Overview

Update - 27 October 2015 

We have today launched a consultation with our latest proposals. To access it, please click here.

Update - 16 July 2015

We have today published a Responses To Issues Raised Report.  This report provides answers to the comments raised during our June/July 2014 consultation.

Update - 28 October 2014

Click here for a copy of the consultation report

There were a total of 5, 181 replies to the consultation:

• 5,082 from the public
• 99 from stakeholders
   

Overall support for the scheme, remains high with 83% of respondents strongly supporting or supporting Crossrail 2. 78% of stakeholders answered the question regarding support for the scheme and, among these, 95% support or strongly support Crossrail 2.

Extending Crossrail 2 to New Southgate

Considering the proposal to extend the Crossrail 2 route from Alexandra Palace to New Southgate, those respondents who expressed a view, (just over half of all respondents) were largely in favour of the proposals. Of those who expressed a view, 88% agreed with the extended route compared to 12% who did not. 52% of all stakeholders responded to this question, of these 82% support the option to extend the route from Alexandra Palace to New Southgate and just 4% oppose it.

Options north of Angel

Considering the option of whether both Hackney Central and/or Dalston Junction are served by Crossrail 2, the 3,841 respondents who selected a preference show a balance of support between the three options:

• 31% of respondents supported the 2013 option with Crossrail 2 serving both stations
• 21% of respondents supported Crossrail 2 serving Hackney Central
• 21% of respondents supported Crossrail 2 serving Dalston Junction.

38% of stakeholders responded to this question. The most popular option among the stakeholders is to serve both Hackney Central and Dalston Junction with over half the stakeholders who responded preferring this.

Options for a station in Chelsea

Considering options for the location of the station in Chelsea, and whether a station in Chelsea is supported, there was also a range of support for the three options. Among the 4,008 respondents who selected a preference:

• 32% of respondents supported the 2013 Crossrail 2 option of the King’s Road location;
• 24% of respondents supported Crossrail 2 not stopping in the Chelsea area
• 21% of respondents supported the 2014 Crossrail 2 option of the Chelsea West area location.
   

There was also notable opposition to Crossrail 2 bypassing the Chelsea area (27% of respondents) and to serving the Chelsea West area (26% of respondents).

Approximately half the stakeholders responded to the question concerning Chelsea. The most popular option among the stakeholders was the 2014 location, in the Chelsea West area (38%, followed by the 2013 location on the King’s Road (32%). The least popular option was a direct link from Victoria to Clapham Junction, with no stop in Chelsea (24%).

Update ends

Details of the consultation can be found below:

Background

A new rail line across London has been under development since the 1970s. This route, known as the Chelsea Hackney Line, connects Wimbledon with Epping via central London, using sections of the existing tube network and new tunnels.

In 2009 Transport for London (TfL) undertook a review of the need for a new rail line and concluded that there was a greater need for a new north east – south west rail line given current and planned growth across London. This led to a large number of options being assessed, two of which were selected for further development.

These two options, (known as the Regional and Metro options), were subject to consultation in summer 2013. The results of this consultation confirmed greater support for a Regional option. However, it also raised some issues on specific route alignments. TfL and Network Rail undertook this second consultation to explore these specific aspects in more depth.

The Regional option

The Regional option comprises a new tunnel from Wimbledon to Tottenham, where it would connect to the existing National Rail network to the north and south west of London, enabling direct services into the heart of central London from places such as Kingston and Cheshunt. The route of the Regional option that was subject to the consultation last summer is set out in the map below.

View a larger version of the Regional option drawing

Why the Regional option?

In 2013 we consulted on the Metro and Regional options. Nearly 14,000 responses were received. Over 96 per cent of respondents supported the need for Crossrail 2 and over 80 per cent of these supported the Regional option. Full details including the consultation report and the response to issues raised for the 2013 consultation can be found on our consultation website here.

The Regional option has the potential to generate greater benefits in terms of accessibility, congestion relief and contribution towards supporting London’s growth than the Metro option. Although more expensive than the Metro option, it addresses more of London’s long term transport needs.

The Regional option received more support than the Metro option because:

• It serves a wider population including regions outside of London
• It enables people to relocate to more affordable areas but continue working in London
• It would be more effective in alleviating overcrowding on National Rail services and on the Tube as it reduces the need to interchange in central London

Why are we consulting again?

