Crossing swords over Crossrail
By Jim Adlam
Richmond & Twickenham Times
Argument rages on this week over plans to remove the District Line from Richmond and build a new 10 billion-pound link into London instead.
The two sides seemed more firmly entrenched than ever as council leader Tony Arbour promised he would never give up the fight to save the District Line, while Twickenham MP Vincent Cable said Cllr Arbour would never be forgiven if he successfully sabotages Crossrail.
Dr Cable, who last week hosted a parliamentary debate on Crossrail, this week met the scheme's chief executive, Norman Haste, to make the case for residents in Twickenham, Teddington and Hampton Wick who could have access to a fast rail route into the heart of London.
He was highly critical of the role played by Cllr Arbour in making Richmond the only borough in London to oppose the project.
Dr Cable said: "The rail authorities and the promoters of Crossrail are utterly perplexed by the intemperate and hostile reaction of Richmond Council. There is a genuine but not major issue for a relatively small number of residents in Kew, and it is right to look for a solution, but tens of thousands of people in Teddington, Hampton Wick and Strawberry Hill will lose out on a major opportunity for transport improvements if Mr Arbour sabotages the project. He will not be forgiven if, instead of working constructively to make Crossrail happen, he is the cause of its failing."
But Cllr Arbour was unrepentant. He hit back: "It is my responsibility to represent all my constituents.
"It is sad that our Lib Dem MP and his colleagues seek to make Crossrail a party political matter and try to belittle those who will suffer if the Richmond branch of the District Line were to close. They may believe that 30,000 travellers is 'a relatively small number'; but all of them are important to me.
"Cable should know that to accommodate Crossrail, the necessary new infrastructure between Richmond and Kingston could provide capacity for District Line trains. He should realise that there will be enormous disruption caused by the vast engineering works required.
"However, he and his friends supinely accept the Crossrail management's story."
Meanwhile, a treasury source said that there were serious doubts about the prospects of the ambitious scheme "unless the private sector comes up with most of the investment - and there is no sign of that happening".
However, a spokesman for Crossrail said the project had already met with approval from business leaders and was on track.