Jabird:
With respect to this airport though, there is no provision for a central London terminus for a link from this airport as part of either the first or second phase - everything is hinged on Heathrow, which is going to get even busier with its improved links via Crossrail.
Well said, Jabird. We have a distinct lack of joined-up thinking in government.
Firstly, we had a proposal for CrossRail, which had limited goals, other than to drive a tunnel E-W through London.
Then there was the Chunnel link, which inexplicably terminates as Kings Cross, rather than joining onto Crossrail. So Western commuters cannot ride onto Paris. Why? What was the point of Crossrail, in this case?
Then we had a proosal for HS2, which seems to totally ignore the fact that CrossRail is in progress and the Chunnel link finishes at Kings Cross!! HS2 will stop at Euston, which is what, 2km from Kings Cross and the Chunnel line!! Why no union here? And why no link to Crossrail either?? Are the tracks, voltages and and rolling-guage the same?? If not, then why not?? And if so, then why do they not join up?? What is the point of three totally independent projects that appear to ignore each other completely! - all having different termini (Kings Cross, Euston and somewhere in East London) !!
And then there is a parallel discussion about a Silver-Boris Island. But the Chunnel link, Crossrail and HS2 all completely ignore the distinct possibility that LHR may move eastwards by several kilometers !!
.. Chunnel is already built, but did nobody think of asking about the future of LHR before the plans were drawn up? Did nobody think of making a 5km diversion in the line to the N.E. (as it crosses the Thames), just in case?
.. CrossRail stops some 10km short of the Isle of Grain (the Silver-Foster proposal) and a couple of km short of the Chunnel link - so are they planning for a possible extension of the CrossRail line, just in case? And if not, why not?
.. Meanwhile HS2 is going its merry own way and does not link with Heathrow, CrossRail, Chunnel, and nor with Silver-Boris !! Just what is the point of HS2??
A rational government would link HS2 to the Crossrail project at the present LHR site, and then run the trains all the way through London to Silver-Boris Island - where they could link up with the Chunnel line and run onto Brussels and Paris (and Amsterdam). Now that would be joined up thinking.
But will the engeneering allow this?
Are the dimensions, guages and votages on these lines compatible?
Is there sufficient capacity on Crossrail to run all the trains from the north and west of the UK through to Paris??
Have they built 'sideings' on CrossRail, to allow express trains to pass through, on the otherwise slow (multistopping) CrossRail traffic?
Hello - is anyone thinking, out there??
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