please empty your brain below
I do agree that an extension to Clapham Junction seems logical but considering there is already rail from Queenstown Road and Waterloo to Clapham Junction should we not be looking at using our entire rail network when planning a journey and interchanging? I'm not so sure Londoners yet embrace the full rail National Rail component of the PAYG/Travelcard network coverage when making journey choices beyond of their home commute, especially when there is nearby Tube access, even if it is more inconvenient.
When I first read about the extension, I looked at it on a map and thought, great, that's a Victoria line intechange, because changing at Stockwell, backing up to Kennington and changing there is just plain dumb, and it's only a spit away from a National Rail hook up. *sigh*
And here are some nice photos taken just along the road from Brixton station a few years ago.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/files/2011/04/article-1052881-044DB9B90000044D-204_468x286.jpg
http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/dynamic/00596/Brixton_Riots_1_pol_596214s.jpg
Britain is broke. There is no money. Previous governmints working in more affluent times have failed to provide the investment into the infrastructure that is needed today.
I don't know what the answer is, though... except that it's a good job big business has more of an idea about planning for future growth than the last governmint ever did.
Yep Labour was utterly useless with infrastructure improvements across the country. Rolling in money for 13 years (albeit carelessly) and very little to show for it. The only hope is devolution, and the ability of local politicians to raise finance to construct projects through bonds. Thankfully London has a mayor and TfL, even if the mayors power is too limited. It's a lot worse elsewhere in the country. Central Govt of all colours generally doesn't care about infrastructure and long term planning. Thameslink and Crossrail have taken decades of struggle.
Wikipedia any mid size city in Europe and you'll see trams being built, underground lines etc. Far more than in the UK.
Also wasn't most of the tube built by private companies. A lot of the Suburban extensions were built to fuel development.
The problem with the Queenstown road and Battersea is that those trains per hour you mention are not all on the same route. They are in fact made up half a dozen different routes. So from South London a lot of stations may only have half hourly service to Queenstown road. From Central London you have to interchange from the Tube to the Station(allow 10 to 15 mins) and then hunt the departure board for which platform then next train is leaving from.
Not the end of the World, but a single high frequency route with 28 trains an hour all leaving from the same platform, straight in to the heart of the West End, is an entirely different kettle of Fish.
This line will also be a test for Tax Increment Financing, where local Government, borrows against future tax revenues derived from future property development and all those business rates. It's fairly common in the States, but new here.
If it works expect the Barkerloo line extension down the Old Kent Road to Lewisham to be strong contender. There are a lot of industrial estates along there.
A clear and logical network with relatively simple service patterns and put on a decent map could transform people's use of the network. You have to see what has happened with London Overground so far to see what might be achieved.
There is a balance to be struck between omitting useful information and making the map too busy, but would add the following to the tube map to plug the biggest gaps - in particular where two tube/OG/DLR stations are linked by a more direct Network Rail service.
1. Liverpool Street to Walthamstow/Tottenham Hale/Seven Sisters
2 Moorgate to Finsbury Park
3. Elephant/London Bridge to West Hampstead
4. Paddington to Ealing Bdy (- Heathrow?)
5. Waterloo - CJ - Richmond
6. Waterloo - CJ - Wimbledon
7. Victoria - CJ- Balham - Crystal Palace - West Croydon
8. Cannon Street - Greenwich - Woolwich
9. Charing Cross- Lewisham
10. London Bridge - NXG
I have omitted services with poor frequency, such as Elephant - Wimbledon, Richmond - Wimbledon, Marylebone - West Ruislip, Stratford Tottenham Hale.
What bit of "There's No Money Left" don't you understand London?
I'm not sure which railway stations in London have trains every three minutes. Also, this proposed Tube extension is being funded privately.
It would be nice to see improvements to the transport system outside London as well - people should campaign for it.
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