MOVING A RAILWAY STATION

Hokitika Guardian, 25 July 1931, Page 3

MOVING A RAILWAY STATION

CHARING CROSS BRIDGELONDON COUNTY COUNCIL’S : PROPOSAL. A BILL PROMOTED. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, July 21. The. London County Council has decided to promote another Bill in Parliament for the contruction of a new bridge at Charing Cross, at a cost of £12,500,000. An advisory committee was appointed, after the rejection of the previous Bill by Parliament, to consider the various schemes advocated i; i connection with the proposal to replace the existing railway bridge. The report, wliich was i issued some months ago, fevdewed six different solutions of the problem but indicated that the. balance of opinion. favoured the Sifteihe known as No. 6, /which recomi ended .the 'Construction ; of another high-level station on a site on the south 1 ahk llie Thames occupied by the Lion; Brewery, with traffic circuses at the ends of the approaches to the road bridge. The,- committee, however, ivas reconstituted in order to consider further another scheme, differing principally with regard to the level of the station, and consequently whether the railway lines •should be carried over or under the. roads. It has now confirmed its •previous decision and the London County Council has agreed to proceed with scheme No. 6.

The transfer of Charing Cross railway station, one of the most important in the world, to the south side of the River Thames is part of the general scheme to alleviate traffic conditions in London. Negotiations have been. going on for four years, a provisional agreement between the Southern Railway Company ahd the London County Council being reached in 1929. In ’ February, 1930, the first Enabling 1 Bill was proposed but was' rejected by the Committee of the House on account of the arrangements on the south side of the river which would have led to confusion .and unsightliness, owing to the Tiuhiber of toad and rail crossings ..entailed.

I The new scheme, will jdace Charing rCroBSi station almost on the site of the present Waterloo Junction. The bridge is expected to have five arches, and to \ ;fpllowfvery. closely the line of the preailyiipyi'Jjfidge;' The approach" on the AVestminster side will reach ground level at "the Strand, and on the Lambeth side, at the New Cut, with a Jbrig^. over Waterloo Road, ‘in the way of thfe/fscheme were; the wide and busy river iwhich'had to he'spanned, and the condition which made it necessh’ry to avoid, interference wjth. the heavy flow of traffic along the Embankment. It was originally hoped that fhe bridge would be opened by 1935, but mud delay has occurred,,