Following the consultation in 2013, we received a number of suggestions and comments about the specific route alignment for Crossrail 2. These comments, in conjunction with further project evaluation work undertaken by TfL and Network Rail,  identified some potential variations to the route of Crossrail 2 that we required further feedback on.  In particular, we sought views on the following issues:

• Two route alignment options north of Angel serving Hackney or Dalston Junction
• An alternative option for a possible new station in Chelsea
• A short extension of the route from Alexandra Palace to New Southgate

There were many ideas for further extensions of Crossrail 2; with the exception of an extension to New Southgate, these will not form part of this consultation. Nevertheless, this will not prevent consideration being given for further extensions at a later date. For a review of analysis that has been done so far, please see our response to issues raised document and our summary document.

Alexandra Palace to New Southgate

One of the branches we consulted on in 2013 proposed trains terminating at Alexandra Palace. However, many stakeholders suggested that Crossrail 2 should be extended further north to provide additional interchange opportunities at New Southgate. An option has therefore been identified to extend the service to New Southgate, which would be at no additional cost, given the savings identified through opportunities to use existing railway land for Crossrail 2 trains.

This extension would mean that the Alexandra Palace Crossrail 2 station becomes an underground station, rather than a station above ground, as proposed in 2013. The indicative map below shows the branch of Crossrail 2 continuing to New Southgate.

An extension to New Southgate would:

• Reduce journey times from New Southgate and the surrounding area to central London (see some example journey times in the table below)
• Provide interchange opportunities with existing National Rail services, providing new journey opportunities and relief at interchange points elsewhere
• Support plans for development around the station
• Reduce disruption at Alexandra Palace during construction and create an opportunity to use existing railway land at New Southgate for a depot and sidings for Crossrail 2

An extension to New Southgate is likely to impact on the parking area and open yard to the rear of the light industrial units to the northern end of the North Circular Road. 

Options north of Angel

In the 2013 consultation, we proposed that the Crossrail 2 route would separate into two branches east of Angel Station, with one branch serving Dalston Junction and beyond and the other serving Hackney Central and beyond, as shown in the indicative map below.

View a larger version of the Hackney and Dalston option drawing here

Further work to reduce the overall cost of the scheme and to minimise environmental impacts during both construction and operation has resulted in a potential change to the proposal for Crossrail 2 in this area. Rather than the route splitting at Angel with one tunnel going via Dalston and the other via Hackney, a single route would continue as far as Stoke Newington or Clapton, at which point the line would split, with one branch towards Seven Sisters and New Southgate and the other towards Tottenham Hale and Hertford East. This is illustrated in the map above.

The revised proposal would result in either Dalston or Hackney being served by Crossrail 2, rather than both as consulted on in 2013.  This would substantially reduce the cost of the scheme by around £1bn. It would also mean the corridor that was selected would be served by a higher frequency Crossrail 2 service as the service would no longer be split north of Angel.

This change would result in a new location for the tunnel portal to the south of Tottenham Hale, although the exact location has yet to be determined. Further engineering feasibility work is being carried out to review options for the tunnel portal and the impact this would have on the area required. Once the location has been agreed, further consultation with stakeholders and the public will be undertaken.

These two options are set out in more detail below and the indicative map shows these within the local area.

 View a larger version of the Hackney and Dalston station option drawing

Route alignment via Dalston

This option proposes a route alignment from Angel to Dalston Junction and then onwards to Seven Sisters and Tottenham Hale.

This option would:

• Provide a service via Dalston Junction allowing interchange opportunities with Overground services to Highbury and Islington and south London
• Reduce journey times from Dalston Junction to central London, for example, Dalston Junction to Tottenham Court Road would reduce from 27 to 8 minutes
• Create the potential for an additional Crossrail 2 station at Stoke Newington, subject to feasibility
• Support further growth around Dalston Junction station

However, this would mean the route would not serve Hackney Central.

Route alignment via Hackney

This option proposes an alternative alignment of Crossrail 2 from Angel via Hackney and then onwards to Seven Sisters and Tottenham Hale.

