Croxley Rail Link gets final go ahead

Hertfordshire County Council and London Underground have been granted the legal powers needed to build, operate and maintain the Croxley Rail Link.

The move represents the final go ahead for the £118m scheme, which will be the largest infrastructure project the County Council has ever delivered and the first new railway line built in the county since 1925.

The scheme will see the Metropolitan Line re-routed and extended to Watford Junction via Watford High Street. New stations will be provided on the new rail link at Ascot Road near Croxley Business Park, which forms a park and ride site for the area, and Vicarage Road serving the Watford General Hospital and the proposed Watford Health Campus development.

The new rail link will support growth and economic development in south-west Hertfordshire as well as improving connections into London and reducing the strain on Watford’s road network.

Three Rivers District Council has worked closely with Hertfordshire County Council and Watford Borough Council on the scheme's development.

Three Rivers' Cabinet Member for the Environment, Cllr Martin Trevett, who has been involved with the project since its inception, said:

"Many Croxley residents campaigned for the rail link over many years and we welcome the clear benefits to residents and the economy.

"We will continue to put the interests of Croxley residents first in terms of managing environmental and noise issues, and to make sure compensation arrangements are fair."

Construction work on the Scheme is due to begin in 2014. A more detailed works programme is currently being compiled and will be published once detailed engineering designs are completed. The target date for trains to start running on the new link is 2016.

Hertfordshire County Council, London Underground, Network Rail, Watford Borough Council and Three Rivers District Council are working in partnership to deliver the project.