The Elizabeth Line (aka Crossrail) is go!

[Crispy]

It's a massive project, innit?

 

[London_Calling]

Yeah, the kind of public works you can only really undertake in specific economic conditions - of course the coming elections add impetus, but the medium term prognosis for the economy must be very lively.

This is def Charlie Big Bollocks country.

It's to GB what the Channel Tunnel was to Thatcher and the Olympics will be for Blair.

 

[citydreams]

How long did the Jubilee line extention overrun by?

I can't remember.

Project: Jubilee Line
Original estimated cost: £2.1bn, estimated in 1994
Final cost: £3.5bn
The final opening of the 10-mile extension was nearly two years late, but was fully open in time for its big night on Millennium Eve.
OVER BUDGET BY: £1.4bn

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/911317.stm


We've been told to expect Crossrail for 2017, not 2015
Apparently Crossrail will be Europe’s largest civil engineering project, providing 10% of London's public transport capacity!!

 

[Bodmass]

I wonder if it is going to run 24hrs, or at least be built in a way that makes 24 hr running possible.....

 

[Crispy]

Services
Mon-Sat: 0545-0030
Sun: 0630-0030

according the alwaystouchout page

 

[Bob_the_lost]

So you're out of luck if you want to stay out late, now there's a surprising move.

 

[Bodmass]

Surprising indeed.

They are always going on about how it is impossible to get 24hr working on the tube, because of the way it was built, but now they have a chance to build something from scratch, and they still don't make it 24hr......

 

[axon]

You learn something new everyday.

According to that the Astoria was orginally built as the Cross & Blackwell pickle factory.

Hence the name Crossrail <heads for cloakroom>

 

[Giles]

Surprising indeed.

They are always going on about how it is impossible to get 24hr working on the tube, because of the way it was built, but now they have a chance to build something from scratch, and they still don't make it 24hr......

I thought that the reason that, for example, New York's "subway" can run 24 hour is that there are mainly 4 tracks - 2 in each direction, so they can run trains on one while fixing the other. This was much easier and cheaper to do given that most of the NY system was built by using the "cut and cover" method.

When you are actually boring deep tunnels, now or when they built most of the "tube" lines, then boring 2 extra ones would double the cost, making the whole thing even more vastly expensive.

Giles..

 

[Giles]

When was the last time you were at the Astoria...? The toilets are rank...

It seems a pity that they couldn't include building a new venue somewhere in the (undoubtedly huge) buildings that will get built above the new stations.

Losing a big venue in the middle of London is a shame. There are not likely to be any more new ones appearing.

Crowing over how its good to lose the venue, because someone won't spend a quick few grand on some new bogs seems a bit ...... mean.

Giles..

 

[London_Calling]

.

 

[Roadkill]

Cynically, someone suggested that Crossrail always gets the go-ahead just before an election... This time, however, it does look as if it's serious.

On one level, about time too. A fast east-west London link is urgently needed.

On another level, the £16bn earmarked for Crossrail would cover at least half the cost of the proposed London-Edinburgh high-speed line. Maybe the money should be directed there. A north-south high-speed link would take traffic away from internal flights (an unquestioned environmental benefit) and free up capacity on the existing main lines for freight and inter-city passenger traffic. And benefit people living outside London.

It's good news, but maybe not quite as good as the Evening Substandard is making out...

 

[Crispy]

Depressing/interesting that a sizeable hole (400m) in the finances was plugged by the corporation of london. It's the current economic boom that is getting this project through, in a way.

 

[London_Calling]

On another level, the £16bn earmarked for Crossrail would cover at least half the cost of the proposed London-Edinburgh high-speed line.

But the rail tracks are privately owned ?

Depressing/interesting that a sizeable hole (400m) in the finances was plugged by the corporation of london. It's the current economic boom that is getting this project through, in a way.

No "hole", imo.Totally, completely politics.

 

[Roadkill]

But the rail tracks are privately owned ?

 

[PacificOcean]

So really it's just a new Central line, but extends to Shenfield and Abbey Wood

 

[Bodmass]

Depressing/interesting that a sizeable hole (400m) in the finances was plugged by the corporation of london. .

I don't see why that is depressing

If some of the trillions floating round the computers of the City finds its way into a public project, I don't see what is wrong with that.......

 

[chymaera]

One thing puzzles me about the project. The siting of the Western end, Maidenhead. This has been a traffic bottleneck for over 40 years. This project will only add to that.

 

[London_Calling]

One thing puzzles me about the project. The siting of the Western end, Maidenhead. This has been a traffic bottleneck for over 40 years. This project will only add to that.

Well if you pose a question - with a question mark even - someone with a little time might come along and try and enlighten you.

 

[chymaera]

Well if you pose a question - with a question mark even - someone with a little time might come along and try and enlighten you.

I wasn't asking a question. Statements usually get a better response here.

 

[London_Calling]

Okay, remain ignorant.

 

[Xanadu]

Fuck, I'll be in my 30s when this comes into service

 

[Bodmass]

Fares are going up to pay for it http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7046896.stm

 

[g force]

Shock horror didn't see that coming How long has this been in the works now and they still can't sort out the financing properly.

 

[HackneyE9]

It's basically a high speed shuttel for Heathrow to Canary Wharf, so how come the only have to pay 2% of the costs?

Same thing happened with 1 Canada Square. Developer demanded the Jubilee Line extension before building it, tried and failed to have no other stops between charing cross and Canary Wharf, then when it was built and they got a bill, went "bankrupt" until it went away....then came back and bought themeselves out again.

 

[editor]

It's been a long time coming, but I'm liking the look of the proposed Crossrail Canary Wharf station:

After some 20 years of scrimshanking, filibusting and fund hunting, the first piling for London's Crossrail scheme is imminent. Gordon Brown (and his make-up bag) will be on hand later today to formally announce the beginning of enabling works for Canary Wharf station, located just South of Poplar DLR. In truth, basic preparatory work has been on the go for a while, but today marks the start of a huge cofferdam that will set the station aside from those murky dockland waters.

The £500 million complex will include a shopping mall and roof garden, and is designed by Foster and Partners, who were also behind the nearby Jubilee Line station. The shark-like structure will be one of the first stations to be completed in the £16 billion Crossrail scheme. Construction of the main Canary Wharf box will be done and dusted around the time of the Olympics, but we'll have to wait until 2017 for the first trains.

http://londonist.com/2009/05/crossrail_construction_beginsagain.php

 

[Crispy]

I love the roof and the garden, but from other drawings I've seen, the interior is packed with floors - no soaring cathedrals like at canary wharf. The station itself, 3 floors down, is very normal.

 

[London_Calling]

I could knock one out, I really could.


p.s. I like the caption under the photo on the site.

 

[editor]

I love the roof and the garden, but from other drawings I've seen, the interior is packed with floors - no soaring cathedrals like at canary wharf. The station itself, 3 floors down, is very normal.

That's a shame because Canary Wharf tube is one of the best modern stations ever built, but at least it cuts a dash from the outside - which is more than can be said for most new stations (most of the DLR stations are really horrid).

 

[Crispy]

DLR was done on the mega-cheap to begin with. It's having its second major upgrade right now. But the older stations are about as minimal as possible and not exactly hives of activity like a tube station;