Metropolitan Line Extension (MLX/Croxley Rail Link)

[Harlan Cage]

Now that makes more sense....

My apologies I was i a bit of a hurry when I misread this on another Forum however all this does not bode well for this project and given the current hunger for cuts it could be seen as something that is just nice to have. A Watford Met -Watford Jct shiuttle bus might be a much cheaper alternative!

 

[Wolfie]

My apologies I was i a bit of a hurry when I misread this on another Forum however all this does not bode well for this project and given the current hunger for cuts it could be seen as something that is just nice to have. A Watford Met -Watford Jct shiuttle bus might be a much cheaper alternative!

No worries.

 

[THC]

My apologies I was i a bit of a hurry when I misread this on another Forum however all this does not bode well for this project and given the current hunger for cuts it could be seen as something that is just nice to have. A Watford Met -Watford Jct shiuttle bus might be a much cheaper alternative!

Again with the speculation. :roll:

My earlier post linking to the TfL Board report was here and in two other prominent forums so I don't know where you got your info from. As for the "current hunger for cuts", we have a Spending Review due with the Autumn Statement on 25 November. The Treasury is focusing on revenue spending for the cuts you mention - capital spending, i.e. the type that will fund the Metropolitan line extension, is safe for now.

The final authorisation for the-then CRL was signed off by Partick McLoughlin in March, just prior to this year's General Election; if the project was going to be canned, that would have been the time to do it. What has happened since is that, following DfT instruction, HCC has ceded control to TfL and the latter organisation is securing all necessary internal approvals and authorisations before starting construction. TfL has agreed to underwrite any additional project spending above the P50 risk level - the £284.4m cited in my earlier post - and so will undertake a detailed cost review imminently to try and cut, if possible, the level of funding required to deliver the extension.

THC

 

[davetheguard]

Again with the speculation. :roll:

My earlier post linking to the TfL Board report was here and in two other prominent forums so I don't know where you got your info from. As for the "current hunger for cuts", we have a Spending Review due with the Autumn Statement on 25 November. The Treasury is focusing on revenue spending for the cuts you mention - capital spending, i.e. the type that will fund the Metropolitan line extension, is safe for now.

The final authorisation for the-then CRL was signed off by Partick McLoughlin in March, just prior to this year's General Election; if the project was going to be canned, that would have been the time to do it. What has happened since is that, following DfT instruction, HCC has ceded control to TfL and the latter organisation is securing all necessary internal approvals and authorisations before starting construction. TfL has agreed to underwrite any additional project spending above the P50 risk level - the £284.4m cited in my earlier post - and so will undertake a detailed cost review imminently to try and cut, if possible, the level of funding required to deliver the extension.

THC

Thanks THC for the very detailed and concise update on where the project currently stands. I'm feeling quietly confident again after your post; thank you!

 

[THC]

Thanks THC for the very detailed and concise update on where the project currently stands. I'm feeling quietly confident again after your post; thank you!

My pleasure Dave and thank you for your kind words. I mainly post on London Reconnections but will continue to share developments on here as they become available. I keep my eye very closely on this project, as you can probably tell.

THC

 

[ironstone11]

According to the Borehamwood & Elstree Times
http://www.borehamwoodtimes.co.uk/n...y_Rail_Link_construction_can_start_next_year/

Transport for London has plugged a funding gap which delayed the start of the Croxley Rail Link.

TFL’s expected take-over of the project stalled earlier this month as £2.73million needed to be found before building work could start.

Today the rail provider announced construction would start next year and estimated it would boost the south west Hertfordshire economy by £2billion.

TFL agreed to put the extra cash forward to get the project off the ground, but trains are not due to start running until December 2019.

Managing director of London Underground Nick Brown said: “This new part of the Underground network will support further rapid development in the area.

“By 2020 we will have built a 400m viaduct, two completely new stations and numerous new and reconstructed bridges along the route, transforming transport links in Watford.

 

[jopsuk]

Good to hear. Though I had a crazy alternative plan the other day. I may have been sleep deprived and delirious. Or it could have been cheese:

Hertfordshire Tramlink. Running from twin terminuses at Rickmansworth and Moor Park. Use the current Watford alignment to Watford Met. Street running section there to Watford Junction. Take over the Abbey line to St Albans, another street running section, then use roughly the alignment of the Hatfield & St Albans line, running on street through Hatfield to connect the Galleria to the station. Run north to Welwyn for better rail connections

 

[John Webb]

Good to hear. Though I had a crazy alternative plan the other day. I may have been sleep deprived and delirious. Or it could have been cheese:

Hertfordshire Tramlink. Running from twin terminuses at Rickmansworth and Moor Park. Use the current Watford alignment to Watford Met. Street running section there to Watford Junction. Take over the Abbey line to St Albans, another street running section, then use roughly the alignment of the Hatfield & St Albans line, running on street through Hatfield to connect the Galleria to the station. Run north to Welwyn for better rail connections

Biggest problems are, I would have thought, the street running at Watford and Hatfield and getting across the main running lines at Watford Junction to link up to the Abbey line. Couldn't have been Wensleydale!

 

[jopsuk]

Oh, there would be new bridges, massive changes to the circulation of local traffic etc. Disruption set to maximum, of course

 

[A0wen]

Good to hear. Though I had a crazy alternative plan the other day. I may have been sleep deprived and delirious. Or it could have been cheese:

Hertfordshire Tramlink. Running from twin terminuses at Rickmansworth and Moor Park. Use the current Watford alignment to Watford Met. Street running section there to Watford Junction. Take over the Abbey line to St Albans, another street running section, then use roughly the alignment of the Hatfield & St Albans line, running on street through Hatfield to connect the Galleria to the station. Run north to Welwyn for better rail connections

Has been looked at before and discounted.

