Another Streatham Tube Campaign
The desire of the people of Streatham to have a Tube line has led to yet another campaign. First Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate, Chuka Umunna, started a campaign in response to news that TfL were considering a plan to extend the Bakerloo line into Streatham. This was soon followed by resident, Kent Martin’s campaign to raise support for a Tube. Kent was backed by Chuka as well as Streatham’s current MP Keith Hill, Councillor Mark Bennett and also the Liberal Democrat’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Streatham, Chris Nicholson. Now, according to this article, in a further twist, Chris Nicholson has started his own campaign, with the slight difference that he wants to extend the Northern Line, on a new branch, south from Kennington to Streatham, via Brixton. Is this latest idea any more feasible than the other? Many would suggest it’s far less likely as the Northern Line is already running to maximum capacity and is a notoriously problematic and unpopular line. Indeed, many observers see these campaigns as political crowd pleasers with no basis in reality, being run by candidates with their eyes firmly on the upcoming election. It’s almost laughable that Labour and the Lib Dem’s have chosen the same subject to campaign on but divided themselves by picking different lines. Will the Tories join in next by arguing for a Victoria line extension from Brixton? It is blue after all.
These campaigns are the just the latest in a long list that goes back decades. None have succeeded in the past so why might they now? Well there is the fact that capacity on tubes and trains in London will have to increase to cope with demand in the future and new lines will without doubt be one of the solutions to this problem. It’s also been said that the difficulties with tunnelling through the soil prevalent in South London has been overcome by modern tunnelling methods and machinery. Therefore it is right that people are at least arguing the case for Streatham. However, the current finances of the Government, Lambeth Council and TFL surely mean that all of this will remain pure fantasy for a long long time to come. What do you think? Please let us know.
“the Northern Line is already running to maximum capacity”
That is not true, the Charing Cross branch has plenty of capacity, and any extension would be to this, with all Morden services running via Bank.
Interesting. I guess any extension of the Northern would be part of the wider changes being proposed for separating the two branches and therefore dividing up the capacity accordingly. At the moment capacity from both branches converge at Kennington causing a busy interchange.
Why is everyone soooo obsessed with Streatham getting the Tube. It’s hot, over crowded and there are always delays and engineering works. We have brilliant bus and train services that can pretty much get you anywhere (including to Tube stations if you really need it!).
I agree that Londoners have a slightly ridiculous obsession with the tube. Whilst those of us who live in areas like Streatham have clearly managed to overcome this obsession, we’re soon carried away by any suggestions we might get one in the future.
Your right that we have great bus and train services however there are plenty of good reasons why a tube would be good for the area. Train services can be good if you travel to the same place at the same time every day, but for more spontaneous travelers, they don’t compare to the Tube for frequency and ease of connections. Half hour waits between trains are not uncommon which can easily encourage commuters to drive instead. The buses are also good, but they are very noisy, dirty and slow and clog up the high road adding to the traffic problem which ruins Streatham.
Also there’s no arguing that not being on the Tube discourages people from other areas travelling to Streatham for its shops, pubs, bars and restaurants which makes it hard for businesses.
Transport is key to any area but perhaps we should be concentrating more on cycle superhighways, cleaner, quieter hybrid buses and more frequent trains.
re: The Victoria Line, I have always thought it was a prime candidate for extention – have a station at Streatham Hill, another at Streatham common, then one at Norbury or further up, then going in to Croydon. That would hopefully) significantly reduce the traffic along the High Road, which ill so awful that the air is blue on weekends when everyone’s trudging out by car to Croydon to do their shopping (and then coming back).