LONDON OF THE FUTURE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 19, 2 September 1946, Page 6

LONDON OF THE FUTURE

£230,000,000 SCHEME

REVOLUTIONISING PRESENT SYSTEM

After 27 months of planning, the Railway (London Plan) Committee has revealed its £230,000,000 scheme to revolutionise the suburban system over a period of 30 years. If the committee’s hopes are realised .tens of thousands of City and West End workers will one day be able to travel from the suburbs far south of the Thames direct to Piccadilly Circus, Bond Street, and North London.

The committee’s report recommends that all Southern Railway suburban services now terminating at London Bridge, Charing Cross, Cannon Street and Holborn Viaduct should be put underground, by the building of new lines in deep-level tunnels.

The scheme would do away with the railway bridges and viaducts between Westminster and London Bridges and open up views of St. Paul’s and Southwark Cathedrals. Eventually, Charing Cross, Cannon Street, Holborn Viaduct and Blackfriars Stations would disappear.

Waterloo would remain as a terminus for long-distance trains, but a new station would have to be built on the site of the present Waterloo Junction.

London Bridge Station would be replaced by a station about half a mile away at Tower Bridge Road. Professor Sir Charles Inglis, chairman of the committee, said: — “Up to now we have shunned all forms of publicity. We did not want to become the target of half-formed ideas by ardent reformers.

“Our recommendations are revolutionary, but they remain only recommendations. They have not been considered by the departments concerned, nor is the Government in any way committed to them. “Engineering problems may lead to modifications of the scheme.”

To carry the new lines, ' which would cover 100 route miles, under the river 24 new tunnels would be necessary.

First priority would be given to the building of the lOi mile northsouth passenger and freight tunnels; the East Crowdon-Finsbury Park route, at a cost of £24,000,000; the Kennington-Tooting relief tube; a new line from the Tower Bridge Road station to Paddington, Cricklewood, and Harpenden, via the present L.M.S. route; a line from Raynes -Park to Clapton; and the removal of Blackfriars and Holborn Viaduct stations. The total cost of this scheme alone is estimated at £76,500,000. Second, third and fourth priorities include services from Clapham Junction to Finchley, Tow.er Bridge Road via Paddington to Maidenhead, and via Finsbury Park to Enfield Town; and the removal of Charing Cross, Cannon Street and London Bridge stations.