Transport and streets

Thameslink

Thameslink 2000 is a key strategic transport initiative intended to enhance and expand the existing Thameslink network throughout London, the South East and East of England. It will take five years to build and represents an investment by Railtrack of £800 million.

The council, as a member of the Thameslink 2000 Consortium, has supported the project for many years.

Thameslink 2000 will:

• considerably expand the capacity of the current Thameslink service with the number of trains passing through central London increasing from eight to a maximum of 24 trains per hour in each direction
• connect Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire in the north with Surrey, Kent, East and West Sussex and Hampshire in the south, travelling into and across London without the need to change trains
• allow for the provision of 12-car trains with increased platforms, which will ease congestion and increase seating capacity
• improve rail connections from Croydon to the rest of Britain and mainland Europe through the proposed interchange with the Channel Tunnel rail Link at St Pancras
• serve additional stations in Croydon at Norwood Junction, West Croydon, Purley, Coulsdon South, Sanderstead and Riddlesdown.

Proposals for Thameslink 2000 were submitted within the Transport and Works Act (TWA) Order of November 1997 and, following extensive public consultation, a Supplementary Order was submitted in September 1999.

The Thameslink 2000 TWA Orders were considered at a public inquiry that took place between June 2000 and May 2001.

The Inquiry Inspector's report was published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) on 30 July 2002. In his report, the Inspector concluded that:

"Thameslink 2000 is a proposal which would enhance existing assets to provide very substantial public benefits, both directly to the travelling public, and in underpinning the economy of London, and enhancing the conditions for regeneration in parts of the capital." (paragraph 1.26)

The report highlighted three deficiencies in the project:

1. the design of London Bridge station
2. the absence of proposals for the reinstatement of buildings to be demolished in the Borough High Street conservation area
3. the absence of proposals for the "Missing Tooth" at Blackfriars station.

On 29 January 2003, the ODPM deferred a decision on the Thameslink 2000 TWA Orders pending submission of planning proposals that address the resolution of the three deficiencies and the preparation of "an amended, expanded and updated Environmental Statement covering the whole scheme."

The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) and Network Rail continue to work together to establish how these concerns can be met. The SRA and Network Rail have been developing new planning applications for the Borough High Street area and for Blackfriars. The SRA has also asked Network Rail to develop the design at London Bridge on the basis of Masterplan - a consented scheme for the comprehensive redevelopment of London Bridge Station.

Network Rail is undertaking an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the scheme as a whole and this will lead to the production of a new Environmental Statement (as requested by the ODPM) for the project next year. A starting point in the EIA process is the preparation of a scoping and methodology report. This was made available for consultation at the end of July 2003.

For more information visit the Railtrack web site (see under Associated Links).