East Dulwich underground station

[Jeremy]

There are some important differences between London and Madrid though. The tube is much older, so there are complex issues with legacy infrastructure. Also costs of labour and land are much higher over here.

[Medley]

And surely there are far fewer issues with competition for land, temperature variation etc? Or are we just useless in London (quite prepared to believe it).

Just to drift off into dreamland for a second, extending the DLR to Catford and extending the Bakerloo through Peckham Rye would change the landscape pretty radically.

[pk]

Catalyst Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Then in 2012, as above, phase 2 - which is the

> Peckham Rye/D Hill bit.

>

> Has the funding been approved for phase 2?

it has been, but i guess that until it's happened it's always possible that it won't

http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=20938

[James Barber]

Understand all the UK excuses but the Dockland Light Railway was extended by 2.5km at a cost of ?180M and it required much larger bore tunnelling. Almost a factor cheaper than the Jubilee line extension.Temperatre doesn't vary much 50m under ground. Tunnelling machines are an international commodity. They don't have TfL or Network Rail.

The French also can build things much quicker. Their approach for compulsory purchase is to pay 125% of the genuine market value. People positively welcome schemes rather fighting blight and being ripped off. Spanish and French seem to understand the social and political requirements of building infrastructure.

UK High Speed 2. Talk about it taking 20-40 years. Spain in the last 10 years decided to do it and have nearly finished 1,800km. Matter of national vision and will.

[Medley]

So Britain's slowness is partly because of our planning regs, partly because of our crowdedness, partly our higher property values but also seemingly because we don't pay people enough to get out of the train line's way.

Good thing we're spending five times BR's subsidy in REAL TERMS on the railway today eh! And then there's that lovely jubbly PPP on the Tube.

Still, on the upside, Spain's broke.

But with great trains. My dad can't stop wittering on about the AVE.

[matthew123]

Having watched The Great Escape I'm sure if we all get a shovel and meet at Goose Green after the great thaw we can start digging for the land of milk and honey of the Underground.. then it'll just be a case of laying the track. QED.

Joking aside (yes i was joking) it would be great for transport to have the Victoria Line within reach (20 min walk from Goose Green to Herne Hill or a few mins out on the 37 bus).

[Medley]

Matthew, given the thaw's happening, when shall we form the G Green working party?!