please empty your brain below
It's worth pointing out that London gets what London wants. We've been waiting for new stations in some parts of the north for generations without so much as a sniff.

Doktorb | 09.12.23 - 7:11 a.m. | #

Yes, London’s done very well of late, sorry. But it doesn’t get what it wants, as today’s post hopefully demonstrates.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 09.12.23 - 7:40 a.m. | #

An interesting round up. London badly needs lots of new housing. New railway stations are the best key available to unlock large available sites.

Rod | 09.12.23 - 7:53 a.m. | #

A couple of comments:
- a friend was a non-executive on the Crossrail board. She says that the delivery team were in complete denial about delivering the project on time - not so much lying as delusional. The only option was to clear most of them out, although arguably the board left it much too late to do so.
- on the “flashy station on the edge of a godforsaken building site” thing. Experts are always saying that infrastructure should precede development, as it does in other countries. The fact that early visitors arrive in a wasteland is an inevitable consequence of this, and shouldn’t be complained about.

Baldassaro | 09.12.23 - 7:53 a.m. | #

Infrastructure usually predates development. Although in different times politically and economically, I was amazed when first reading of the Piccadilly line extension to Cockfosters that those familiar stations were built in largely open countryside.

Frank F | 09.12.23 - 9:00 a.m. | #

In my experience of working life (far removed from the world of rail), those in high places had an epic capacity to insulate themselves from inconvenient truths.

cau1khead | 09.12.23 - 9:23 a.m. | #

New stations in London in the last five years, you say? Wot no Meridian Water?!

dg writes: arguably just a replacement, but added, thanks.

Rob | 09.12.23 - 10:23 a.m. | #

We've done well in the last five years because these stations were proposed in 1485. Anything proposed now may materialize in the 26th century.

daveid76 | 09.12.23 - 10:24 a.m. | #

Tumps? Ahh, tumps: "hills with a drop of 30 metres or more on all sides". Every day's a school day.

miker | 09.12.23 - 10:35 a.m. | #

Let there at least be funding for new rolling stock for London (at the best possible price), protecting jobs in railway manufacturing outside London.

e.g. Extra carriages/trainsets for Lizzie, to support growth--including HS2 passengers from OOC, and future route expansion; a continuous steady paced build of New Tube for London to replace trains on other lines, maybe extra trainsets for Overground to build up a modest excess for launch of WLO if that eventually gets funding

MilesT | 09.12.23 - 10:49 a.m. | #

Superloop and perhaps the Thamesmead 'bus rapid transit' (probably nowhere near proper BRT) are the only things to come it seems in the next 5 years.

matthieu1221 | 09.12.23 - 12:38 p.m. | #

Meridian Water may have been a replacement for Angel Road, but the extra track and extra services has lead to a massive rebuild of the adjacent area.
Another example of build it and they will come, with even moretocome in the future.

John | 09.12.23 - 12:52 p.m. | #

Initially the public footbridge over the railway at Brent Cross West will be a massive benefit of the scheme, even if few people use the station.

Mikey C | 09.12.23 - 1:03 p.m. | #

I've just picked up a new tube map that shows Brent Cross West. I assume they weren't meant to be put out before tomorrow!

dg writes: officially released today.

ap | 09.12.23 - 1:14 p.m. | #

That angel-of-death statue on the Surrey Canal Road -- the wings are made out of car wings -- appeared mysteriously at the end of last summer. It looked better before it was graffitied, obviously. I haven't found anything about it online: it is, as you imply, an unlikely place for public art. I really love its unexpected presence by the cycle track.

HTFB | 09.12.23 - 2:22 p.m. | #

Allow me to point out that one of the best nightclubs in London, Venue MOT, is almost directly adjacent to the proposed Surrey Canal station site. I doubt it would survive the opening of the station though, given the inevitable development that would occur there.

DB83 | 09.12.23 - 4:10 p.m. | #

The other new station that is at least vaguely possible is Renwick Road on the Overground between Barking and Barking Riverside. Will probably be more than 5 years away though.

greatkingrat | 10.12.23 - 4:13 p.m. | #

I lived near Paddington for 20 years and Crossrail was a blight - it has actually reduced access (there is still no private car drop-off). All those Olympic visitors trundling up a side slip road...

It was, as noted, obvious to anyone who cared to look that the opening date was fantastical

There are lifts from Eastbourne Terrace to the station concourse, BUT, if the Elizabeth Line is not running, they are disabled. Too difficult to limit the levels they connect? Or just simpler for the staff?

And given that Elizabeth Line has increased Paddington traffic from 24 to 60 million (!) you would think some effort would be made to maintain the GWR lines that are constantly disrupted

SteveP | 17.12.23 - 2:09 p.m. | #











TridentScan v2.10.0 | Privacy Policy