ELLX gets go-ahead
The London Mayor's announcement on the 12 October that the East London Line Extension (ELLX) is finally to go ahead is great news for this part of south-east London. Phase One of the project the part that matters to people living in and around Forest Hill and Sydenham is due to be completed by June 2010. It will extend the existing East London line south and north so that trains travel directly from West Croydon (or Crystal Palace) via a flyover at New Cross Gate onto the existing East London Line to Highbury and Islington in the north. It means that passengers at Sydenham and Forest Hill stations can enjoy the advantage of both overground and underground trains travelling from the same platforms.
Easier access to West End and Canary Wharf
The great advantage of the ELLX extension for local travellers is that by changing onto the Jubilee Line at Canada Water or the District Line at Whitechapel, they will be able to gain quicker and easier access to the West End, central London and the new city around Canary Wharf, without having to battle through London Bridge and Charing Cross railway stations.
Downside could cut access to London Bridge
Cynical readers won't be surprised to learn that with every improvement, there comes a downside. The fly in the ointment is that the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) would like to cut the number of overground trains (those running to London Bridge) from the current norm of six trains per hour to four trains per hour. The SRA want to free up the bottleneck of Norwood Junction and East Croydon so they can run more trains to Brighton and the South Coast.
This means that we would potentially gain six ELLX underground trains and have four (instead of six) existing overground trains, a total of ten trains in each direction per hour. But passengers travelling directly to London Bridge would have a poorer service (although they could use the ELLX, then change at New Cross Gate or Canada Water).
However, the good news is ten trains per hour in each direction instead of the existing six trains and the extra flexibility of having our very own tube line!
The SRA has issued a consultation paper on these changes and the Society will respond shortly.
Our Roads and Transport Committee's view is that we should press to retain the existing six trains per hour direct to London Bridge. If fewer trains can travel through Norwood Junction because it's a bottleneck, then why can't an extra train per hour travel to and from Crystal Palace instead? We'd very much welcome your views (see our contact details in the inside cover). Or join the debate on the Sydenham Town website
Autumn 2004
Easier access to West End and Canary Wharf
The great advantage of the ELLX extension for local travellers is that by changing onto the Jubilee Line at Canada Water or the District Line at Whitechapel, they will be able to gain quicker and easier access to the West End, central London and the new city around Canary Wharf, without having to battle through London Bridge and Charing Cross railway stations.
Downside could cut access to London Bridge
Cynical readers won't be surprised to learn that with every improvement, there comes a downside. The fly in the ointment is that the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) would like to cut the number of overground trains (those running to London Bridge) from the current norm of six trains per hour to four trains per hour. The SRA want to free up the bottleneck of Norwood Junction and East Croydon so they can run more trains to Brighton and the South Coast.
This means that we would potentially gain six ELLX underground trains and have four (instead of six) existing overground trains, a total of ten trains in each direction per hour. But passengers travelling directly to London Bridge would have a poorer service (although they could use the ELLX, then change at New Cross Gate or Canada Water).
However, the good news is ten trains per hour in each direction instead of the existing six trains and the extra flexibility of having our very own tube line!
The SRA has issued a consultation paper on these changes and the Society will respond shortly.
Our Roads and Transport Committee's view is that we should press to retain the existing six trains per hour direct to London Bridge. If fewer trains can travel through Norwood Junction because it's a bottleneck, then why can't an extra train per hour travel to and from Crystal Palace instead? We'd very much welcome your views (see our contact details in the inside cover). Or join the debate on the Sydenham Town website
Autumn 2004
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