Croxley Rail Link Moves Forward
Planning applications for the two new stations, viaduct and electricity substation for the Croxley Rail Link are being submitted this month.
Construction of the new structures was approved as part of the legal powers granted to Hertfordshire County Council and London Underground last summer, but the detailed designs must first be approved by Watford Borough Council and Three Rivers District Council, who will consider the applications in the early spring.
Meanwhile, overgrown vegetation along the Croxley Rail Link route will continue to be cleared over the next few months by contractors working for Hertfordshire County Council. Trees and bushes have sprung up along the disused line and contractors have been on site since mid-December, using machinery to clear the line ahead of construction work, which is due to start later in 2014.
Clearing the overgrown vegetation from the disused line at this time of year as it's calculated that this will be least disruptive to local wildlife. Ground investigations to gather geological information are continuing and surveys of possible electricity cables, water pipes, sewers and communications cabling are being carried out.
Hertfordshire County Council and London Underground now expect that trains will be running on the new link in 2017, later than originally planned.
Liberal Democrat Elected Mayor of Watford, Dorothy Thornhill said, "It is good news that planning applications are about to be made and that preparatory work has started as the Croxley Rail Link is a key transport improvement for the town. The delay to 2017 does not affect our big projects as we always knew that a complicated scheme like this may have some slippage"
More information about the project can be found on www.croxleyraillink.com
Watford Borough Council will consider the planning applications for the new viaduct, Cassiobridge Station, Watford Vicarage Road Station and the electricity substation.
Three Rivers District Council will consider the planning application for the new viaduct.