Forum Topic

West London orbital rail link (see front page)

Great news right?Alternatively, be very afraid…..This could mean twice as many trains using the Churchfield Rd level crossing.Already the barriers are down circa 50% of the time.So this could mean either CR being made a no through road (including for pedestrians)orA big bridge over the top.

Lewis Barnett ● 628d7 Comments

The use of Chiswick Park estate to avoid delays at Bollo lane crossing seems a very good idea, unfortunately the new service would be on the Kew lines i.e.the second level crossing so the problem would persist. A couple of footbridges would be a minimal requirement.As a user of these crossings for at least 25 years the closed to road traffic time was a lot shorter with a signaller in the box there.

Paul Griffin ● 608d

Not only is the doorway at the east end of the tunnel still there, it still has the blue SUBWAY sign up - as you can see if you look down at it from the ramp up to the south platform entrance. It seems it wouldn't be difficult to recreate access to the  tunnel provided they haven't lost the right of way over the path in from the street.

Donald Power ● 622d

One definitely possibility is that Churchfield Road is closed to through traffic. I really don't like the idea.

Maire Lowe ● 622d

One solution, for both crossings would be to reduce the period of time the barriers are down for each train passing through.Considering, at AC the trains are only doing around 15 mph, the barriers could come down to (say) 30 seconds before, not the current 2-3 mins. Then there is no real problem even if the number of trains is doubled.

Lewis Barnett ● 623d

The bigger problem would present itself on the Bollo Lane level crossing. This is across one of the few points of access to an area which has already seen significant building but is about to see a massive surge in the number of flats not just from the huge TfL project.Comfort should not be taken that these developments will be largely car free because they will still need deliveries, trades, taxis and get visitors. Therefore there is a big risk of significant queues along Bollo Lane each way.Not sure how you get round this. One suggestion would be to open access to the area through Chiswick Business Park but can't see the Chinese owners agreeing to this happening.

Mark Evans ● 623d

The station tunnel originally served both the station AND pedestrians crossing the line. On the west side a second flight of steps led down to the tunnel from the doorway that is now a small cafe (the entire cafe is suspended above them, and a board blocks the view of them from the tunnel). Within the tunnel a line of bars along the middle separated rail passengers and the public part. At the east end the exit was a doorway at the end of the tunnel which is still there, and a gentle slope out to the street (it came out where the street entrance to the new flats is). At some point the tunnel walls were reinforced and thickened, thus narrowing it - that may be why the bars were removed and the change made. Since both platforms now have access from the street (they didn't used to), it would seem possible with some fairly small modifications to make the tunnel entirely for public use, if that was desired.

Donald Power ● 628d

Could the station tunnel be opened for all pedestrians? I think major works have already been discounted..

Sara Nathan ● 628d