Quote:
Originally Posted by urbanfan89
Is there a chance those projects could be cut back in light of the massive UK government deficit?
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Apologies, I had written a lengthy response but I closed the wrong tab which deleted all my work!
London is the driver of the UK economy, but it will feel the pinch. It also didn't help that Metronet (one of the contractors who maintains half of the tube network) went belly up meaning that the London authorities had to bail them out to allow work to continue.
Fares are set to rise to ensure that service cuts are not as drastic, and that overall expansion and modernisation isn't greatly impacted upon.
The East London Line, and Thameslink are mid-way through construction and due to be finished over the coming years. Progress can't really be stopped here.
New trains are starting to be delivered on the Overground, DLR, Sub-Surface Lines, and Deep-Level Lines. It would cost a substantial amount of money to cancel stock deliveries when most are at some stage of construction. The new stock for Thameslink should be delivered over the coming years, and again is a requirement as other stock is cascaded to other lines.
One area that has taken a hit however is the upgrading of the London Underground network which involves re-building numerous stations for step-free access. Example: Victoria station which gets so busy, that it has to close for safety reasons has had its expansion delayed. Most Olympic interchange work has either been completed or is currently on-target for completition.
The biggest concern is of course Crossrail - the west-east high-capacity line that connects Heathrow Airport to London's 3 primary CBD's. Alone it is set to increase the London rail capacity by 10%. Contracts for various duties have been tendered and work has already begun on sites in Central London and at Canary Wharf.
Technically the line is funded, but a likely incoming Conservative government (who have neither shown support for or against) could still the plug. The problem for an incoming government trying to do such a thing however, would face the hurdle that £1bn has been spent, and cancelling contracts would set off cancellation-clauses. Potentially a Conservative government could spend £5bn to cancel the project.
It is hard to say how it will play out, as they could view £5bn spent as better than £16bn spent, but it could be argued that such a cost would be far too high for what would essentially be no return. The benefits of Crossrail far outweight the costs, in fact several Crossrail routes outweigh the costs.
Minato Ku - I believe Paris Gare du Nord lays claim to 180mn, and London Waterloo 190mn.
Imperial Wharf Station
London's latest station opened on the 27th September after several delays over initial funding. It is located on the West London Line inbetween Clapham Junction (south) and West Brompton (north) atop of brick viaduct. The station opening coincides with the recent completion of surrounding developments and addtional u/c and proposed developments.
In addition to being a station on the new orbital line around C London (the eastern section - the East London Line is still u/c and due in 2010), the station is also a stop on the Milton Keynes - East Croydon route, a commuter line that connects South London to the north avoiding Central London. The station is also a transfer for the London River Service.
The future Chelsea-Hackney line could also have an interchange at this station, further increasing potential for larger and denser developments. A video of a train departing is visible here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliang2006/3980200536/
Pictures sourced from flickr.com.
1 + 4 -
hammersmithandfulham
2 + 3 -
diamond geezer
Limehouse Quay
In addition to the Thames, London is criss-crossed by various navigable rivers and canals. At various points, these connected directly with the Thames or the docks along the Thames. Limehouse Basin is one such point where the Regent's Canal, connects to Limehouse Cut (a route to the River Lea which are the rivers seen flowing through the Olympic Park), and both have access to the Thames.
Several developments have taken place around the basin due the allure of living by the water (although nothing of significant height has been built), and the transport interchage of Limehouse (DLR + c2c commuter rail).
The below plan is for a water bus to connect Limehouse to the Olympic Park, utilising the waterways for commuting and tourist purposes.
The London Plan: Transport
The Mayor of London has released the London Plan which is a guide on actions and developments. It is quite lengthy, so I've taken some snapshots of the full article.
