NEW TRAIN SERVICES, FULL STEAM AHEAD?

Michael Abrahams, from our transport sub-committee, explains how three major rail projects that are already in hand, and a fourth under consideration, could affect us.


Crossrail (see right) will provide fast connections in an East-West direction across central London. For passengers from Forest Hill the interchange at Whitechapel (on the East London Line) will provide good connections to the West End, Paddington, West London and Heathrow.
Thameslink trains are expected to run a stopping service including our stations, allowing direct travel to Blackfriars, Kings Cross, and further north. This could be a half-hourly service during morning peak, extending two existing services into London Bridge.

DLR recently published a map (see below) showing proposed extensions to the East (to Dagenham), to the West (Victoria and Euston), and to the South (Catford and, taking us by surprise, Forest Hill).

The configuration of railway tracks and roads South of Lewisham is a challenge, beyond Catford is more problematic - elevated above or underneath the South Circular, or through houses.
Another option may be terminating at Bell Green rather than Forest Hill, which could be part of the regeneration of the area. We are already well served for Canary Wharf and beyond.

Finally, the East London Line phase 2 project is an important new service for Southwark residents, complimenting phase 1 taking us to Canada Water, Shoreditch, and now Highbury & Islington.

Michael will be explaining how we hope to influence the Bakerloo line extension in our next edition.

DLR Extension to Forest Hill?

According to London Reconnections, TfL Planning is now developing five Sub Regional Transport Plans which propose projects which can deliver the Mayor's Transport Strategy in each of North, East, South, West and Central London. These proposals include a number of DLR schemes to improve connectivity and capacity to Docklands.

One of these schemes includes bringing the DLR from Lewisham to Catford and on to Forest Hill. While the idea of going to Catford is a relatively old one (it appeared in Horizon 2020, a previous proposal on which these options are based), the surprise addition is the idea of DLR coming to Forest Hill. Catford is an obvious choice for a DLR extension and it would follow a disused railway line which would provide new journey opportunities and numerous benefits to the Hayes line and the Catford loop.

There are no details of what route the DLR would take from Catford, but a solution at ground level or involving a viaduct does not seem very attractive whereas a tunnel would be very expensive. While all four proposals had a BCR exceeding 2.0:1 (which means that the scheme should be built), this option has the lowest BCR of the four proposals and so is probably least likely to go ahead.

The other three proposed extensions are Gallions Reach to Dagenham Dock, Bank to St Pancras and Bank to Victoria.