Silvertown Tunnel: Cracks In Mayoral Policies
The title of this post, is the same as that, as this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
It is an infrastructure project that is well-underway with the boring almost completed — but it has a very low profile.
These three paragraphs possibly explain why.
Every step of the Crossrail tunnelling, the media were invited along. Not so with this project.
This is Silvertown Tunnel. It is more than 1km long and will be London’s first road tunnel in over 30 years.
Perhaps one of the reasons it isn’t being pushed publicity-wise, is it is very controversial.
Reading the rest of the article it certainly is controversial in many people’s minds.
These are my thoughts.
Avoiding The Dartford Crossing
When I drove back to Suffolk from Gatwick, Kent or Sussex, in the last century, because of congestion at the Dartford Crossing, I would sometimes cut through London and use the Blackwall Tunnel, when I thought it would be quicker.
When the Silvertown Tunnel opens, this could be a viable alternative for vehicles.
My experience of modelling flows, tells me, that water finds its own level. With driving, Satellite Navigation will be able to tell drivers, which will be the fastest route.
It is my view, that the Silvertown Tunnel will become the biggest rat-run in London.
Except some of these rats will be super-rats in 45-tonne HGVs.
Cutting Pollution In London
If super-rat-running is going to happen, then this will raise pollution in Central London, with all those heavy trucks going through.
The only way to cut pollution would be to have differential pricing for vehicles in the tunnels.
Perhaps hydrogen and electric vehicles should be at a discount.
But then Sadiq Khan doesn’t have a hydrogen policy, except to ignore it and hope it goes away.
The Elizabeth Line Effect
Talking to Elizabeth Line staff at Whitechapel station, they feel that there is an increasing number of passengers, who do journeys in East London on an up-one-branch-down-t’other basis between places like Ilford and Woolwich.
I believe, that other cross-river railways and the Bank station improvements, will also take passengers out of their cars, which will free up the Silvertown Tunnel for more HGVs.
A City Airport Station On The Elizabeth Line
I wrote about this in Thoughts On London City Airport And The Elizabeth Line.
How many cars would this remove from the tunnels under the Thaames?
Silvertown Tunnel Works – 26th June 2023
I took these pictures of the Silvertown Tunnel works on the North Bank of the Thames today.
I went on to Woolwich, did some shopping and then took the Elizabeth Line to Whitechapel to come home.
Effects Of The ULEZ In West London
This page on the Transport for London web site is entitled ULEZ Expansion 2023.
This is the first paragraph.
To help clear London’s air and improve health, the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is expanding across all London boroughs from 29 August 2023.
These are some points from the rest of the page.
- Poor air quality is impacting the health of Londoners, and it’s mainly caused by polluting vehicles.
- Air pollution even contributes to the premature death of thousands of Londoners every year.
- 9 out of 10 cars seen driving in outer London already meet the ULEZ emissions standards.
- If you drive anywhere within the ULEZ and your vehicle does not meet the emissions standards, you could face a daily charge of £12.50.
- Residents of the ULEZ are not exempt from the charge.
- Any money received from the scheme is reinvested into running and improving London’s transport network, such as expanding bus routes in outer London.
There is no reference to trucks or HGVs.
These are my thoughts.
Objections To The ULEZ
If you type ULEZ into Google and look at the News page, you get a lot of stories that don’t show the ULEZ in a good light.
Here are a few headlines.
- BBC – ULEZ: Labour MPs Seek Support For Non-Londoners
- BBC – Firms In Essex Could Close Due To ULEZ, Warns Business Leader
- Big Issue – London’s Ulez Plans Could Hit Disabled People, Charities And Small Businesses The Hardest
- Daily Mail – Sadiq Khan Claims That Nazis Have Infiltrated Anti-Ulez Protests
- Guardian – EU Motorist Fined Almost £11,000 After Falling Foul Of London Ulez Rule
- Guardian – London’s Mayor Faces High Court Challenge Over Ulez Expansion
- Kent Live – Anti-ULEZ Campaign Group Support Soars As Kent Drivers ‘Unfairly Targeted’
- LBC – No More Ulez? Sadiq Khan Considers Scrapping Controversial Scheme And Replacing It With ‘Pay-As-You-Drive’ System
- Slough Observer – Ulez Faces High Court Challenge
- Which? – Why It Could Cost £17.50 To Drop A Loved One At Heathrow This Summer
It looks like Sadiq Khan has fallen into a hole.
