(especially for all those of us for whom Valentine's Day means nothing, here's a post about trains)
Overground(phase 2)
Good news this week that Boris, the Government and TfL have finally got their act together and agreed funding for Phase Two of the new East London Line. It didn't need much, just £75m to link Surrey Quays to the existing South London Line. If all goes to plan London will have a complete (but very slow) orbital railway in time for the Olympics. That's also just in time for the next mayoral election, so this is a quick win for Boris (and leaves sod all for his successor to open). Imagine the joy in south London when Clapham citizens suddenly realise they can get to Dalston without changing trains, or when Peckham residents start surging up to Canada Water to try to squeeze onto the rush hour Jubilee line. It's all means a bright new future for south London and no mistake. Unless you live in Battersea, Brixton or South Bermondsey, in which case the new railway line will whizz past without stopping, just like the old one did, no change there. So it's not all great. Here's a bit more of a guide to where the new trains will, and won't, be stopping. [map] [courtesy London Reconnections]
Clapham Junction: Change here for numerous services to Surrey and Sussex, plus tediously infrequent Overground trains to Willesden. → nearly two miles (not stopping in Battersea, sorry Battersea) → Wandsworth Road: Change here for services to Victoria (although that route might well be cancelled once the East London line takes over so you'll only be able to get to Clapham instead). → less than half a mile (it's barely worth stopping innit?) → Clapham High Street: Which isn't quite on Clapham High Street, not quite, so it's a short walk to the Northern line at Clapham North (which is on Clapham High Street). → two miles (straight through Brixton without stopping, sorry Brixtonites, and no interchange with the Victoria line either, and no changing to trains to Orpington, which is a bit rubbish) (and straight past Loughborough Junction without stopping, so no changing to trains to Wimbledon or St Albans, which is also a bit rubbish) (this whole stretch is a bit rubbish to be honest, because nobody's agreed to fund any improvements to what's here already) → Denmark Hill: Change here for services to Victoria, Blackfriars, Dartford and Sevenoaks (so that's a win) → just under a mile → Peckham Rye: Change here for trains to all over the place (which is great, a proper rail hub) → about three quarters of a mile → Queens Road Peckham: Change here for trains to London Bridge, West Croydon and Beckenham Junction. → nearly a mile → Surrey Canal Road: Except nobody's agreed to fund thisstation yet, so it might not get built, so the local population may only be able to watch trains zoom by without stopping. → three quarters of a mile (unless they don't build the previous station, in which case this'll be a rather longer gap) (this bit's brand new track, along much the same alignment as some old track last used 100 years ago) → Surrey Quays: Change here for London Overground services to Dalston, New Cross and Croydon. Because that's how exciting this new railway will be. Can't wait.
Good news this week that Boris, the Government and TfL have finally got their act together and agreed funding for Phase Two of the new East London Line. It didn't need much, just £75m to link Surrey Quays to the existing South London Line. If all goes to plan London will have a complete (but very slow) orbital railway in time for the Olympics. That's also just in time for the next mayoral election, so this is a quick win for Boris (and leaves sod all for his successor to open). Imagine the joy in south London when Clapham citizens suddenly realise they can get to Dalston without changing trains, or when Peckham residents start surging up to Canada Water to try to squeeze onto the rush hour Jubilee line. It's all means a bright new future for south London and no mistake. Unless you live in Battersea, Brixton or South Bermondsey, in which case the new railway line will whizz past without stopping, just like the old one did, no change there. So it's not all great. Here's a bit more of a guide to where the new trains will, and won't, be stopping. [map] [courtesy London Reconnections]
