Should Crossrail Go To Reading?
According to this article on the BBC, a Reading councillor is wanting Crossrail to terminate at Reading rather than Maidenhead.
It has always struck me, that Reading as a bigger town might be a better terminus. If Crossrail terminated there, it would also be easier to get to Heathrow from the West Country and Wales, although plans are in place to allow direct trains from the west into Heathrow.
But then I haven’t got access to the passenger numbers and costs.
I suppose you could also make arguments for the terminus of Crossrail to be on a large Park and Ride on the M4.
But then you could probably make arguments for the two eastern terminals to be stations other than Abbey Wood and Shenfield.
What Effect Will Crossrail Have On The Dartford Crossing?
I asked yesterday, if we needed another crossing of the Thames.
Looking at the Crossrail web site, I see that from Shenfield to Whitechapel will take 39 minutes and Abbey wood to Whitechapel will take 25 minutes. So to do that into London and out again will take 54 minutes plus a couple of minutes for the change of train and direction at Whitechapel. the current journey incidentally takes around 90 minutes, but you can do it in a car in just under 50 minutes, assuming you get a good run over the bridge.
So it would appear that the Crossrail route would be about the same time as a car, which might or might not be enough to persuade travellers to go by rail.
There will also be opportunities to change at Stratford to HS2 to get into Kent. This won’t help the journeys such as Abbey Wood, but it would be a great help to such journeys as Colchester to Canterbury.
All of these options, might cut the number of car journeys over the Dartford Crossing. It would of course be helped by adequate car parking at the Crossrail stations.
Lost In Kings Cross Station
The new Kings Cross station may look very good, but the Underground station seems to have been designed as an incomprehensible labyrinth.
Tonight, I got on a Victoria line train at Oxford Circus and needed to change to the Northern line at Kings cross for the Angel. Unfortunately, I tiook the wrong exit from the platform and ended up walking a lot longer than I should down pedestrian tunnels and up and down stairs.
But I eventually made it and got a 38 bus at the Angel to bring me home.
I’ll be glad, when Crossrail is finished, so that I can get home a lot easier.
All Lined Up And Ready To Go
According to this article on Crossrail’s web site, they are at full production of the lining segments for the tunnels at the Chatham factory.
All Lined Up And Ready To Go
There are certainly lots of them at the Limmo site waiting to go underground, after being barged from Chatham.
When the Victoria and Jubilee lines were dug in the past, I don’t think that we saw such well-organised manufacture of tunnel linings and other components.
It all shows how our methods and especially the project management has improved.
When HS2 is built, who can predict accurately how much further improvement is possible?
Custom House Station – 25th April 2013
It does appear that the site clearance is well under way at the new Custom House Station on Crossrail.
I have now tagged all of these posts with Custom House Station.
Canary Wharf Station’s Pedestrian Tube
The Pedestrian walkway (Or is it a tube?) to Canary Wharf Crossrail station is getting to be recognisable as to what it will be.
It does appear that we will see some spectacular stations on Crossrail.
Visiting Heathrow Airport By Bus
Today wasn’t the first time, I’d been to the airport by bus, as when we were in our teens, a couple of times, we went to the airport by bus on a Saturday or school holiday. We went all the way round the houses on about six buses, finishing with a 140 to the airport. It was all for a few shillings on a Red Rover ticket.
A couple of times too, C and I went to the airport by coach from Newmarket, as in some ways it was quite convenient. Now, I just take the train or the Tube.
But after today’s crowded and slow journey on the Piccadilly line, I feel strongly, that Crossrail is needed now.
An Alternative London End To HS2
This plan called Euston Cross, was first aired in the railway press and is a serious alternative to what is currently proposed. it’s described detail in this post in a blog.
I think it should be taken seriously, as it would appear to have a few cost advantages and it would require less demolition at Euston.
As an engineer, who helped to develop the methods and software to build large projects, I believe that we can’t ignore the lessons of the biggest and most intelligent beast in the jungle; Crossrail.
Crossrail is setting new records for tunnelling proficiency, depth under London and project management. But as we experienced in the North Sea Oil industry in the 1970s, today’s big machines are dwarves compared to what will be available in a few years.
So the idea of linking HS2 to HS1 by means of tunnels and an underground station might be easier, than anybody would dare think using today’s technology. It could also go a lot deeper and just as Crossrail is diving under the Underground, it could probably dive deeper still.
Canary Wharf CrossRail Station
Coming home, I stopped off at West India Quay DLR station and took these pictures of the new CrossRail station at Canary Wharf.
Note Billingsgate Fish Market in the background. That was the setting for this BBC news item about a seal, who lives by the fish market.
What A Mistaker To Make!
The phrase borrowed from Hello hello, was a phrase that C and myself used to use, when we did something, which we construed as stupid.
When I come home from Canary Wharf, I usually use one of three routes.
1. I take the Jubilee line to London Bridge station and then get a 141 bus from the bus station.
2. I go just one stop on the Jubilee line to Canada Water station and then get the Overground to Dalston Junction station.
3. I get a 277 bus all of the way.
When I arrived at Canary Wharf, I ascertained the the bus station at London Bridge was still not working, so route one was not one to try, as I would have shopping with me and was in walk-avoidance mode.
The bus takes a few minutes longer, so I took the Canaqda Water route.
But I’d gambled without the knowledge that the Overground was shut at Whitechapel because of CrossRail.
On Sundays, you should always check and my mistake wasn’t to do this.
So I was turfed off the train at Shadwell station and advised to get the DLR to Bank. Which is what I did, taking the Northern line from there to Moorgate, from where I got the 141 bus, that I should have been able to get from London Bridge station.
In the grand scheme of things, it’s not a great inconvenience, but I’ll be glad when CrossRail is finished and lines are not shut down at the weekend.
The Anonymous Widower 