Examination of Witnesses (Questions 5900
- 5919)
5900. Chairman: Mr Stoker, just before
you do, for the record, all the additional documents are A69.
5901. Mr Stoker: I am grateful, sir.
(Mr Boyton) Yes. Information was provided in
response to the questions about what is the analysis, what is
the basis for Shenfield as being termed the eastern terminus,
and appear to relate back to the London East-West Study which
was undertaken by the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority and published
in 2000. They looked at a number of alternatives for linking both
sides of London, West to East. I believe there were three tunnel
options and then two options for each of those tunnels as to whether
it be only metro services or a regional express service. The conclusions
of the study were that in their view the alignment that had been
safeguarded for Crossrail linking to a regional metro service
was the one that they recommended be further looked at and designed
up. However, in that there is no reference to Shenfield as such
as being the automatic and obvious terminus on the eastern side
of Crossrail. It refers to the Metro service.
5902. Can we just delve a little deeper into
this to understand any perceived benefit that might flow at the
north-east end of the branch, and in particular at Shenfield and
your borough? If we go then to appendix 3, this is an extract
from volume 2 of the Environmental Statement which indicates one
aspect of Crossrail's benefit.[16]
If one looks at 7.3.31 it is stated that Crossrail will bring
about an 11 per cent increase in the number of households without
access to a car within a 30-minute isochrone of the centres listed.
"This will significantly improve access to key shops, services
and entertainment facilities for this population." So an
important perceived advantage to those who do not have the benefit
of a car. Then looking at the table in 7.3, your comments on the
Brentwood figures, which we see is zero per cent?
(Mr Boyton) It is interesting
to note that in terms of the major centres that are identified
in that table 7.3 Crossrail themselves do not identify any percentage
increase in numbers of households without access to a car benefiting
from the Crossrail proposals to those key central area facilities—shops,
services and entertainment facilities.
5903. Where does the major benefit appear to
fall?
(Mr Boyton) It appears to fall within London
itself. The highest percentages are Slough and Southall, with
other percentage increases of round about 11 per cent at Romford
and Ilford as you get further down the line into London.
5904. Mr Stoker: That is one aspect of
the perceived benefit.
5905. Mr Binley: Before we move on, I
am slightly concerned that I understand this correctly. I do not
understand how Crossrail can reduce in this particular fashion
and yet we have got a reduction of 16 per cent for Maidenhead.
Can I understand that?
(Mr Boyton) I am not able to explain that either,
sir.
5906. Mr Binley: It just seems absolute
nonsense.
5907. Mr Stoker: All I can assume, sir,
is that there is some transfer of flow or activity from one part
of the network to the other.
5908. Mr Binley: If that figure is not
correct all the rest are suspect, are they not?
5909. Ms Lieven: Sir, I can explain,
if it is helpful.
5910. Chairman: Keep it for when you
respond, I think.
5911. Mr Binley: Thank you.
5912. Mr Stoker: I am going to examine
another aspect of the perceived benefit if it is not access to
facilities by non-car modes, and that is the question of journey
times. Appendix 4.[17]
Can I just say, sir, in passing, if I may, I am going to take
the witness to table 18.1 but if you look at 18.2 you there also
see set out in tabular form the conclusions of the Environmental
Statement on impact. CT4b refers to the Friars Avenue car park
and CT4b, the second reference, is the Hunter Avenue car park.
As you go to the right you see "significant impact".
If you look at the column "Committed mitigation", quite
strikingly (a matter of concern to this authority) you see "None"
in the columns. That is, really, why we are here. Going back to
18.1 and the perceived improvement in journey times, this is for,
as it were, the metro service stopping at more frequent stations.
We will look at the other opportunities if one looks at Shenfield.
Can you comment on 18.1, if you would, in terms of the perceived
advantages both from Shenfield and to Shenfield?
(Mr Boyton) Again, the table is
setting out what Crossrail perceived to be benefits in travel
saving times from Shenfield into London or from London to Shenfield.
Of the four journeys that the table sets out—Heathrow, Tottenham
Court Road, Farringdon and Canary Wharf—from Shenfield to
Canary Wharf there is no saving in journey time; Heathrow and
Farringdon six minutes, and Tottenham Court Road seven minutes.
On the reverse journey from London to Shenfield, of the four journeys
only one, Tottenham Court Road, shows a saving at all. The others
have no savings. Tottenham Court Road to Shenfield shows a saving
of three minutes.
5913. So a simple conclusion on that, if you
could, but in terms of perceived advantages to those at the end
of the line at Shenfield?
(Mr Boyton) There appears to be no significant,
if any, advantage in journey saving times to commuters from Shenfield.
5914. When it says "without Crossrail"
that is comparing Crossrail against the existing metro service
that stops at regular occasions on the network. Is that right?
(Mr Boyton) I would assume that to be the case.
5915. Let us look at another option, which is
that you do have the benefit, of course, of a fast train service.
If we could ask for Appendix 5, rather than taking time looking
at the whole of this, which would be unproductive, what I would
invite you to do is just postulate that we are someone who might
be working in London, perhaps travelling to Stratford, and then
travelling home to Shenfield.[18]
That might be a typical journey. I am looking at page 8. On the
right-hand side, at the bottom, if one can pick out the train
service in the evening just before five o'clock, it would depart
Stratford at 1648 and it would arrive at Shenfield at 1704, taking
some 16 minutes to get home after a day's work (if one was able
to leave at five o'clock). Your comment on that in terms of effective
journey times?
(Mr Boyton) It appears the fast
train journey time from Stratford to Shenfield is an extremely
quick and productive service.
5916. Do you have experience of this service?
(Mr Boyton) I have, yes.
5917. When we look at the figures of 15, 16
or 17 minutes, this is typical, is it?
(Mr Boyton) It is.
5918. If you turn the page and look at the reverse
journey into work from Shenfield to Stratford, one can pick up
a service at 0758, top left-hand corner, arriving at Stratford
at 08.15, so that is a 17-minute journey into work.
(Mr Boyton) Again, one can see that for both
journeys, the journey into London and the journey out of London,
there is a very fast train service from Stratford into Shenfield.
5919. If one compares those 16, 17-minute fast
journeys into Stratford and what has been postulated in terms
of Crossrail, can you give us a comparative analysis?
(Mr Boyton) The average journey times on a
slow train stopping at all stations from Shenfield into Stratford,
the journey times are around about 33 minutes as opposed to those
fast train journey times of something like 16, 17 minutes.
16 Committee Ref: A69, Environmental Statement, Appendix
3, Para 7.3.31 (BRWDBO-14905-047). Back
17
Committee Ref: A69, Environmental Statement, Appendix 4, Table
18.1 Journey Time savings (Platform to Platform) to and from Shenfield;
and Table 18.2 Route Window NE17- Temporary impacts (BRWDBO-14905-048). Back
18
Committee Ref: A69, Environmental Statement, Appendix 5, Train
Time Tables (BRWDBO-14905-049 -50). Back
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