And he hasn’t stopped digging!
To make it worse, he has suggested a Pay-As-You-Drive System. I seem to remember, that a Dutch Prime Minister, who tried it, lost the next election.
But then Sadiq Khan likes tolls as the new Silvertown Tunnel and the Blackwall Tunnel will be tolled in a few years.
Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport is one of the world’s busiest airports and 76,000 people work at the airport, with many more employed nearby.
The airport handled 61.6 million passengers in 2022, which is a few short of 170,000 per day.
If you consider that those that work at the airport do two trips per day and passengers generally do one, that means there are 322,000 trips per day to or from the airport.
But as it now so easy to get to the Airport using the Elizabeth Line will more people use the new line to meet and greet and say goodbye to loved ones or business associates. Since the Elizabeth Line opened, I’ve met a couple of friends at Heathrow, who were passing through.
I wonder, if that daily journey total of 322,000 could be nearer to 350,000 or even 400,000.
If the ULEZ charge makes some passengers and staff switch from their car to using a bus or train, this probably means that public transport to and from the airport, will need to be boosted by a substantial amount.
But improving public transport to Heathrow wouldn’t be easy.
- The Elizabeth Line seems to have put a big hole in the finances of Heathrow Express.
- How many more trains can be squeezed into the Heathrow Tunnel?
- The Western Rail Link to Heathrow would probably need to be built. But that seems to be in limbo.
- New trains for the Piccadilly Line are a few years away.
It might have been better to build a different scheme for Western access to Heathrow like the Heathrow Southern Railway.
I suspect that there will be a lot more passengers on the Elizabeth Line to and from Heathrow.
A ULEZ For Heathrow
This article on fleetworld, from four years ago, is entitled Heathrow To Introduce Charging ULEZ In 2022.
It hasn’t happened, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be implemented in the future.
If it did happen, there would be more passengers for the Elizabeth Line.
The Elizabeth Line
I have written three posts about how busy the Western section of the Elizabeth Line can get.
- Very Busy Lizzie
- Elizabeth Line: Commuters Say Service ‘Not What Was Promised’
- So Many Cases On A Train!
Is there sufficient capacity to accommodate all the ULEZ-dodgers on the trains to and from Heathrow?
To make matters worse, there is a large Asian population from the Indian sub-continent living along the Elizabeth Line between Ealing Broadway and Reading.
- They seem to be enthusiastic users of the line.
- Having ridden several times on crowded Indian trains, perhaps using trains is very much part of South Asian culture.
- I also suspect that a lot of Indian families have spread themselves along the line, just like my mother’s close family spread themselves along the 107 bus route.
In Very Busy Lizzie, I said this.
Reading needs four tph to Central London.
The ULEZ will make this even more essential.
The Piccadilly Line
The Piccadilly Line may be getting new trains, but it is not a line that is blessed with lots of step-free stations.
The West London Orbital Railway
It does appear that the West London Orbital Railway may be more likely to be built, than a few months ago.
In Is There Progress On The West London Orbital Railway?, I wrote about a report, that consultants were being chosen.
This railway could ease pressure on the railways in West London.
Cutting Pollution In London From Trucks
London like all big cities has a lot of trucks.
As the average truck has a much larger engine than the average car, I would suspect it gives out more pollution.
One way to cut pollution from large vehicles would be to run them on hydrogen.
But unlike some cities in the UK, London has no hydrogen policy and filling stations to fill them up.
The Mayor could at least get a workable hydrogen policy.
Conclusion
I suspect the next Mayor of London will have to have a rethink on the ULEZ and implement a hydrogen policy.
Silvertown Tunnel Works – 21st February 2023
I took these pictures of the Silvertown Tunnel works on the North Bank of the Thames today.
The first set of pictures were taken travelling to West Silvertown station, where I returned.
Should There Be Limits To The Type Of Vehicles Allowed In The Blackwall And Silvertown Tunnels?
When the Silvertown Tunnel opens in 2025, the tunnel and the nearby Blackwall Tunnel will be tolled.
But will there be any restrictions on the vehicles that can use the tunnels, other than those that apply to the Blackwall Tunnel at the present time, which are detailed in Wikipedia.
The tunnels are no longer open to pedestrians, cyclists or other non-motorised traffic, and the northbound tunnel has a 4.0-metre (13.1 ft) height limit.
Note.