Hatfield - St Albans isn't viable (try finding a route through Ellenbrook, pas the Galleria and into Hatfield).

The Hatfield - St Albans line, along with Welwyn - Hertford were actually pre-Beeching closures (mid 1950s) and only ever carried a handful of trains a day back then.

 

[fairysdad]

I may be getting cynical in my old age, but why do I get the feeling that if we didn't have a strangely high amount of bureaucracy in this country, this would have been all done and dusted and in use by now?

 

[D365]

I may be getting cynical in my old age, but why do I get the feeling that if we didn't have a strangely high amount of bureaucracy in this country, this would have been all done and dusted and in use by now?

Much the same could be said of HS2, Crossrail, Thameslink - among other projects.

 

[DerekC]

Anyone know how the Croxley Link is going? The last notice on the project website is dated March 2015 and it says that "construction is expected to start later this year". What's been happening?

 

[Bald Rick]

Some worksite fences are up. There's a lot of work going on behind Watford General Hospital, but that is for the much needed new access road. However the bridge for the new road going over the railway has been built.

 

[flappy8]

They are currently doing some work moving utilities services near the roundabouts to allow the bridge works to commence. There have been some lane closures while they do it.

 

[90sWereBetter]

They had made a start on clearing the trackbed and overgrowth at the old Watford West and Watford Stadium stations, but I believe both stations are still extant for the time being.

 

[The Planner]

Has to be called "Metropolitan Line Extension" now apparently from what I hear. Doubt it will be open until 18 or 19 at least.

 

[snowball]

I don't have access at the moment to my copy of the current Modern Railways but I think it says December 2020.

 

[AM9]

I don't have access at the moment to my copy of the current Modern Railways but I think it says December 2020.

So by then, Watford High St. to Watford Junction will have fourth rails again.

 

[Bald Rick]

As an aside, and with an eye on another thread, this will be new third rail DC electrification

 

[edwin_m]

As an aside, and with an eye on another thread, this will be new third rail DC electrification

Probably have to ban any workers from the line when it is live, despite it being a new construction and therefore with much better trackside clearances than older stuff nearby.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Today is the 40th anniversary of the end of through workings from Croxley Green to and from that there London.

(there were only a few)

 

[DerekC]

Good to hear something has started on the ground. I was worried it might have been postponed because of budget cuts.

 

[swt_passenger]

I think I shall recommend to the mods that this thread is aded to the existing Croxley link thread in the London Underground sub-forum, even though that had not been updated since December 15 it was probably where this question should have been asked?

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=104312&highlight=croxley

 

[AM9]

As an aside, and with an eye on another thread, this will be new third rail DC electrification

Only the bit between Cassiobridge and the deviation from the existing Met. line. Wasn't the Croxley Branch (single track) 3rd rail for the Silverlink 313 services?

 

[abn444]

Wasn't the Croxley Branch (single track) 3rd rail for the Silverlink 313 services?

Looking at this photo it appears that it was. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croxley_Rail_Link#/media/File:Watford_West_Railway_Station.jpg

 

[90sWereBetter]

Only the bit between Cassiobridge and the deviation from the existing Met. line. Wasn't the Croxley Branch (single track) 3rd rail for the Silverlink 313 services?

It was third rail for 2EPBs and the 313s, although Silverlink never ran any trains on the branch as the line was "temporary closed" a year before the Silverlink franchise began. Quite how having the trackbed severed for a new road and never replaced constitutes a "temporary closure", I'm not sure.

 

[Bald Rick]

Only the bit between Cassiobridge and the deviation from the existing Met. line. Wasn't the Croxley Branch (single track) 3rd rail for the Silverlink 313 services?

Yes, but the point still stands!

And of course it will be 4th rail electrification, my mistake.

 

[Dstock7080]

A recent internal bulletin might be useful:

24 May 2016

MLX Metropolitan Line Extension powering ahead:

The MLX team complete their first cable commissioning

The Metropolitan Line Extension (MLX) team has delivered one of its early milestones in its journey towards building two new stations in Watford.

Installation and testing of a vital new power cable has been completed and paves the way for the next phase of the project – construction of a new 400m viaduct.

The installation was carried out by the Capital Programmes Signalling team from Acton, and several MLX project team members were on hand to oversee the work.

Senior Project Manager said: “Completion of the works to divert the signalling power cable marks the first commissioning undertaken on MLX. I'd like to thank everyone involved in reaching this important first milestone.”

Did you know?

The MLX is a unique and ambitious project involving the construction of two new stations and 7km of new track running through the Watford area. The new stations will be called Cassiobridge and Watford Vicarage Road.

The extension to the line is forecast to significantly enhance the economic regeneration of the Watford area and will improve access for our customers to important facilities such as Watford hospital.

 

[THC]

TfL Board on 19 July will take an update paper on, inter alia, the Investment Programme, which contains a small section on the Metropolitan Line Extension (pp12-14). In brief:

- Stage 2 contract award significantly delayed (originally due end of March) but hoped to be signed off in q2 (i.e. before end September)
- Start on site expected 12 September 2016
- Start on structures piling expected 29 November 2016
- Station construction expected to start 16 February 2017

THC