London’s Newest Property Hotspot Has Been Revealed — And It’s On The NLE Tube Line
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Metro.
This doesn’t surprise me one bit.
Any new train or tram line, whether it is under or over the ground always creates a property hot spot.
That’s why London needs to develop the West London Orbital Railway, Crossrail to Ebbsfleet and New Bermondsey station as soon as possible, as the areas they serve need a lift.
On a wider view, it is also why reopening rail lines is such a good policy. Some might object to property hot-spots, but most residents of the UK, like it when property prices rise!
The Anonymous Widower 
plus Bakerloo Extension to Lewisham and DLR to Thamesmead (and on to Abbey Wood)
Comment by Sisyphus | November 10, 2021 |
Those two you mention should be later, as they are much more expensive projects. New Bermondsey is already funded, C2E unlocks tens of thousands of houses for not much infrastructure and the West London Orbital just needs new stations.
As TfL is effectively bust, Crossrail 2, the Bakerloo Line extension and the DLR to Thamesmead will have to wait.
Comment by AnonW | November 10, 2021 |
Beg your pardon, AW, but one could argue that ‘C2E’ does nothing for ‘London’ except fill the trains (when they finally start running) with Kent’s commuters so that by the time it arrives at Abbey Wood, they are practically full.
Applying some of the funding methods used for NLE to the Bakerloo extension should make this a viable project, if a long term view is taken, and as you yourself have advocated, would be transformative for this part of London. It is only a lack of vision that prevents this happening, though you’d think the success of NLE would cure this blindness, and had they been smart enough they would have had all the teams, kit, et al assembled from NLE completion to seemlessly move to BLE.
The treatment of Thamesmead in terms of transport options would be considered nothing but criminal negligence in other parts of London, but as the movers and shakers arent getting their fix of skiny lattes there or taking weekend strolls along the embankment here, it has been allowed to muddle along, with Abbey Wood as the answer to all the questions. Stopping the overground extension at Barking showed the lack of vision, though this alone was never the answer, but if Thamesmead is to offer a thriving new development, it needs 2/3 DLR stops connecting north of the Thames, to Crossrail at Abbey Wood, and developers pay for it.
Anyway, a pleasure as always to share ideas.
Comment by Sisyphus | November 10, 2021 |
I’ve believed for some time, that Thamesmead’s solution is an extension of the GOBlin from Barking Riverside. But it should be a surface loop, either using battery-electric tram-trains or battery-electric Class 710 trains running as trams.
I also believe that we need a bridge over the Thames no matter what solution is used, as it could become a tourist attraction.
Comment by AnonW | November 10, 2021 |
One final word, my work took me to Neasden and Willesden on nearly a daily basis, and my interest in transport solutions had me write to the then Mayor of London with regards to making better use of the ‘Dudden Line’ by creating an orbital route. I was told it was being considered then, and 20 years later, its still being considered. I am a generation younger than you AW, but I suspect I will not see such a route in my life time, given the lack of urgency, and even the current plans show an absence of that key word again, vision.
Comment by Sisyphus | November 10, 2021 |
I suspect that it has gone down the priority list, as one of its main uses is to bring workers from North-West London to Old Oak Common to get to Heathrow.
But the covids have done for Heathrow and the need for more workers has probably dropped.
But then the area is just like Hackney in a lot of ways and look what the Overground has done for Hackney and North East London in general.
The Mayor is not interested in this line, as he is a South Londoner. Ken would have seen it done, as it’s in his area.
I find it interesting that the biggest backers of the West London Orbital are boroughs of all colours.
Comment by AnonW | November 10, 2021 |
Hello AW, I dont know if you have ever stumbled onto this site, but very informative about their local matters,
and I thought of you immediately when I saw this article
https://www.fromthemurkydepths.co.uk/2021/11/11/transport-for-london-submits-plan-for-new-station-at-surrey-canal-and-new-bermondsey/
Comment by Sisyphus | November 11, 2021 |