wrote:

On 28 May, 23:06, Mizter T wrote:

The new construction would be relatively minimal - a link from the
existing line near Baldwins Lane across Watford Road to reach the
existing alignment across the Grand Union Canal (the bridge still
being existent) and on east. I'm not au fait with the exact proposals
for this link, and I'm sure some people would complain (particularly
so if the pub on the roundabout gets it), but the new link is of such
a small distance that I don't think it would lead to any particularly
orchestrated campaign against it.

The alignment to connect directly is built on and there's also a major
height difference to overcome. The link will therefore start further
east along the Met and join the Croxley branch south/east of the
canal. It's a quarter of a mile, roughly the same distance as
Shoreditch ELL (RIP) to the Broad Street Viaduct.

Voici:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=...id=10601415660...


Excellent, thanks for that. That seems like a very sensible alignment
- I was wondering what the plan was, given the buildings that were in
the way (hence comment about the pub!). The L shaped building north of
the roundabout might be in the way, though you can't make an omelette
etc. Looking at that alignment the danger of complaints might be more
from the "nimcs", or rather "nomcs" (Not Over My Canal). Still, I
can't help but think those capable of kicking up the biggest fuss
would be those losing their service from Watford Met.

Funny that you mention Shoreditch connection, as I was just thinking
earlier on about the parallels between the ELLX project and this -
obviously in most regards they're very very different, but in the
sense of hooking up two previously unlinked railway alignments with a
short but adventurous viaduct there are some similarities. (Also
looking at the comment upthread about how the Tory controlled Herts CC
might somehow ensure the required money gets extracted from Chancellor
Osbourne put me in mind of Ken managing to wrench the ELLX money out
of the Treasury.)