Chelsea-Hackney Line
Encyclopedia
The Chelsea–Hackney line (also referred to as the Chelney line, Hacksea line and Crossrail 2) is a safeguarded route for an underground railway
running from south-west London
to north-east London. The route in its modern form was first drawn up in the 1970s and although it is the highest profile project not yet under construction, it will not proceed before the completion of Crossrail 1 in 2018. During the early 2000s the plan was developed by Cross London Rail Links Ltd., the developers of Crossrail
, and the line is therefore sometimes known as Crossrail 2 and expected to be a large gauge tunnel.
's Wimbledon branch with the Central line
's Epping branch via a route from Parsons Green to Leytonstone via , , , , , , , , , and . The safeguarding also includes a spur from Victoria across the Thames to Battersea Park
for stabling and access to a tunnelling site. The tunnel size that has been safeguarded is national rail standard (same as Crossrail
1). However the final decision as to the loading gauge
has not yet been decided.
s (2012), Thameslink Programme
(2018) and Crossrail 1
(2018). National Rail's projections of overcrowding led them to call for more new lines such as Chelsea-Hackney but plans have gained more importance with the emergence of Euston
as the London terminus of the planned High Speed 2
rail line. High Speed 2 would bring an estimated 20,000 passengers onto the congested Northern and Victoria lines at Euston so if HS2 is approved, Transport for London
(TfL) plan to change the safeguarded route for Chelsea-Hackney to alter the alignment of the tunnels between Tottenham Court Road and Kings Cross St. Pancras so that a new station can be built at Euston
. On 28 June 2011, the Deputy Chair of Transport for London stated that such a new tube line running through Euston would be vital to disperse passengers from High Speed 2 when it extends beyond Birmingham. For the same reason, the idea of the line serving Euston is also supported by Network Rail
's Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) for London and the South East, published on 28 July 2011.
By bringing in the Euston station to relieve a rebuilt Euston High Speed interchange, the Chelsea–Hackney line has a considerably improved business case. Indeed, due to the expected numbers flooding onto the tube network at Euston, it would become a necessity. While it is not affordable in the early 2010s, it would be cheaper than Crossrail 1 due to fewer central London stations and it was reported in February 2011 that the Mayor of London
would be talking a lot more about building the new line.
would be a better destination than a branch of the Central Line. These suggestions are driven by what the RUS sees as the need for extra capacity on the South West Main Line and the West Anglia corridor respectively.
killed off the proposal.
's London Rail Study as the next project after the completion of the Victoria line
and the Fleet line (renamed as the Jubilee line). Designed to relieve pressure on the District
, Central
and Victoria
lines, and to link two areas without tube services, the route would have taken over the branch of the District as far as , then followed a new underground alignment to , where it would then take over one of the branches of the Central Line
. For financial reasons the line was not built, but over the years the idea, or variations of it have emerged.
The proposal as of the 1974 London Rail Study was:
Commencing at (takeover or share the District line branch)
Continuing to (takeover or share the Central line branch)
In the existing safeguarding of the route, the line would start from through to :-
from there taking the Central Line
through to .
As the route would serve both King's Cross and Kings Road it was suggested that the line could be named Kings line. It was decided however that the Jubilee line Extension should take priority and the project was postponed.
to station; either , and or (King's Road) as in the original safeguarded plan; or to and and then either via Chelsea Harbour and King's Road or via Battersea.
From Victoria it would then call at
and then split into two branches, one to and then on to taking over the Central Line
, the other taking over the North London Line
to Woolwich, since used by the Docklands Light Railway
.
The 1991 safeguarding also included a spur south of Victoria across the river to Battersea Park, but this was only for stabling of trains and to access a riverside tunnelling site.
, the Chelsea–Hackney line and a combination of the two, going from to and then on to . The Study supposes mainline gauge, and therefore would omit a station at . Its version of the Chelsea-Hackney Regional Metro splits in the north, with one branch going via Dalston and taking over the branch of Central line, and the other heading to , then using the disused alignment of the Northern Heights plan, taking over the branch of the Northern Line
. The Express Metro option instead would run on the East Coast Main Line
.
