Examination of Witnesses (Questions 5100
- 5119)
5100. CHAIRMAN: There is another different
question.
5101. MS JORDAN: My question is whether
you have ever done an alignment analysis of the Whitechapel Station
parallel and under Whitechapel Road.
(Mr Berryman)
No, we never have done—mainly because we could not identify
sites for the extensive surface works which are needed at each
end of the station. As will become clear later, when we discuss
other stations in the process, there are substantial sites needed
at each end of the station. The two sites which I have identified
here, Essex Wharf and the car park at Sainsbury's, were the only
available sites at the time. Clearly, going south of them would
be quite difficult, with the hospital being developed, and the
space between Whitechapel Road and the existing underground line
would be insufficient to get the kind of structures that we need
in there. That was established by reconnaissance rather than necessarily
by a book kind of study which you may see in other areas.
5102. CHAIRMAN: Do you have anything
else?
5103. MS JORDAN: We know that we are
talking real time, at this moment in time, and one of the things
I would like to point out to Mr Berryman is that the post office
site and the site behind it are available and would make an ideal
site for putting this through. They are entirely outside any residential
area. His Mott MacDonald reports tell us that the alignment on
Whitechapel is a considerably better alignment than his northern
one.
(Mr Berryman) Mott MacDonald reports have never said any
such thing. There was a report prepared by the safeguarding team
of London Underground in 2001. I ought to mention that that was
at the stage before the Deputy Prime Minister had given approval
for the project to go ahead. It was done, if you like, on spec
by that safeguarding team, who said there was a potential alignment.
They were only looking at tunnel alignment issues—because
they are tunnelling engineers, as was mentioned by Mr Schabas—and
they said there was a possible curve out of Liverpool Street.
This is the famous alignment B.[24]
I do not recall them saying that that was better or worse than
any other alignment and certainly Mott MacDonald has never been
engaged in a study that says that.
5104. MS JORDAN: The Mott MacDonald report
which I believe was the final report on the route alignment—I
think it was November 2002—did say there would be a double
curve into the station. You at that stage had a northern route—in
fact your adopted route—which had spoil tunnels up to Pedley
Street and major worksites up there.
5105. CHAIRMAN: Ms Jordan, I think it
would be much better if we dealt with 2008.
5106. MS JORDAN: In fact it was 2002.
5107. CHAIRMAN: That is why I want to
get up-to-date.
5108. MS JORDAN: Okay. We have no Pedley
Street site, we have no worksite up there and we have a straight
alignment out of Liverpool Street into Whitechapel.
5109. CHAIRMAN: Are you talking about
a realignment of the tunnels?
5110. MS JORDAN: I am indeed.
5111. CHAIRMAN: Are you?
5112. MS JORDAN: Yes, I am indeed. I
am talking about route alignment.
5113. CHAIRMAN: It is a pity you did
not hear what I had to say about this this morning. There is nothing
that we can do about it. We are precluded from making any such
recommendation. I am sorry, but it is a complete waste of time
talking about it.
5114. MS JORDAN: Well, it may be a waste
of time talking but I like Annetta am an architect and a designer
and I believe in reality, and it is a real shame that words have
to be taken instead of the reality of engineering.
5115. CHAIRMAN: It is not a matter of
words. It is a matter of procedures, and had you been here this
morning you would heard what I had to say.
5116. MS JORDAN: I was here this morning,
sir. I was sat here trying to—
5117. CHAIRMAN: I explained why it is
that we cannot do anything about it, and I am afraid I cannot
go beyond that. I am not sure that I am going to have any more
interventions.
5118. MS JORDAN: Okay, okay.
5119. CHAIRMAN: All right, from you because
you are a Petitioner.
24 Committee Ref: A28, CrossRail Eastern Portal-Bow
Triangle Option, CrossRail Tunnel Alignments between Liverpool
Street and Bow Triangle (SCN-20080313-014) Back
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