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Permalink Reply by Donald Smith on December 14, 2015 at 15:23

CROSSRAIL 2: GLA Assembly reply to question 

Eastern Branch Crossrail

Question No: 2015/3779 John Biggs

I note that the current consultation remains at best tokenistic in its acknowledgment of the demand for an Eastern spur. Have you met with the East London advocates on this important matter, and will you guarantee that at minimum a passive provision is built into the plans?

The Mayoral Reply

TfL continues to lead a major study into transport options in East London that is identifying a range of potential transport solutions to facilitate growth in the sub region. This study, known as the East London Transport Options Study (ELTOS) is being developed specifically in partnership with the East London advocates, including the relevant London boroughs, with the aim to report in time to support the next revision to the Mayor's Transport Strategy. A potential eastern branch of Crossrail 2 will be considered alongside other options that could unlock growth, as part of this wider sub-regional analysis work, which will produce its first outputs in early 2016, with a short list of potential schemes to be developed further. This revised timetable reflects the importance being placed on gaining significant input from the boroughs in East London, who have signed up to work with TfL on ELTOS. The East and South East London sub-regional panel, comprising of borough officers from Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest, as well as the GLA and TfL are directly involved in this work. The group has agreed to the objectives for ELTOS and will input into shortlisting these options for further investigation. Should the outcome of this work indicate that an eastern branch of Crossrail 2 is an appropriate solution to the sub-region's needs, then a more comprehensive piece of analysis will be undertaken, looking at engineering feasibility and operational impact in the context of the Crossrail 2 scheme currently under consultation. This could lead to passive provision, building on the spur to Hackney that is currently safeguarded. Any future branch would build on the significant quantum of transport improvements already taking place to unlock growth in East London, such as Crossrail and other committed and proposed schemes.

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