- I suspect that pedestrians, cyclists or other non-motorised traffic will also be banned from the Silverton Tunnel.
- But the height limit will be relaxed for the Silverton Tunnel to allow large trucks and double-deck buses to use the tunnel.
According to this web page, which is entitled the Silvertown Tunnel Bus Network Proposals, the planned buses through the tunnel include.
- 108 – As now, with a minor route change.
- 129 – As now, but extended from North Greenwich station to Great Eastern Quay.
- X329 – An express bus from Grove Park station to Canary Wharf, which runs non-stop through the Silvertown Tunnel.
Note.
- The 108 goes through Blackwall and is a single decker bus.
- The 129 and the X329 will go through Silvertown and could be double decker buses.
- There appears to be no mention of any provision for cycles.
- I would assume wheelchairs, buggies and cases will be accommodated as they are on current London buses.
I also think, that the buses must be zero-carbon, which would mean battery-electric or hydrogen.
In Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles And Trains In Tunnels, I looked at the feasibility of running hydrogen buses through the tunnel and came to this conclusion.
I am confident, that we will achieve a safety regime, that allows hydrogen-powered vehicles and trains to be certified to pass through tunnels.
The great advantage of hydrogen buses on the three routes would be that they would probably only need to be filled up once a day, but electric buses might need constant charging.
Provision For Cycles
I think it is essential to have provision for cycles across the river.
- Folded cycles can be taken almost anywhere on London’s transport system.
- Non-folding cycles can be taken most places on London’s transport system, but the hours are restricted.
- There’s always the Woolwich Ferry.
- Given that the 108 bus seems to weave its way through the East End, I suspect that this bus couldn’t be longer to carry cycles.
I have seen double-deck buses, with provision for cycles at the back of the lower deck in Europe.
- Perhaps buses like these, could be used on the 129 and X329 routes.
- A search of the Internet found some buses in East Yorkshire with provision for two standard cycles.
- The 129 bus could ferry bikes between North Greenwich station and a convenient stop on the North side of the river.
- The X329 bus could ferry bikes over the non-stop section of the route between the Sun in the Sands and Leamouth roundabouts.
There could be shorter routes adding extra capacity between the stops, where bikes are loaded and unloaded.
Large Trucks Through The Tunnel
If buses become zero-carbon through the Blackwall and Silverton Tunnels, then why shouldn’t large trucks be zero-carbon?
I think this could be the carrot combined with free passage for zero-carbon vehicles that could clean up Central London’s polluted air.
Smaller Vehicles
Why not gradually reduce the size of vehicles going through the tunnels that must be zero-carbon?
Conclusion
The Silvertown and Blackwall Tunnels can be used as the drivers to clean up Central London’s air.
Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles And Trains In Tunnels
In writing about the Silvertown Tunnel, I started to wonder, if hydrogen vehicles will be allowed in the tunnel.
Consider.
- I don’t think diesel-powered trains are allowed in the Channel Tunnel and the tunnels of the link to London.
- Some tunnels don’t seem to allow hydrogen-powered vehicles.
- In a few years, hydrogen-powered buses, cars, locomotives, trains, trucks and vans will be more common, than they are today.
But help is at hand, with a co-operation between UK and EU agencies called HyTunnel-CS.
It is over fifty years now, since I worked as an instrument engineer in an ICI hydrogen factory at Runcorn. Truckloads of hydrogen were filled and despatched all over the UK. I may be wrong, but in all those intervening years, I can’t remember a hydrogen emergency on the UK’s roads.
I am confident, that we will achieve a safety regime, that allows hydrogen-powered vehicles and trains to be certified to pass through tunnels.
Silvertown Tunnel Bus Network Proposals
This web page is the Silvertown Tunnel Bus Network Proposals.
These proposals are made.
- A new high frequency, limited stop service between Grove Park and Canary Wharf referred to in this consultation as route X239
- To extend route 129 (Lewisham – North Greenwich) north across the river to Great Eastern Quay via the Royal Docks development zone
- A minor change to route 108 so that it uses the new Millennium Way slip road to exit the Blackwall Tunnel southbound
- We are also seeking your views on route options for three sections of routes 129 and X239.
It looks like route 108 will continue to use the current stop.
The proposals include this map.
I copied this map from the TfL web site, as they don’t provide one for people who want or need to use it.
These are my observations.
