Stopping mad: Council calls on TfL to give Hackney two Crossrail 2 stations

The 2013 plans for the Crossrail route. Photograph: TfL

The 2013 plans for the Crossrail route. Photograph: TfL

Hackney Council is calling on TfL to implement the original 2013 plans for the route of Crossrail 2 and build two stations in the borough, one in Dalston and one in Hackney Central.

In a recent online consultation, TfL asked the public to indicate whether the single tunnel should stop at either Hackney Central or Dalston, or at both as was proposed in 2013.

While no decisions have yet been made, TfL has raised the possibility of reducing Hackney’s Crossrail 2 stations to one and has estimated that if this plan was implemented up to £1bn could be saved.

The council is keen to see the original Chelsea to Hackney scheme safeguarded, which would connect both Hackney Central and Dalston, both “key growth areas”, to central London in just eight or nine minutes.

Cllr Guy Nicholson, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said that Crossrail 2 could be of great benefit to Hackney and London as a whole and could “unlock” regeneration sites in the Upper Lee Valley.

But he said that reducing the number of stations to just one risked “wasting the huge potential of the borough”.

Cllr Nicholson said: “Hackney Central and Dalston are two of the fastest growing areas in London in terms of jobs, housing and visitor economy. To capitalise on this potential and manage the associated increase in travel demand both need a fit-for-purpose public transport network which Crossrail 2 would provide.

“TfL has so far failed to demonstrate a clear business case for why it’s gone back on its original plans for Crossrail 2 stations at both Dalston Junction and Hackney Central. Nor has it explained how the proposed ‘Eastern Branch’ extension would tie in to the project.

“A transparent and detailed discussion of both these elements are crucial to ensure Crossrail 2 unlocks the full potential of north and east London.”

There has also been support for a proposed Eastern Branch that could connect Hackney as far as Hertfordshire in the north and Surrey in the south, however there is little certainty at this stage that such a branch will come forward.

In the council’s response to the Crossrail 2 consultation Paul Bowker, Group Manager of Networks and Transportation for Hackney, said: “We cannot effectively risk a position whereby we accept a Dalston Junction Station on a Northern Branch of the railway with the expectation that Hackney Central would be served by the Eastern Branch.

“To do so could see a situation develop where the borough only has a single station on the line and effectively the access to employment and regeneration opportunities which we would expect to be delivered with Crossrail 2 would pass the borough by.”

Factoring in this risk, the council has stated a preference for a development of the Chelsea-Hackney scheme which would see both Dalston Junction and Hackney Central served on a single alignment.

The project, which is due to start in 2020, has gained overwhelming support from Hackney residents according to Tfl who stated that 96 per cent of public respondents “strongly support or support the principle of Crossrail 2.”

Results of the consultation will be published before the end of the year, according to TfL.

8 Comments

  1. HousingFanatic on Thursday 14 August 2014 at 14:06

    Thing about Crossrail 2 is that is being built on the broad assumption that there will be 2 million more people living in London by 2030. Seeing as we’re struggling to house this number how on earth are we going to house a couple of million more.



  2. Andy on Thursday 14 August 2014 at 15:50

    The majority of other Inner London boroughs have significantly more than 2 tube stations. There are many millions of commuters using Hackney Central and Dalston stations, every year, the demand is there already. In fact, there should also be tube stations at Clapton and Stoke Newington stations, thereby catering for the north of the borough. Why on earth should Islington have 17 tube stations to our west, and then there be a debate about choosing Dalston or Hackney Central. Crossrail 2 could be very positive for Hackney, but only if we don’t have a long way to reach it.



  3. Peter on Thursday 14 August 2014 at 17:33

    All boroughs in the Inner City of a major capital like London should be well connected to the centre. Hackney certainly in terms of the tube network is not. Crossrail 2 can sort Hackney connectivity with one blow, I agree Hackney should have tube stations at Dalston, Hackney Central, Clapton and Stoke Newington. Anything less would a job half done.



  4. m on Friday 15 August 2014 at 22:47

    Hackney definitely shouldn’t be shortchanged by this. They should stick to the original plan with the two stations. Fifty years from now, will Londoners be glad that they did the job properly, or that we saved 5-10% just that one time?



  5. Ady on Saturday 16 August 2014 at 13:50

    Remember that the original plans for Crossrail 1 were to go to reading and have a north west spur, however in order to meet the budget those options were cut. However now Crossrail is running under budget the spare funds have already been used to extend to Reading, and north west spur is now being considered too.

    Just because it may be cut from the initial plans in order to meet budgetary constraints, does not mean it will never happen. If cutting hackney central allows Crossrail 2 to proceed so be it.

    It might not be Hackney central in the future, it might make more sense for a station at Stoke Newington (the tunnel is going right through there anyway).



  6. Peter on Sunday 17 August 2014 at 21:19

    Dalston and Hackney Central are the busiest stations in Hackney so are the prime choices in terms of the number of commuters. Then to the north Clapton station actually has 1.3 million commuters compared to 0.8 million at Stoke Newington. However, Stoke Newington would probably get the station the residents are more vocal. You know its true.



  7. Philip on Monday 22 December 2014 at 08:35

    Clapton could be improved immediately if Hertford East trains would only stop there, providing two additional express trains to Liverpool Street per hour and a four minute link to Tottenham Hale.

    The 23:40 from Liverpool Street to Hertford East, weekdays is the sole service on that line that stops at Clapton, arriving at 23:49, adding just two minutes to Journeys from Hertford East.

    This could up Clapton from one train every 15mins to one every 10mins.

    Incidentally, Clapton does get on the tube map when TFL takes over the lines in May.



  8. Barry Buitekant on Tuesday 23 December 2014 at 08:41

    For many years the Hertford East trains from and too Liverpool Street did stop at Clapton. I don’t think many people boarded trains to go towards Hertford East. But I suspect with the new housing developments at Tottenham Hale and elsewhere this would radically change. I would also like to see improvements to the two services from Liverpool Street running through Hackney to Enfield Town and Cheshunt. The current 2 trains an hour in densley populated areas is quite poor.



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