Next LUL line?

[MidnightFlyer]

A thought that struck me when looking at a Tube map before...

On the surface of it, London looks pretty well connected by the Underground. However, if for whatever reason a completely new line was to open, where would it run from / to?

The only thing I can think of for Central London would maybe be a line running NW-SE, from say Paddington-Bond St-Oxford Circus-Leicester Square-Blackfriars-London Bridge, but I am struggling to think of where it could come from / go to from that.

Or does that tell me that simply there is nothing else to build from scratch? Maybe all the future holds is the Bakerloo to Hayes and Northern line to Battersea...

Anyway, does anyone else have any other ideas?

 

[Pumbaa]

Northern line to Battersea...

And that idea hit the buffers big style yesterday, after being green-flagged by Osborne on Weds and Boris on Tuesday...

 

[Greenback]

An underground line from Chelsea to Hackney was talked about for years.

 

[Pumbaa]

If anyone didn't know, Battersea Power Station was going to co-fund the Northern extension to Nine Elms and Battersea. Except they're now in administration.

http://www.mayorwatch.co.uk/battersea-power-station-lenders-call-in-administrators/201117699

 

[TSR :D]

SW to SE London.

 

[trentside]

An underground line from Chelsea to Hackney was talked about for years.

The Chelsea - Hackney route is still safeguarded and is now the responsibility of Crossrail;

http://www.crossrail.co.uk/route/safeguarding/chelsea-hackney-line

 

[MidnightFlyer]

SW to SE London.

I was going to say that but NR do compensate for that somewhat!

 

[sonic2009]

I was reading the feature about london in modern railways December edition and talks about extending Piccadilly line to slough.

 

[anthony263]

I was reading the feature about london in modern railways December edition and talks about extending Piccadilly line to slough.

Yes when I read that article I got a mental picture in my head of a 1973 stock in the Windsor bay at Slough station.

 

[trentside]

I was reading the feature about london in modern railways December edition and talks about extending Piccadilly line to slough.

I haven't seen the article, so am wondering whether it was a TfL plan or some sort of speculative article? Just curious as Slough seems to be a bit far out for the Underground?

 

[anthony263]

I haven't seen the article, so am wondering whether it was a TfL plan or some sort of speculative article? Just curious as Slough seems to be a bit far out for the Underground?

Not sure if its a TFL plan but it does seem to be a serious idea for improving access to Heathrow Airport

 

[trentside]

Not sure if its a TFL plan but it does seem to be a serious idea for improving access to Heathrow Airport

Interesting idea. I suppose it could essentially be run as a self contained service between Slough and Heathrow - though, is there the capacity on the Piccadilly? The Heathrow service is very intensive.

 

[Nym]

Theres a new LU Line between Maidenhead and Shenfeild... heh

Really though, the next 'tube' project will proberbly be crossrail 2 to free up terminal space in C London.

 

[Pumbaa]

I haven't seen the article, so am wondering whether it was a TfL plan or some sort of speculative article? Just curious as Slough seems to be a bit far out for the Underground?

Not that far when you consider how close Heathrow is to Slough. And would be no further than Watford either!

 

[trentside]

Not that far when you consider how close Heathrow is to Slough. And would be no further than Watford either!

True. Not sure I'd fancy a through journey from Slough to Cockfosters though!

Presumably were any extension to be undertaken, it would not happen until the new tube stock order had been placed.

 

[NSE]

National rail doesn't really make it easy to go across South London. To get from Croydon to Raynes Park, I have to go all the way up to Clapham, frequencies mean its not a problem, but I still think a line maybe Bromley-Croydon-Sutton in a sort of South London smiley-face line might work. I think a bus (x26 is it?) kinda runs this on its way to Heathrow? So maybe Heathrow to Bromley (I'm not sure which towns are close by onwards from Bromley eastwards. I think Heathrow would particularly work, as there isn't a link over towards the south of London train wise, saves going all the way into paddington and tube. Could work with an interchange at Hayes with the Bakerloo line if it goes that far, tramlink, overground at West Croydon, connections at East Croydon for Gatwick, district and northern lines around Wimbledon/Morden and the Overground at Richmond. So abit outside the box, but thats my idea

 

[12CSVT]

Slough seems to be a bit far out for the Underground?

