Untangling The Knitting
I said in this post that due to good project management, I don’t believe that Crossrail 2 will get built as the planners think it should be now.
On the Great Northern branch, it is not just a question of choosing between New Southgate and Alexandra Palace as the terminus.
This branch will also be shared with two other services; Thameslink to the South of the Thames and the Northern City line into Moorgate.
Not only do you have the East Coast Main Line, but you have the Hertford Loop, going to Stevenage and the North.
To further complicate matters, you have the problem of the Digswell Viaduct and the possibility of the East West Rail Link going through the area.
I think the only certainty is that Crossrail 2 will be the catalyst that pushes the engineers to find a brilliant but unexpected solution.
In fact, I think from a logical point of view the problem of the Digswell Viaduct and the associated double-track section should be solved first, as it could be the key key that unlocks everything.
After all, if the line was four tracks all the way to Stevenage ans possibly even Peterborough, it would give the train companies all sorts of options about where to terminate suburban services out of London.
If there was more capacity on this section of the East Cosast Main Line, I’m sure that the train companies would find plenty of innovating ways to use it.
The Anonymous Widower 