We All Go Round In Circles
I am a Control Engineer by training and I have extensively modelled dynamic systems and constantly changing projects, which are updated regularly, if not daily.
My experience tells me that because we are a rich and innovative nation, that we will attract migrants because they know if they work hard here, they will earn enough to look after their families. Which patently many can’t do in the war-ravaged countries they’ve come from.
Most migrants will bring skills and muscle to fuel our growth, whether we like it or not.
So we get richer as a nation and more and more migrants are attracted to come.
One way to stop the migrants is to say, that we will not let them in and stop them coming.
But then the NHS and other industries wouldn’t have the labour they need, as many migrants settled here would move on to places that valued their skills.
An alternative would be to close down our economy, so that migrants are no longer attracted. Control Engineering says you must balance your production to the need and the resources you have available.
I believe that because of the maths, we either accept migrants or reduce our standard of living dramatically. Our Victorian forefathers brought in the migrants and the rest as they say is history!
This evening, the bookies have it that it’s six to one on, that we stay.
I once had a horse start a race at odds of twenty-two-to-one on. The horse came home by almost the length of the straight at Ayr.
The bookies were right as they generally are!
Proposed New Stations And Interchanges In South London
In the June 2016 Edition of Modern Railways in an article entitled Turning South London Orange.
In the article, there is a table of Station and Interchange Proposals. I will list them in order.
Battersea
Battersea station is proposed to have platforms on the Southeastern lines into Victoria, close to the Dogs’ Home, that will adjoin the new Battersea Power Station station on the Northern Line extension.
As this station appears to be crucial to a lot of the Centre for London reports proposals, I have given the new station its own post called A New Station For Battersea.
Beddington
Beddington station is proposed between Wallington and Waddon stations on the line between West Croydon and Sutton stations.
I don’t this area well, but here’s a Google Map between Wallington and Waddon stations.
Proposed Beddington Station
According to the Centre for London report, there is a long gap between stations and there has been a loot of development in the area.
The rail line runs across the middle of the map and the station is proposed for Plough Lane, South of Bandon Hill Cemetery.
Brixton
One of the proposals in the article is to create an improved station at Brixton, by reopening disused platforms on the Northernmost tracks at the station.
I have written this a separate post at An Improved Station For Brixton
Brockley
The article proposes a new pair of platforms on the South London Line between Nunhead and Lewisham stations, providing interchange with the existing Brockley station.
I gave my views on Brockley station in A Report On The Bakerloo Line Extension, which I now repeat.
This Google Map shows Brockley station.
Brockley Station
The Bexleyheath Line between Nunhead and Lewisham stations crosses the East London Line and Brockley station at a high level.
I wrote A Four-Poster Station about connecting these two lines.
It would appear that Transport for London have advanced this project from one word in their 2050 Infrastructure Plan to a proposal.
This is the sort of connectivity, that us plebs in Dalston will like a lot. From 2018, as I wrote in Increased Frequencies on the East London Line, there will be ten services per hour between Dalston Junction and Brockley stations and one change at Brockley, will open up many transport opportunities.
Camberwell
Camberwell station is a new station on the Thameslink Line between Elephant and Castle and Loughborough Junction stations.
This Google Map shows the area around the disused Camberwell station.
Camberwell Station
Camberwell station used to be where Camberwell New Road crosses under the railway.
Wikipedia has a section about the re-opening of the station. This is said.
In March 2016 it was reported by Transport for London that proposals to re-open the station are being considered with other stakeholders, including the London Borough of Southwark. Initial feasibility indicates it would be possible to construct a modern station on the site if timetables could be modified to accommodate Camberwell as an additional stop. TfL will be working with Network Rail and the boroughs of Southwark and Lambeth to further develop the feasibility of this proposal.
I would also suspect that being able to open a new Camberwell station, at the same time as Thameslink, would be very easy to justify on a costs basis.
Clapham East
Clapham East station is proposed to be half a mile North-East of Clapham Junction station on the East London Line.
As this station is a new proposal and hasn’t come to my notice before, I have given the new station its own post called A New Station For Clapham East.
Clapham High Street And Wandsworth Road
The report suggests putting platforms at Clapham High Street and Wandsworth Road stations on the Southeastern tracks to enable a direct service to Victoria to be reinstated.
I have dealt with these two stations in Improvements To Clapham High Street And Wandsworth Road Stations.
Imperial Wharf
There is an interesting proposal to put a footpath over the Thames to give access to Imperial Wharf station from the South Bank.
This Google Map shows the station and the Thames.
Why not build the footpath?
New Cross
New Cross station is just over five hundred metres from New Cross Gate station. This Google Map shows both stations.
New Cross Gate And New Cross Stations
The Centre for London is proposing stopping East London Line services to New Cross, increasing service to New Cross Gate and building a travolator between the two stations. They say this in the report.
The proposal is to build an underground travolator between New Cross, Goldsmiths College and New Cross Gate interchange. At New Cross Gate a more frequent train service would be available on the ELL and existing Southern route. This would be a practical alternative linking the Southeastern and South Central networks, and it would also create Southeastern lines access via New Cross to the proposed Bakerloo station at New Cross Gate, for those trains which avoided Lewisham.
It is an interesting solution, that possibly could be used in many places.
Turning South London Orange
In the June 2016 Edition of Modern Railways in an article entitled Turning South London Orange.
It discusses a report by the Centre for London with the same name and a sub-title of Passenger Demand, Proposed Main Schemes And New Stations / Interchanges.
It is powerful stuff and these are posts I’ve written about their proposals.
An Improved South London Line Is Proposed
Proposed New Stations And Interchanges In South London
An Improved Station For Brixton
A New Station For Clapham East
Improvements To Clapham High Street And Wandsworth Road Stations
An Improved South London Line Is Proposed
In the June 2016 Edition of Modern Railways in an article entitled Turning South London Orange.
One of the proposals is to create an improved South London Line from Victoria and Clapham Junction via Brixton and Denmark Hill to Peckham Rye.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the lines from Battersea to Peckham.
An Improved South London Line
You have to remember that when the current South London Line was created, there was criticism from various groups.
- Some objected to the loss of a direct service to Victoria.
- Some felt the line should call at Brixton.
- Some felt there should be an interchange at Loughborough Junction station.
Hopefully, the proposal for an improved South London Line will address some of these issues.
Between Wandsworth Road and Peckham Rye stations, the line is effectively two pairs of tracks, with the Overground using the Southern pair.
The Northern pair of tracks that are currently used by the Southeastern lines into Victoria only have platforms at Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye.
The Centre for London is proposing a redesign of the South London Line that could include.
- New Platforms at Wandsworth Road, Clapham High Street and Brixton.
- I would assume that the new Battersea station is part of the proposal, as this would connect the line to the Northern Line.
- Renaming of Clapham High Street to Clapham North to indicate its close relationship with the Underground station.
- Perhaps even putting the Overground on the Northern pair of tracks, as this would simplify the rebuild of Brixton station.
- An increase in frequency on both pairs of lines to six trains per hour.
I think as a start it is a good plan, but I do feel that something much better could emerge to improve the connectivity across South and South East London.
There are some questions that need to be answered.
- Where would the trains go past Peckham Rye?
- What would be the frequency of the Victoria to Orpington service?
- Would the restoration of a shuttle between London Bridge and v’ictoria be a good idea?
- Could Victoria be a terminus for the London Overground?
- Should the South London Line be connected to Thameslink at Loughborough Junction?
I suspect a lot of the answers are in the passenger statistics.
The Anonymous Widower 