Agenda Item No. Reference No. Better Local Government CHISWICK AREA COMMITTEE (MONITORING) 12 NOVEMBER 2003 CROSSRAIL BENCHMARK SCHEME AND OPTIONS 5 & 6 Report by: Assistant Chief Executive, Corporate Policy and Regeneration SUMMARY This report provides an update on the current status of the Crossrail project including the “Crossrail Benchmark Scheme”, and introduces LB Hounslow’s proposed alternative Options 5 and 6 for discussion. 1. RECOMMENDATION 1.1 That members note the current Crossrail Benchmark Scheme and endorse the Council’s proposal to submit Options 5 and 6 to Crossrail with a request for their evaluation against the Benchmark Scheme. 2. BACKGROUND 2.1 Crossrail is a proposed new rail service being developed by Cross London Rail Links Ltd (CLRLL), a 50/50 joint venture between Transport for London (TfL) and the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA). The Crossrail project comprises two proposed schemes - Crossrail Line 1 and Crossrail Line 2. 2.2 Crossrail Line 1 would be a high capacity east-west rail link across London serving Heathrow, the West End, the City and the Docklands. This proposal, now referred to as the “Crossrail Benchmark Scheme”, was formally unveiled by CLRLL in a Business Case Summary launch on 8 September 2003. 2.3 The Benchmark Scheme comprises four routes sharing a new tunnel under central London from Paddington to the East End. The tunnel would carry 24 trains/hour in peak periods. The proposed routes are:- • Heathrow corridor (6 trains/hour) replacing the Heathrow Express (4 trains/hour) subject to agreement with BAA and stopping also at Hayes & Harlington and Ealing Broadway. • Richmond Kingston corridor (12 trains/hour to Richmond of which 4 would continue to Kingston), following a route from Paddington via a 5.3 km tunnel emerging in Chiswick and then replacing the District Line Richmond Branch. • Shenfield corridor (12 trains/hour) replacing much of the Great Eastern Metro service. • North Kent Line corridor (12 trains/hour to Abbey Wood of which 4 would continue to Ebbsfleet). This proposal implies that, of the 24 trains/hour using the tunnel, 6 trains/hour would run no further west than Paddington. 2.4 Crossrail Line 2 is the former Hackney-Chelsea or Northeast-Southwest Line proposal. 2.5 Subject to planning approval and funding, Crossrail Line 1 (Crossrail Benchmark Scheme) services are due to commence in 2013 at the earliest, with a start date for Crossrail Line 2 likely to be considerably later. 2.6 The Benchmark Scheme would cost £10 billion (in 2002 prices) and would be used by about 160,000 passengers in each peak period, relieving crowding on London Underground and mainline train services and providing additional transport options, all of which would be by modern, fully accessible trains each of which would have a capacity approximately equal to two Underground trains. 3. LONDON BOROUGH OF HOUNSLOW INVOLVEMENT 3.1 On 5 February 2003, LB Hounslow received an invitation to provide an initial response to a proposal by Crossrail to include a southwestern route to Norbiton via Gunnersbury, Richmond and Kingston. Up until that date there had been no indication that Crossrail would enter Hounslow Borough, with several corridors to the northwest (Aylesbury, Chesham and Watford Junction) having been under consideration since 2001/2 in addition to the proposed Heathrow route. 3.2 A submission was forwarded to Crossrail on 14 February 2003. This submission was discussed in a report to the Chiswick Area Committee on 25 June. 3.3 The Council’s submission addressed Crossrail’s two Norbiton options, as follows: Option 1: Surface Route to Norbiton • From the Great Western Main Line at Old Oak Common, a branch of Crossrail would run via the North London Line to Richmond, then via a new rail underpass onto the Kingston Loop line to Kingston and Norbiton, replacing some of the District line trains to Richmond. The Silverlink Metro North London Line service (Richmond-Stratford) would be diverted to run from Hounslow. Option 2: Tunnelled Route to Norbiton • From the Great Western Main Line at Wormwood Scrubs, a branch of Crossrail would run by a 5.3km tunnel under East Acton, surfacing immediately west of near Turnham Green station, then replacing the District Line branch to Richmond, and extending through to Norbiton as above. 3.4 Hounslow’s submission welcomed the possibility of Crossrail serving the Borough but cautioned that both Options 1 and 2 involved significant local problems:- • Option 1 had poor interchange facilities and major problems with level crossings, particularly at Bollo Lane. • Option 2 would provide a better level of service but at the expense of part of Chiswick Back Common. • Both options would result in changes to other services - some of which might be unacceptable. 