please empty your brain below

As another former ultra-local resident I'm with you on this DG. This link has been mooted for two generations; maybe in our lifetimes we'll finally see the thing being built!

Hope you enjoy the walk - have been pondering going myself but I've recently read that it's very overgrown now.

An alternative idea for Watford North Curve would be to convert Chesham to London Overground and run trains from Chesham to Watford Junction, at a stroke solving all the problems of splitting the current London service between Chesham and Amersham

It's an interesting (and I suspect viable) idea, Max. But it'd be an odd route for the London Overground, given that none of it's actually in London.

Was the link you were looking for http://londonreconnections.blogspot.com/2011/02/croxley-rail-link-added-to-dft-funding.html ?

dg writes: Yup, now updated, thanks.

And as for this "join me tomorrow"... is there a guided walk in the works, or did you just mean "read tomorrow's blog post"?

The Croxley Green branch was itself a branch, off the LNWR line to Rickmansworth Church Street, electrified but closed in the mid-fifties - that is now a cycle path over most of its length.

There is a campaign from locals to keep watford Met open, based on hardship of people living or going to school in the immediate vicinity, despite
1. the new stations being less than 300 yards away, and giving access eastwards as well as westwards.
2. most of the area which is closer to Watford Met than the new or existing stations is in fact the very Cassiobury Park whose preservation prevented the extension to central Watford. Anyone actually living in the park is probably unlikely to be able to afford tube fares!
3. Much of the housing in the immediate area went up in the past few years - the extension proposals have been in the air for decades. If their owners didn't know of the proposals to close the station, their conveyancing solicitors haven't been doing their job!

The walking distance from Watford Met to the nearest replacement station would be more like 1300 yards, not 300. But I agree, more West Watford houses would gain than lose if the new link were built.

Here's more from the "Save Watford Met" campaign:
blog
Twitter
vicious series of comments, pro- and anti-, on a local newspaper article

My mistake - 1.2km according to the official website. I'm sure 300m was mentioned somewhere - perhaps it''s the extra distance the Watford Grammar School boys would have to walk?

The "Save Watford Met" campaigners always include figures for people who currently walk across Cassiobury Park to get there - but for most of them Watford Junction or Watford High Street is nearer. They are only using Watford Met because there is no service to Ricky, the Chalfonts etc from Wat Jt/HS. Conversely, Watford West will be much more use than Watford Met is for anyone wanting to go to St Albans, Milton Keynes etc

Great article DG. Well done on your research and information.
TFL should be promoting your website!
Not only is your information more up to date and informative it also provides something that is sorely missing in modern day living...common sense.
Keep up the good work.











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