About the same distance from central London as Epping on the Central Line

 

[jopsuk]

I don't think there will ever be a completely new "tube" sized line. Any new lines are likely to be, as with Crossrail, full "heavy rail" gauge with OHL- there's no reason with modern tunnelling machines to build a small tunnel; with TBMs the cost of tunnelling something the size of the Channel Tunnel is only marginally more expensive than a tube line, with the main problem being spoil disposal! Might as well build big and get the benefits of space.

 

[Eagle]

What about Croxley–Watford High Street? Is that still on the table?

 

[Ibex]

The local press in Watford and leaflets delivered to residents from TfL recently seem to suggest that the Croxley Rail Link project is around a fortnight away from a final decision.

If it gets the go ahead the Metropolitan line from Croxley to Watford Junction with new stations Ascot Road and Vicarage Road could be the next tube line we see (or extension anyway).

 

[Eagle]

And what about the possibility they keep touting of Chiltern running Aylesbury to Watford? (Could this be worked into the EWR patterns?)

 

[Class172]

I wonder if the Northern Heights propsals will ever get resurrected?

 

[tbtc]

I don't think there will ever be a completely new "tube" sized line. Any new lines are likely to be, as with Crossrail, full "heavy rail" gauge with OHL- there's no reason with modern tunnelling machines to build a small tunnel; with TBMs the cost of tunnelling something the size of the Channel Tunnel is only marginally more expensive than a tube line, with the main problem being spoil disposal! Might as well build big and get the benefits of space.

I agree.

I'd suggest that the "next" line would be a diagonal Thameslink/Crossrail equivalent. In an ideal world I'd tunnel through the centre to combine the "Reading Line" SWT services through Clapham through Waterloo/ Bank/ Moorgate - Old Street - Finsbury Park and on to the Great Northern stoppers. I'll never happen, I know, but it'd be a "full sized" route through London.

 

[Ivo]

After Chelney I don't think we'll see anything for a while, unless the proposed split of the Northern counts. Otherwise, I think a direct link is needed between Waterloo and KXSP, but realistically I can't see it happening any time soon. This is especially true given the lack of reasonable options available for such a line to go, although I would hope that provision is made for such a route to run through to Croydon in the long run.

Also, having done some reading, I understand that a plan for the W&C many years ago was to link up Waterloo with Fenchurch Street or Tower Hill and thus provide through services between what are now c2c and SWT? Would have made travelling to my Uncle's when younger a lot easier; direct ttrains from Thorpe Bay to Winnersh maybe...?

 

[jopsuk]

The Northern line split really needs a fundamental rebuild of Covent Garden- really needs cross-platform interchange between thenorthbound lines and between the southbound ones- yes some people do/would use it as a "V" interchange, but most won't.

 

[Eagle]

The Northern line split really needs a fundamental rebuild of Covent Garden...

Camden Town, you mean?

(Although Covent Garden needs a rebuild too; it's far too small )

 

[trentside]

I wonder if the Northern Heights propsals will ever get resurrected?

I think that's unlikely - much of the route has been built over.

I'd agree that I don't think a whole new tube line will be built - but I think we'll see various extensions considered.

Although not in tunnel, there has been talk of re-extending the Bakerloo to Watford Junction for years. A southerly extension onto Camberwell has been proposed for many years.

Equally a southerly extension of the Victoria was talked about, creating a single line loop around Herne Hill.

 

[pendolino]

And that idea hit the buffers big style yesterday, after being green-flagged by Osborne on Weds and Boris on Tuesday...

That'll please the yanks.

 

[tbtc]

I think that's unlikely - much of the route has been built over.

I'd agree that I don't think a whole new tube line will be built - but I think we'll see various extensions considered.

Although not in tunnel, there has been talk of re-extending the Bakerloo to Watford Junction for years. A southerly extension onto Camberwell has been proposed for many years

Ideally there'd be scope to expand the Bakerloo to "Full Sized" (so you could run from St Albans Abbey/ Tring (etc) through to Dartford... again, no chance of it happening, but it'd be a diagonal Thameslink equivalent.

 

[Electrostar]

The redevelopment of Battersea Power Station has lurched from one failed scheme to another. I've got an old copy of Rail from the 1980s with an artist's illustration of the proposed train which would shuttle passengers from Victoria Platform 1 to the Alton Towers-style theme park at the Battersea Power Station.

It's not a new line but London Reconnections have discussed the history and prospects of extending the Bakerloo to Hayes, Catford, Beckenham Junction and Bromley North.