please empty your brain below
Another interestin post, but he pedant in me has to point out that:

- Denham is inside the M25, so even if the Central Line had got that far it would still only cross the M25 once.

- Outside peak hours Chiltern Trains from West Ruislip are very regular - once an hour: what they are not is frequent.

timbo | 07.03.13 - 7:59 a.m. | #

Given that the Central Line was there first, doesn't the M25 cross it, rather than vice versa?

Sarah | Homepage | 07.03.13 - 9:12 a.m. | #

The U9 in para 3) runs every 20 mins, not hourly (the U10 - in para 4) - is hourly). I don't believe the U9 is 'hail and ride' over that section, but I stand to be corrected. To continue the pedantic theme, as the railway was there first, it would be more correct to say "the only tube line to be crossed by the M25 twice". As it is, the Central is the only Underground line to be crossed by motorways twice.... (was 3 times !)

Paul | 07.03.13 - 9:26 a.m. | #

My 'mutterings' from 2006 still stand - diverting the Central line to Uxbridge would provide balancing traffic for the end of the line in a way that stopping near Ickenham does not. Unfortunately it'll never happen - TfL won't pay for it and LB Hillingdon can't afford it.

THC | 07.03.13 - 10:20 a.m. | #

OK - I'll bite - the Central used to cross motorways five times, when the East Cross Route was the A102(M) and the Westway was the A40(M). (It narrowly misses the West Cross Route at Shepherds Bush)

The only other Underground line which used to cross more than one motorway was the Metropolitan, when the H&C was part of the Met and the West Cross Route was still a motorway.

| 07.03.13 - 10:30 a.m. | #

.....and for the record the Northern (M1) and Picadilly (M4), and historically the Bakerloo (A40(M)), are the only other Underground lines to be crossed by motorways.

The Newcastle Metro and Glasgow "Clockwork Orange" are each crossed twice by, respectively, the A167(M) and M8

timbo | 07.03.13 - 10:47 a.m. | #

Challenge of the day: find DG's best ever use of "The war came along and interrupted things".

Karen | Homepage | 07.03.13 - 10:51 a.m. | #

Near Harefield Road station, there's a railway junction that leads south towards Uxbridge.
Did this line link up with the Piccadilly Line there?

Karl, Dover | 07.03.13 - 12:48 p.m. | #

Regarding the Uxbridge station I checked your Streetmap link for Harefield Road. I notice just to the west of this is a now removed railway junction (marked Dismtd Rly on the map) which appears to show a junction for the track to turn south and head for Uxbridge. If that link were restored it would appear to provide a way to extend the Central Line to Uxbridge without closing West Ruislip and it looks like the line used to terminate to the west of the river, so a new station could be built in Uxbridge to serve this route thereby also solving the issue of whether Uxbridge station could hold the additional trains. I doubt restoring the line and opening a new station would be cheap so I doubt it will happen.

Jon Combe | 07.03.13 - 12:50 p.m. | #

Ah, just found that the line went to Uxbridge High Street station.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uxbridge_
High_Street

Karl, Dover | 07.03.13 - 12:57 p.m. | #

Jon Combe and Karl - try this link from District Dave for me information on the old lines to Uxbridge
http://www.districtdavesforum.co.uk/thread/21077/central-line-uxbridge

Whiff | 07.03.13 - 1:24 p.m. | #

Skip Lane, mentioned in the post, is actually a section of the dismantled railway, isn't it.

Greg S. | 07.03.13 - 2:36 p.m. | #

Any joint operation of the Central, Metropolitan and Piccadilly Lines to Uxbridge will need to be dual-fitted with both the forthcoming new Sub-Surface signalling system and the existing Central Line kit. Good luck with that I say.

Kim | 07.03.13 - 2:44 p.m. | #

West Ruislip as built:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24772733@N05/6983973320/in/set-72157606206205176/

Kim | 07.03.13 - 2:47 p.m. | #

If Uxbridge can't cope with all three, would we see a reduction in the Picadilly service beyond Rayners Lane?

And what would be needed to mollify the good people of West Ruislip if their service is taken away from them? (Look at the arguments raised by the denizens of Cassiobury over the proposed closure of Watford Met)

timbo | 07.03.13 - 4:45 p.m. | #

Blimey, interesting stuff.

Late-arriving readers, who may be wondering where the motorway bit of today's post is, should note I've just re-edited that sentence.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 07.03.13 - 5:26 p.m. | #

There was a short-lived station at the site of Harefield Road - South Harefield Halt was open form 1925 to 1932.

Stephen Bird | 07.03.13 - 5:40 p.m. | #

I was going to say the central leaves Greater London twice, but in fact the junction north of Woodford is just inside the GL boundary so the Essex section is all in one piece, even if you need to eneter GL to get from Chigwell to Epping

| 07.03.13 - 10:35 p.m. | #











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