Crossrail 2 will be in operation from around 2030, and is planned to better connect London and the South East, via central London.
Initially, Transport for London (TfL) had proposed a Crossrail 2 station at Tooting Broadway, between Wimbledon and Clapham Junction. However, TfL have subsequently proposed that the station be located at Balham (instead of Tooting Broadway) because of costs arising from ‘ground conditions’.
It seems that building a station at Tooting Broadway is being pushed out – but it’s still a viable option, and TfL needs to understand how detrimental it would be for our community to miss out on the chance of having better transport links further down the Northern Line.
We believe that a station at Tooting Broadway, between Wimbledon and Clapham Junction, would be best for the residents of Mitcham and Morden, and we are against TfL moving the proposed station to Balham.
That's why myself and a group of Colliers Wood councillors have launched a petition in favour of a Tooting Broadway Crossrail 2 station.
An interchange at Tooting Broadway would directly benefit our area in so many ways.
Easing congestion on the Northern Line
Having a Crossrail 2 station further down the Northern Line at Tooting Broadway, rather than Balham, would relieve the huge overcrowding for commuters on the Northern Line that is worst between Tooting Bec and Stockwell.
This ‘Clapham Squeeze’ (which sees this stretch of line practically unusable between 8-9am each weekday morning) would be hugely eased by giving commuters an additional choice of travelling on Crossrail 2 to Victoria, Euston or a number of other central destinations, from Tooting Broadway.
Balham is already a very well connected station. Via Southern Railway, commuters can get to London Victoria directly from Balham, as well as to the rest of South London.
However, no Northern Line stations from Balham to the end of the line at Morden have direct rail connection. Therefore, a Crossrail 2 station at Tooting Broadway would transform the transport links at this end of the line.
Mitcham & Morden and ‘Regeneration’
A Crossrail 2 station at Tooting Broadway would transform the infrastructure of our area. For instance, Colliers Wood in particular is an area of ‘intensification’, and is being targeted by the Mayor’s Regeneration Fund.
While the Mayor’s remit focuses on improving the flow of traffic, cycle lanes, and reducing the congestion caused by buses, a tube station close by at Tooting Broadway would much be much better, and closer, for our local community than one at Balham.
By improving access to Tooting Broadway, a new station would be attracting investment not just to Tooting town centre and its connecting roads, but the surrounding areas in Mitcham and Morden too, which would be more easily accessible for commuters.
Meanwhile, Balham town centre has already seen significant investment and regeneration on its high street.
Such opportunities for investment should be better spread across this area of South West London.
Better connections from Mitcham & Morden
Having the station at Tooting Broadway would also mean that residents will be able to get to Clapham Junction in just four mins and Euston/Kings Cross St Pancras in twenty minutes. This would serve to attract business investment into the more southern section of the Northern Line
It would also improve the employment prospects of constituents in Mitcham and Morden, who will be able to travel further afield for work.
This is because transport links from Mitcham, Morden and Colliers Wood, to Tooting Broadway are much better than to Balham. Currently, there is only one bus that connects Balham to Mitcham, but there are five buses that connect Tooting Broadway to Mitcham.
This means a much-needed radical transformation for the areas of our constituency that are not served by a tube line.
Getting involved
There are three main ways that you can get involved.
Firstly, you can
download the petition attached and get your neighbours to sign it and send it back (by the end of December) to Siobhain at: 1 Crown Rd, Morden, SM4 5DD. The petition reads
‘We the
undersigned residents of Mitcham & Morden strongly object to the CrossRail2 station being sited at Balham. It is imperative that this station is at Tooting Broadway to improve transport infrastructure for the residents of Mitcham & Morden.’
Secondly, you can
attend a TfL consultation in your area and express your concerns. The TfL consultations that are taking place are as follows:
Wednesday 25 November 2015 12pm – 8pm - Outside 6 Selkirk Road, SW17 0ES
Thursday 26 November 2015 12pm – 8pm - Outside 6 Selkirk Road, SW17 0ES
Friday 27 November 2015 12pm – 8pm - Outside 3 Balham Grove, SW12 8AY
Saturday 28 November 2015 11am – 4pm - Outside 3 Balham Grove, SW12 8AY
Wednesday 2 December 2015 12pm – 8pm - Wimbledon Piazza, SW19 1QB
Thursday 3 December 2015 12pm – 8pm - Wimbledon Piazza, SW19 1QB
Saturday 12 December 2015 11am – 4pm - Outside 7 – 9 Bellevue Road, SW17 7EG
Monday 14 December 2015 12pm – 8pm - Central London Golf Centre, Burntwood Lane, SW17 0AT
Thirdly, you can
submit an online consultation to express your views. This is accessible on the Crossrail 2 website: https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/crossrail2/october2015/consultation
The TfL consultation was opened in October 2015, and
will close on Friday 8 January 2016.
This leaves a short window of opportunity to express your preference for Tooting Broadway – so please take this opportunity to make your voice heard.
Map screenshot taken from: http://crossrail2.co.uk/the-route/