In 2007 the east-west Crossrail
was given the go-ahead over the Chelsea–Hackney despite some commentators favouring the latter (putting the implementation of the line back behind Crossrail's completion date: 2018) and the Chelsea-Hackney plans were taken over by Crossrail and the project was labeled Crossrail 2.
In 2007, the 1991 route was updated – Sloane Square was dropped from the plan and it was decided to take over the Central line's Epping branch from Leytonstone and re-safeguarded. Due to objections from residents of Sloane Square, it was reintroduced the following year. Southwest Trains' Wimbledon depot was also safeguarded as a depot for the new line. The safeguarding was enlarged from a tube gauge line to a national rail loading gauge
as it became clear that larger and longer trains would be needed. Of the three routes proposed for south-west London the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
initially favoured one going south via Imperial Wharf to Clapham Junction, but now supports the more traditional take over of the District line's Wimbledon branch. Under these present plans, only one entirely new station would be constructed – at Chelsea.
routemap.
There is also the possibility of another station outside what is on the official safeguarding. Hackney Council plans show a station around the Temple Mills
area (almost in Newham) which if it becomes part of the official plans would be in the north part of the Olympic Park
. The plan, dated before the awarding of the Olympics in 2005, showed the station to be roughly where the Northern Transport Interchange for the Olympic Park now is.Hackney Council Transport Plan
No interchange station with the Jubilee line
has been proposed as yet, despite the two routes crossing between and on the safeguarded route and between and on the Jubilee line. The Jubilee
and Waterloo and City lines are the only London Underground lines with no proposed interchange with the new route.
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
running from south-west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to north-east London. The route in its modern form was first drawn up in the 1970s and although it is the highest profile project not yet under construction, it will not proceed before the completion of Crossrail 1 in 2018. During the early 2000s the plan was developed by Cross London Rail Links Ltd., the developers of Crossrail
Crossrail
Crossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
, and the line is therefore sometimes known as Crossrail 2 and expected to be a large gauge tunnel.
Current plans
The current plans, safeguarded in 2008, include linking the District lineDistrict Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
's Wimbledon branch with the Central line
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
's Epping branch via a route from Parsons Green to Leytonstone via , , , , , , , , , and . The safeguarding also includes a spur from Victoria across the Thames to Battersea Park
Battersea Park
Battersea Park is a 200 acre green space at Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth in England. It is situated on the south bank of the River Thames opposite Chelsea, and was opened in 1858....
for stabling and access to a tunnelling site. The tunnel size that has been safeguarded is national rail standard (same as Crossrail
Crossrail
Crossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
1). However the final decision as to the loading gauge
Loading gauge
A loading gauge defines the maximum height and width for railway vehicles and their loads to ensure safe passage through bridges, tunnels and other structures...
has not yet been decided.
Euston / High Speed 2
The line is considered the fourth major rail project in the capital after the East London line extensionEast London line extension
The East London line extension project is a British railway engineering project in London, managed by Transport for London. The project involves extending the East London Line and making it part of the mainline London Overground network...
s (2012), Thameslink Programme
Thameslink Programme
The Thameslink Programme, originally Thameslink 2000, is a £6 billion project in south-east England to upgrade and expand the Thameslink rail network to provide new and longer trains between a wider range of stations to the north and to the south of London without requiring passengers to change...
(2018) and Crossrail 1
Crossrail
Crossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
(2018). National Rail's projections of overcrowding led them to call for more new lines such as Chelsea-Hackney but plans have gained more importance with the emergence of Euston
Euston
Euston may refer to:Communities*Euston, Suffolk, UK*Euston, New South Wales, AustraliaStations*Euston railway station, London, UK*Euston tube station, London, UK*Euston Square tube station, London, UKOther...
as the London terminus of the planned High Speed 2
High Speed 2
High Speed 2 is a proposed high-speed railway between London and the Midlands, the North of England, and potentially at a later stage the central belt of Scotland. The project is being developed by High Speed Two Ltd, a company established by the British government...
rail line. High Speed 2 would bring an estimated 20,000 passengers onto the congested Northern and Victoria lines at Euston so if HS2 is approved, Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
(TfL) plan to change the safeguarded route for Chelsea-Hackney to alter the alignment of the tunnels between Tottenham Court Road and Kings Cross St. Pancras so that a new station can be built at Euston
Euston railway station
Euston railway station, also known as London Euston, is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden. It is the sixth busiest rail terminal in London . It is one of 18 railway stations managed by Network Rail, and is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line...
