Funding for Croxley Rail Link Given Green Light

The proposal is to close Watford Metropolitan Station altogether with the line being diverted from Croxley to Watford Junction. Between these two stops there will be two additional stations, Ascot road and Watford Hospital.

It is hoped the Croxley Rail Link will improve links between Watford and London. The aim of it is to improve transport links, increase the number of visitors to Watford town centre and boost the local economy. There will also be an extra station at Watford General Hospital due to the construction of a brand new health campus.

The new link will make it easier to travel in and around Watford whilst taking cars off the road which should result in less pollution! Another benefit of the proposed diversion is that 2,700 additional households will fall within an 800m catchment area of a station.

Although the feedback from people in the area is mostly positive, the proposed closure of the existing Metropolitan station in Watford has got some of the public worried. A twitter page called @SaveWatfordMet has been launched and over a thousand people have signed a petition against the closure.

The other main concern about the plans is that there will be heavy disruption due to the construction. Another worry is that with the removal of the current Watford met station, Cassiobury Park may now become isolated and will see an increase in crime in the park.

The scheme will be mostly funded by central government but is also being supported by local authorities in Hertfordshire. The completion date for the rail link is estimated to be 2016.

I will be keeping a close eye on this story as it develops.

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