Examination of Witnesses (Questions 11640
- 11659)
11640. Is there anything else on the Heathrow
link, Mr Murchie, or shall we move to the next point?
(Mr Murchie) I think we can move on to the
next point now.
11641. Perhaps I can summarise the next point.
You are talking, in essence, about a link to the Hammersmith and
City Line.
(Mr Murchie) Correct.
11642. What, in your original understanding,
was the proposal of the Promoters?
(Mr Murchie) The Promoters have advised us
that the design of the Crossrail station box would not preclude
an interchange with the Hammersmith and City Line, although they
have not sought powers for that in the Bill.
11643. Do they tell you abut the options?
(Mr Murchie) Yes. They have advised us that
a number of options have been considered, including a low level
subway link. However, all of these options that have been considered
have been rejected for a number of reasons, including difficulty
providing an adequate vertical access on to the Hammersmith and
City Line platforms and other engineering difficulties.
11644. Have you seen those options analysed
and explained?
(Mr Murchie) No. We do require further information
about these rejected options and the engineering difficulties
which are preventing them from being constructed.
11645. In due course, we will see a number of
plans from the Promoters as to several options.
(Mr Murchie) Correct. Some plans were forward
to us yesterday. I believe they are going to be explained today.
11646. Were those familiar documents?
(Mr Murchie) They were new documents, in as
much as we only received them yesterday, but in some ways they
were familiar, because we know that they are the types of options
that have been investigated, although the reasons for their rejection
had not been fully explained.
11647. So you have had some understanding about
the routes, but you did not have the detail of the approach.
(Mr Murchie) Yes. For example, one of the possible
links, a direct subway under the existing railway tracks, was
included in the Crossrail proposals previously before Parliament
in the 1990s.
11648. Again, what is it we seek of the Committee
on this aspect?
(Mr Murchie) With regard to the options which
have been investigated and rejected, we would like to see details
of the engineering assessments carried out by Crossrail which
have been referred to in their documentation. Further to that,
we would like obviously discussions to take place not only with
ourselves, but also the other stakeholders, particularly Network
Rail and London Underground Limited. As Mr King has mentioned
earlier, there already is a forum called the "Paddington
Station Review Group" where such discussions can take place
and, given that there are now plans available of these options,
we would like further technical assistance again involving those
same stakeholders to continue.
11649. So that is the process. What about the
end game? What is it that you seek by way of an ultimate solution?
(Mr Murchie) We seek a better link between
Crossrail and the Hammersmith and City Line than is currently
proposed. We consider that the route is fairly tortuous for interchanging
passengers. It requires them to come to surface level from Crossrail,
use platform one of Paddington mainline Station and the footbridge
and we feel, again subject to seeing the details of these engineering
assessments, that a better link could be provided.
11650. I ask you this not surprising question:
what is currently proposed? Do you know?
(Mr Murchie) We know what is currently proposed
which has moved on somewhat—
11651. Exactly.
(Mr Murchie)—from what is in the Bill
in terms of, again as was mentioned earlier, changes to the design
of Paddington Station, so what is currently the favoured option
is not what is in the Bill and the accompanying documentation.
11652. So you want a better link and when do
you want it?
(Mr Murchie) We want it to be open again from
the commencement of Crossrail operation and we also seek that
the direct links to the other Underground stations out of Paddington
apply from day one as well.
11653. So links with the other Underground lines
at the same time?
(Mr Murchie) Correct.
11654. So when you say "currently proposed",
and we have to go back to that, you cannot say whether it is going
to be a better link until you have had the material. Is that the
way you are putting it?
(Mr Murchie) That is correct. It is possible
that we may agree that the other proposals are unacceptable technically,
but that is why we want the discussions to take place with other
stakeholders who have a say in this to be part of those discussions
as well.
11655. I do not want to labour this, Mr Murchie,
but I have to ask you this because you are a technical witness.
Have you had material that enables you to form a view in your
discipline, for example, on this aspect? Have you had enough information?
(Mr Murchie) There has not been enough information
to date, no.
11656. In your understanding of the approach,
such as it is, what would you like most by way of the best solution,
as you see it, for linking with the Hammersmith and City Line?
Which is the best, as you see it, so far?
(Mr Murchie) Of the options that have been
investigated, the best solution is the direct subway link from
the Crossrail ticket hall under the existing mainline railway
tracks, coming out with a vertical access on to the existing Hammersmith
and City Line platforms.
11657. I will not hold you to a detailed distance,
but, in broad terms, is it shorter or longer?
(Mr Murchie) It is considerably shorter in
terms of walking distance.
11658. How is it in level change?
(Mr Murchie) Inevitably there needs to be some
level change, but it is certainly an improvement in level change
than coming up to ground level and then having to use an overbridge.
11659. How is it, do you see, in terms of conflict
with other travellers, and I am speaking of the surface station
passengers as well? Is there more or less conflict?
(Mr Murchie) The direct subway would provide
less conflict because the scheme currently being proposed certainly
has conflict with mainline rail passengers on platform one and
the footbridge and possibly on the concourse if those passengers
decide to take an alternative route to and from the Hammersmith
and City Line.
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