. On 28 June 2011, the Deputy Chair of Transport for London stated that such a new tube line running through Euston would be vital to disperse passengers from High Speed 2 when it extends beyond Birmingham. For the same reason, the idea of the line serving Euston is also supported by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
's Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) for London and the South East, published on 28 July 2011.
By bringing in the Euston station to relieve a rebuilt Euston High Speed interchange, the Chelsea–Hackney line has a considerably improved business case. Indeed, due to the expected numbers flooding onto the tube network at Euston, it would become a necessity. While it is not affordable in the early 2010s, it would be cheaper than Crossrail 1 due to fewer central London stations and it was reported in February 2011 that the Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
would be talking a lot more about building the new line.
Northern and southern destinations
Network Rail's July 2011 RUS for London and the South East supports the existing safeguarded route but speculates about possible modifications (in addition to re-routeing via Euston, as noted above). To the south, it suggests that the tunnels should go from Victoria via Clapham Junction to beyond Wimbledon, instead of surfacing near Parsons Green and taking over the District Line from there to Wimbledon. To the north, it suggests that the West Anglia corridorWest Anglia Main Line
The West Anglia Main Line is one of the two main lines which run from London Liverpool Street, the other being the Great Eastern Main Line. It runs generally north from London, through the towns of Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Harlow, Bishop's Stortford and Audley End station before reaching Cambridge,...
would be a better destination than a branch of the Central Line. These suggestions are driven by what the RUS sees as the need for extra capacity on the South West Main Line and the West Anglia corridor respectively.
Early plans
A west/north-east tube line was originally planned as early as 1901 and a bill was put before parliament in 1904. However political manoeuvring by rival tube magnate Charles YerkesCharles Yerkes
Charles Tyson Yerkes was an American financier, born in Philadelphia. He played a major part in developing mass-transit systems in Chicago and London.-Philadelphia:...
killed off the proposal.
1970s
The plan was revived in 1970 by London TransportLondon Transport Board
The London Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1963-1969. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport.-History:The...
's London Rail Study as the next project after the completion of the Victoria line
Victoria Line
The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...
and the Fleet line (renamed as the Jubilee line). Designed to relieve pressure on the District
District Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
, Central
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
and Victoria
Victoria Line
The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...
lines, and to link two areas without tube services, the route would have taken over the branch of the District as far as , then followed a new underground alignment to , where it would then take over one of the branches of the Central Line
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
. For financial reasons the line was not built, but over the years the idea, or variations of it have emerged.
The proposal as of the 1974 London Rail Study was:
Commencing at (takeover or share the District line branch)
- MillbankMillbankMillbank is an area of central London in the City of Westminster. Millbank is located by the River Thames, east of Pimlico and south of Westminster...
(takeover the former Piccadilly line shuttle to Holborn) - Shoreditch Church /
Continuing to (takeover or share the Central line branch)
1980s
Following the Central London Rail Study of 1989, a route through central London was safeguarded.In the existing safeguarding of the route, the line would start from through to :-
from there taking the Central Line
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
through to .
As the route would serve both King's Cross and Kings Road it was suggested that the line could be named Kings line. It was decided however that the Jubilee line Extension should take priority and the project was postponed.
1990s
In 1995, an alternative plan, the Express Metro was put forward that would utilise more existing track, have fewer stations and be built to National Rail standards. It would take one of three routes from on the District LineDistrict Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
to station; either , and or (King's Road) as in the original safeguarded plan; or to and and then either via Chelsea Harbour and King's Road or via Battersea.