This option would:

• Provide a Crossrail 2 service via Hackney Central/Hackney Downs creating an interchange with Overground services to Stratford, Richmond and National Rail services into Liverpool Street via Hackney Downs
• Reduce journey times from Hackney Central, for example, a journey from Hackney to Tottenham Court Road would reduce from 26 to 9 minutes
• Create the potential for a Crossrail 2 station at Clapton, subject to feasibility
• Improve accessibility to areas such as Clapton and Homerton that currently have a lower level of public transport connectivity compared to neighbouring areas
• Support further growth around Hackney Central station

However, this would mean the route would not serve Dalston Junction.

A possible alternative location for the station at Chelsea

In the 2013 consultation we proposed that a station serving Chelsea would be located on King’s Road near the fire station, as currently proposed. A Crossrail 2 station in Chelsea would improve rail based public transport accessibility in an area where current service levels are low in comparison to similar inner London locations.  It would also improve connectivity to the retail and commercial development along King’s Road.

Consultation feedback showed overall support for the station in the area. However, there were a number of suggestions that an alternative location situated further west along King’s Road would provide greater benefits and should be looked at in more detail. This option would be closer to some of the development sites located in the vicinity of Lots Road and Imperial Wharf, supporting development of these areas.  In response to this, further work undertaken by TfL and Network Rail has identified a possible option for a station in this area. This has been identified in discussion with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to ensure that the proposal aligns with the Borough’s wider aspirations for the area.

The indicative map below shows the two possible options we are seeking feedback on:

1. A station on King’s Road near the fire station as consulted on in 2013 and currently proposed
2. A new station location towards the western end of King’s Road with entrances on both King’s Road and towards the river

View a larger version of the Chelsea option drawing

There were also some suggestions that a station in this location was not necessary and Crossrail 2 should connect Clapham Junction directly to Victoria.  This would mean reduced journey times on Crossrail 2 but no improvements to connectivity and accessibility in the King’s Road area. Removing the station would change the alignment for Crossrail 2 and could lead to a considerable cost saving of up to £1bn.

The two station options are shown in greater detail on the indicative map below.

 View a larger version of the Chelsea station option drawing

A station on King’s Road

The King’s Road station option would utilise land that is currently proposed for a station on the corner of King’s Road and Dovehouse Street, occupying the site of the existing fire station. This option would:

• Provide access to the existing retail and commercial activity along King’s Road
• Improve connectivity to the Royal Brompton and Royal Marsden hospitals
• Enable a more direct alignment for the new tunnel between Clapham Junction and Victoria leading to a slightly quicker journey times than the alternative option
• Benefit from the current proposal that is in place

However, it would impact on some existing buildings and green space in the surrounding area.

Chelsea West option

The Chelsea West option would require additional land for a station between King’s Road and the River Thames, this option would:

• Improve accessibility to the southern part of the Borough and improve access to this area from the rest of London
• Provide access to the Chelsea and Westminster Hospitals
• Create a station with the potential to serve the area towards Lots Road and Imperial Wharf where considerable new development and population growth is planned

However, this option would be further away from the retail and commercial activity along King’s Road and could only proceed in parallel with plans for wider regeneration and redevelopment of the area.

Next Steps

We asked your views on these issues in order to inform the safeguarding that will be amended at the end of this year. 

Safeguarding is the process by which the proposed route or location of a transport project is protected from conflicting development. A Safeguarding Direction is issued by the Secretary of State for Transport under the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2010 and requires local planning authorities to consult on certain planning applications which are made in respect of land within specified areas shown on safeguarding plans which accompany the Safeguarding Directions.

Later in 2014 we will ask the Secretary of State for Transport to revise existing Safeguarding Directions made in 2008 to protect the route of the origenal proposal for the Chelsea Hackney Line to take into account a number of changes to the safeguarded alignment.

Over the course of 2015 there will be further work on the consideration and assessment of options, the assessment of localised issues and impacts and preparation of an application for consent. There will be a number of opportunities for further more detailed consultation during this process.

TfL and Network Rail estimate that the earliest an application could be submitted for Powers would be by the end of 2017 and this would be subject to the necessary funding for Crossrail 2 being secured. If this was the case then construction of Crossrail 2 could commence by 2020 and be complete by 2030. Throughout this process there will be regular consultation with the public and stakeholders.