3.5 The Council’s submission proposed that consideration be given to a further two options:- Option 3: Surface Route to Hounslow/Feltham • Crossrail would run via the North London Line to South Acton then via the freight spur to join the Hounslow Loop line to Hounslow and Feltham. Option 4: Tunnelled Route to Hounslow/Feltham • The Crossrail tunnel would be extended an additional 1.5 km (approx) to Chiswick Business Park where trains would emerge to join the freight spur to run through to Hounslow and Feltham as in Option 3. 3.6 The Council’s submission proposed that consideration be given under Options 1, 3 and 4 to the possibility of an interchange station at the back of Chiswick Business Park, allowing passengers to transfer between Crossrail, Piccadilly Line, District Line and North London Line services. The concept of an interchange at this site (but without Crossrail) had been considered during the early stages of planning of the Business Park development but was abandoned apparently because of London Underground’s refusal to consider stopping Piccadilly Line services at any additional locations. Depending on the option, this new interchange would probably be accompanied by the closure of South Acton and/or the existing Chiswick Park stations. 3.7 Under Option 2, the Council suggested a new shallow underground station for Crossrail at Turnham Green instead of the new Chiswick Park station proposed by Crossrail. The new Turnham Green Crossrail station was also proposed under Option 4 in addition to the Chiswick Business Park interchange. In both cases, the Council suggested that Piccadilly Line services should also stop at this station. 3.8 The Council’s submission argued that serious consideration should be given to the possibility of a Crossrail corridor serving the Hounslow Loop line to Hounslow and Feltham, as there would be significant time savings and considerable potential demand when compared with proposed services to Richmond and Kingston. Option 4, although likely to be the most expensive, was put forward as the Council’s preference as it would provide a greater level of service to Hounslow Borough without the problems of level crossings inherent in Option 3. 4.0 THE CURRENT SITUATION 4.1 The launch of the Crossrail Business Case Summary on 8 September 2003 confirmed that CLRLL had adopted the southwestern corridor (previously to Norbiton, now to Richmond/Kingston) into the Benchmark Scheme at the expense of northeastern options (Aylesbury etc). 4.2 Although more expensive than the surface option, CLRLL has adopted the tunnelled option for pricing purposes, in an apparent recognition of the practical and operational problems inherent in the surface (North London Line) option. 4.3 Subsequent to September’s launch, CLRLL has confirmed that it is planning a cut-and-cover Crossrail station near Turnham Green Underground station, and has abandoned the new Chiswick Park station (to be located behind Sainsbury’s) as proposed in Option 2. 4.4 CLRLL does not appear to have given detailed consideration to Council’s proposed Options 3 and 4 routes to Hounslow and Feltham. 4.5 Crossrail stations within the London Borough of Hounslow would therefore be limited to Turnham Green and Gunnersbury. The Turnham Green Crossrail station would be located in close proximity to the existing Turnham Green station, with the various platforms linked by stairways, ramps and/or lifts to provide convenient access between train services and to Turnham Green Terrace. Crossrail will support the case for Piccadilly Line services to stop at Turnham Green. At Gunnersbury, the station would need to be substantially upgraded. 4.6 From the new Turnham Green station, the Crossrail tunnel would continue as a cut-and-cover construction under the back of Chiswick Common, with the portal located immediately west of Fishers Lane. The Crossrail tracks would then link into the District Line tracks through to Richmond, replacing District Line Richmond Branch services. Silverlink North London Line services would be unaffected. 4.7 The realisation that Crossrail’s Richmond/Kingston services would be at the expense of the District Line Richmond Branch has provoked opposition from the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, In Chiswick, there is also concern about the loss of District Line services at Gunnersbury station. 4.8 CLRLL distributed a preliminary scheme brochure at Turnham Green and Gunnersbury stations in September and has recently released a newer brochure that shows the benchmark scheme in outline form and advertises public information centres to be established at local venues, including one at Sainsbury’s in Essex Place, Chiswick, 2-8pm on Friday 28 November and 10am-6pm on Saturday 29 November. 5.0 COMMENT 5.1 Crossrail would bring major transport benefits to Chiswick. Services on a five minute peak-hour frequency would run non-stop from Turnham Green to Paddington, then under central London via Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel and points east. The new Turnham Green Crossrail station is likely to be the catalyst for Piccadilly Line services to also stop there, raising the profile of Turnham Green as a major inner London station and interchange.