The 108 Bus
The 108 seems to be more or less as now and will be continue to be run by a single-decker bus, as double-decker buses can’t use the Blackwall Tunnel.
North of the Thames, the 108 calls at these stations.
- Stratford International for DLR and National Rail.
- Stratford for DLR, Central, Elizabeth and Jubilee Lines, and National Rail.
- Bow Church for DLR
- Devons Road for DLR
- Langdon Park for the DLR
- Bazely Street (All Saints) for DLR
South of the Thames, the 108 calls at these stations.
- North Greenwich for the Jubilee Line.
- Westcombe Park for National Rail
- Blackheath for National Rail
- Lewisham for DLR and National Rail
Note.
- It is possible to go between Lewisham and Stratford on the DLR with a change at Canary Wharf.
- It is possible to go between North Greenwich and Stratford on the Jubilee Line.
- Westcombe Park station is on the Greenwich Line.
I would wonder, if many people use this bus route for long distances.
The 129 Bus
Note.
- The 129 appears to connect Lewisham and Greenwich to the City Airport and the Becton branch of the DLR.
- Many journeys on the 129 bus, might be easier using the DLR, with a change at Westferry or Poplar, which is probably what travellers do now.
- The 129 bus is shown on the map with a stop at Silvertown. Does that mean that it could connect with a Silvertown station on the Elizabeth Line?
- As the 129 bus will pass through the larger Silvertown Tunnel, it could be a double-decker route, instead of the current single-decker.
North of the Thames, the 129 calls at these stations.
- Gallions Reach for the DLR
- Beckton for the DLR
- Royal Albert for the DLR
- London City Airport for the DLR
- Silvertown
- Pontoon Dock for the DLR
- West Silvertown for the DLR
South of the Thames, the 129 calls at these stations.
- North Greenwich for the Jubilee Line.
- Cutty Sark for DLR
- Greenwich for DLR and National Rail
- Lewisham for DLR and National Rail
Would improvements and a frequency increase to the DLR and the building of Silvertown station, mean that changes to the 129 bus route, would not be so important?
The X329 Bus
Note.
- Canary Wharf must be served and starting at Westferry Circus is probably a good choice.
- But is Grove Park station, the ideal Southern terminal?
- Not stopping the X329 bus at North Greenwich is probably correct, as North Greenwich station is a large Jubilee Line and bus interchange close to the O2.
North of the Thames, the X329 calls at these stations.
- Canary Wharf for DLR and Elizabeth and Jubilee Lines
South of the Thames, the X329 calls at these stations.
- Blackheath for National Rail
- Lee for National Rail
- Grove Park for National Rail
Note.
- Blackheath station is on the Bexleyheath and North Kent Lines.
- Lee station is on the Dartford Loop Line.
- Grove Park station is on the South Eastern Man Line.
- Grove Park has a bus station, where there could be space for a battery charger for electric buses.
The X329 seems to have been partly designed on the premise, that an express bus should be run through the Silvertown Tunnel. But it does connect four of the rail lines going into London terminals to Canary Wharf.
Silvertown Station For London City Airport
Silvertown station would more than double the number of stations with easy routes to the London City Airport.
The Elizabeth Line would enable the direct connection that is needed to Canary Wharf, the City of London, Heathrow, Liverpool Street and Paddington stations and the West End.
- A single change at Abbey Wood, would give access to much of Kent.
- A single change at Farringdon, would give access to Thameslink services and Gatwick and Luton airports.
- Around 2030, a single change at Old Oak Common, would give access to High Speed Two services.
- A single change at Paddington, would give access to Wales and West services.
- A single change at Whitechapel, would give access to the great circle of the London Overground.
I believe the case for a Silvertown station with at least a good walking route to the London City Airport is strong, and the station would be a marvellous asset for Silvertown and the Airport.
The Northern End Of The Silvertown Tunnel From The DLR To Woolwich Arsenal – 6th January 2023
I took these pictures of the Northern end of the Silvertown Tunnel from DLR trains to and from Woolwich Arsenal.
Note.
- The New London City Hall and the Cable Car in the background.
- All pictures were taken going to Woolwich.
The pictures are better than the earlier ones, which I may retire.
The Northern End Of The Silvertown Tunnel
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the Northern end of the Silvertown Tunnel.
Note.
- The two dotted white lines show the route of the Silvertown Tunnel.
- The green lines are the Docklands Light Railway.
- The Northern green line is the Beckton branch.
