Crossrail to...Orpington?

[Sad Sprinter]

Back in 2005 I had an "entrain" magazine that proposed (along changing all the names of Central London Crossrail stations, for some reason) running the south-eastern branch of Crossrail from Canary Wharf, surfacing at Angerstein Wharf and running towards Lewisham, where a new triangular junction would be built to access the SEML towards Orpington. Such a route seems more "interesting" than the current appendix to Abbey Wood, but what would actually have been the challenges to this routing being built? Aside of course from having to build a new viaduct through Lewisham to link the Blackheath and mainline towards Dover.

 

[SynthD]

It would also need to reinstate the triangle at Angerstein Junction, if indeed the line could surface by then. Lewisham has multiple issues with its existing flat junctions, adding more would create a high risk of delays on what should be a reliable branch of the Elizabeth line.

While Woolwich and Abbey Wood may not sound interesting, they do fill trains. The slow line to Orpington does look good for a future Crossrail, though perhaps coming up south of Lewisham.

 

[30907]

Leaving aside the practicalities,
(1) Canary Wharf to Lewisham is covered by DLR
(2) Central London to Lewisham is potentially covered by the Bakerloo extension
which suggests that any need for an Orpington diversion is (will/could be) met in other ways.