From Victoria it would then call at
and then split into two branches, one to and then on to taking over the Central Line
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
, the other taking over the North London Line
North London Line
The North London Line is a railway line which passes through the inner suburbs of north London, England. Its route is a rough semicircle from the south west to the north east, avoiding central London. The line is owned and maintained by Network Rail...
to Woolwich, since used by the Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
.
The 1991 safeguarding also included a spur south of Victoria across the river to Battersea Park, but this was only for stabling of trains and to access a riverside tunnelling site.
2000s
The London East West Study in 2000 considered CrossrailCrossrail
Crossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
, the Chelsea–Hackney line and a combination of the two, going from to and then on to . The Study supposes mainline gauge, and therefore would omit a station at . Its version of the Chelsea-Hackney Regional Metro splits in the north, with one branch going via Dalston and taking over the branch of Central line, and the other heading to , then using the disused alignment of the Northern Heights plan, taking over the branch of the Northern Line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
. The Express Metro option instead would run on the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
.
In 2007 the east-west Crossrail
Crossrail
Crossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
was given the go-ahead over the Chelsea–Hackney despite some commentators favouring the latter (putting the implementation of the line back behind Crossrail's completion date: 2018) and the Chelsea-Hackney plans were taken over by Crossrail and the project was labeled Crossrail 2.
In 2007, the 1991 route was updated – Sloane Square was dropped from the plan and it was decided to take over the Central line's Epping branch from Leytonstone and re-safeguarded. Due to objections from residents of Sloane Square, it was reintroduced the following year. Southwest Trains' Wimbledon depot was also safeguarded as a depot for the new line. The safeguarding was enlarged from a tube gauge line to a national rail loading gauge
Loading gauge
A loading gauge defines the maximum height and width for railway vehicles and their loads to ensure safe passage through bridges, tunnels and other structures...
as it became clear that larger and longer trains would be needed. Of the three routes proposed for south-west London the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is a central London borough of Royal borough status. After the City of Westminster, it is the wealthiest borough in England....
initially favoured one going south via Imperial Wharf to Clapham Junction, but now supports the more traditional take over of the District line's Wimbledon branch. Under these present plans, only one entirely new station would be constructed – at Chelsea.
Criticism and other proposals
A link to from via is also being examined although it is not part of the protected route. This would end that station's isolation from the London Underground network. Clapham Junction was shown as an interchange with Crossrail 2 on an earlier TfL East London LineEast London Line
The East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London...
routemap.
There is also the possibility of another station outside what is on the official safeguarding. Hackney Council plans show a station around the Temple Mills
Temple Mills
Temple Mills is a northerly part of Stratford, south of Leyton, located within the London borough of Newham in east LondonToday, Temple Mills is surrounded at present by former railway tracks and works belonging to the Great Eastern Railway...
area (almost in Newham) which if it becomes part of the official plans would be in the north part of the Olympic Park
Olympic Park, London
The Olympic Park in London is a new sporting complex currently under construction, adjacent to the Stratford City development in Stratford, Bow, Leyton & Homerton in East London for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics....
. The plan, dated before the awarding of the Olympics in 2005, showed the station to be roughly where the Northern Transport Interchange for the Olympic Park now is.Hackney Council Transport Plan
No interchange station with the Jubilee line
Jubilee Line
The Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections—initially to Charing Cross, in central London, and later extended, in 1999, to Stratford, in east London. The later stations are larger and have special safety features, both aspects...
has been proposed as yet, despite the two routes crossing between and on the safeguarded route and between and on the Jubilee line. The Jubilee
Jubilee Line
The Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections—initially to Charing Cross, in central London, and later extended, in 1999, to Stratford, in east London. The later stations are larger and have special safety features, both aspects...
and Waterloo and City lines are the only London Underground lines with no proposed interchange with the new route.
See also
- CrossrailCrossrailCrossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
- Chelsea tube stationChelsea tube stationChelsea tube station is a proposed station on the Chelsea-Hackney line . Alternative names for the station are Kings Road , Chelsea Kings Road or simply Kings Road....