New platform at station will transform rail travel

By Nick Biskinis (Reader via email)

I’m calling on TfL and Network to build new platforms at Clapham High Street to create the South London ‘Crosslink’ where Victoria-Bromley South services could stop at Clapham High Street?

This would have the following effects

• reinstate direct fast trains from Clapham High Street to Victoria saving residents from taking the Northern line at Clapham North which has narrow island platforms, enabling people to get to Victoria in eight minutes
• provide direct orbital rail links across Lambeth and Southwark town centres, giving faster journeys between Clapham High Street and Brixton, Herne Hill and West Dulwich, so car or bus journeys of 50 minutes instead are replaced by rail trips of only 10-15 minutes
• this would take large numbers off school run car trips, freeing up road space and reducing both congestion and omissions
• Herne Hill, West Dulwich and Brixton residents would have access to the London Overground via-cross platform interchange at Clapham High Street

The costs of new platforms at Clapham High Street would only be about £3million but the benefits would easily outweigh the costs in terms of relieving pressure on the Northern line and crowded local buses and linking Lambeth and Southwark town centres comprehensively.