- The Southern green line is the Woolwich Arsenal branch.
- The two silver-grey lines that loop across the top part of the map are the Jubilee Line.
- Canning Town Station is in the North-West corner of the map.
- The pair of cream lines across the map to the South of Canning Town station are the tunnels of the Elizabeth Line.
- The black dotted line going across the South-East corner of the map is the cable car.
This Google Map shows vaguely the same area.
Note.
- Canning Town station at the North of the map in the middle.
- The dual carriage road running NW-SE past Canning Town station, is numbered A1011 in the North-West and A1020 in the South-East.
- The A1011 crosses over a roundabout and the Beckton branch of the DLR on a flyover.
- The roundabout is the Tidal Basin Roundabout, which will be the Northern connection of the Silvertown Tunnel.
- The road running West from the roundabout is the Lower Lea Crossing, which leads to Canary Wharf and the City.
- The water to the right, is the Royal Victoria Dock.
- The Royal Docks cable car station can be seen in the North-West corner of the dock.
- The new City Hall is between the cable car and the A1011.
Comparing the two maps, it appears that the Silvertown Tunnel will emerge somewhere in the cleared land to the West of the A1011.
This second Google Map shows the Tidal Basin roundabout, City Hall and the Royal Docks cable car station.
I took these pictures of the area from the cable-car yesterday.
Note.
- The cable-car wasn’t busy.
- I was sitting alone on the Western side of the car.
I have some thoughts about the Silvertown Tunnel.
The Silvertown Tunnel Is Convenient For The New City Hall
From the Google Map, I included earlier, it looks like City Hall is on a loop from the Tidal Basin Roundabout.
it is also especially convenient for those members and officials who live in South London, who will just nip through the new tunnel.
I suspect that limousine access for the great and good to the old City Hall wasn’t as good.
The Obvious Truck Route To The City of London From the Channel Tunnel Will Be To Use The Silverton Tunnel
Recently. I have been watching the construction of 22 Ropemaker Street and I have surprised at how many large components for this building have come in by truck from Europe.
As they seem to arrive overnight, they are probably sneaked in by a secret route like the A13 to avoid a crossing of the River.
As Blackwall and Rotherhithe Tunnels don’t have a high clearance, could these components come into City through the Silvertown Tunnel.
I certainly feel that large truck access to Central London, is the major reason for building the Silvertown Tunnel.
But will large numbers of trucks using the Silverton Tunnel increase congestion on the roads in East London?
As Hackney and Newham are against the Silvertown Tunnel, I suspect they expect lots of traffic to be generated.
Will Satellite Navigation Systems Recommend Using The Silvertown Tunnel?
Of course they will and I suspect when the Northern section of the M25 is congested, vehicles will be sent through the Silvertown Tunnel and London to go North. I must admit, that my brain has sent me on that route to get through London, when the M25 is congested. But then I would generally have been driving a nippy Jaguar estate car, that could use Rotherhithe Tunnel or the bridges in Central London.
The Southern End Of The Silvertown Tunnel
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the Southern end of the Silvertown Tunnel.
Note.
- The O2 Arena at the top of the map in the middle.
- The blue arrow below it, which indicates North Greenwich station.
- The two dotted white lines show the route of the Silvertown Tunnel.
- The two silver-grey lines that loop across the top part of the map are the Jubilee Line.
- The black dotted line between the Jubilee Line and the Silvertown Tunnel is the cable car.
This second OpenRailwayMap shows the Silvertown Tunnel’s junction with the approach to the Blackwall Tunnel.
Note.
- The two dotted white lines show the route of the Silvertown Tunnel.
- Studio 338, which is a music and arts venue, is indicated by the double quaver.
- The site to the North of Studio 338 is labelled the East Greenwich Gas Works.
- The roads to the Northbound tunnel bores of both tunnels, split to the West of Studio 338.
- The roads from the Northbound tunnel bores of both tunnels, join to the West of Studio 338.
This Google Map shows the same area as the previous map.
Note.
- Studio 338 is clearly marked.
- To its North is a circular structure on the site labelled as the East Greenwich Gas Works on the previous map.
- Could this be the remains of a gas holder?
Could it be that the works to the West of the circular structure are the start of tunneling?
Conclusion
It looks to me, that the designers of the Silvertown Tunnel have been able to squeeze in a junction between the approaches to the two tunnels, that should be fairly free-flowing.
The Anonymous Widower 