25 January (Part 2) - More trains (C2E)
One of the few Google alerts I have set is for Crossrail, there have been
eight in the past five weeks and three of them refer to extending the line to Ebbsfleet.
Crossrail to Ebbsfleet Garden City a priority.
Elizabeth Line extension plans east of Abbey Wood.
Partnership to submit business case.
Bexley Council continues to push hard for an extension too and issued
a comprehensive Press Release a few days ago.
Given enough time an extension to Ebbsfleet will come but the design of
the as yet unfinished Abbey Wood station poses a big problem. If the Harrow Manorway flyover supports do not block a second track towards Belvedere, the
station most certainly does.
When
discussing the issue with various Network Rail managers the conversation
usually comes around to “not in our lifetimes” and probably they are right.
Current news reports speak of an extension by 2050. some earlier but mostly not.
It could have been so very different if only Bexley Council had not been so
blinkered ten or more years ago. It can be argued that we only got the Abbey
Wood branch because of Teresa Pearce’s efforts;
she devoted her maiden speech in
the Commons to a plea for its retention when it was under threat and Bexley
Council gave no sign of giving a damn.
However all credit to the Conservatives on Bexley Council, they did at least manage to scupper the
Thames Crossing which but for them would have been up and running three years ago.