Proposals for the Chelsea-Hackney tube line, first mooted in the 1930's are back on the table once again.  A working group from business consortium London First, chaired by former transport secretary Lord Adonis, has published a report urging support for Crossrail 2 and favouring route option B below.  If the proposals win political and financial support it will be at least 2033 before the line will be operating.

	The Safeguarded route of Crossrail 2 is shown left and includes stations at Dalston Junction, Hackney Central and Homerton. This route has been safeguarded since the 90's and most recently in 2008. The Mayor asked Transport for London to look at two route options in 2011 and the London First report  draws on the Tfl's interim report in July 2012. London First appears to rule out the safeguarded route which is "being reviewed at the moment and may be amended in late 2013/ early 2014"
	Option A+ This is a tube line from Ally Palace to Wimbledon with a station at Dalston Junction.   The route does not include Hackney Central or Homerton.
	Option B This is a crossrail style line with bigger trains and suburban extensions.   In the north the Ally Pally branch is the same as Option A+.   The other branch goes though Hackney Central and then north to Tottenham Hale and on to Cheshunt and Hertford East. This option does not include a station at Homerton.

The arguments put forward for the line by London First are based on an increase in London's population and growth in central London jobs, leading to strain on overcrowded tube systems, especially with the arrival of HS2.    While journey times from Dalston Junction to Tottenham Court road would be cut leading to "massive regeneration benefits" the needs of Hackney are not really central to the argument put forward for the line or the different route options.

I'd like to see a Hackney-centric analysis of this and other transport proposals, including Crossrail 1 and the Mayor's rail vision which envisages upgrade of North Anglia services to London Overground standards.  Improved services at Cambridge Heath, London Fields, Hackney Downs, Clapton, Stoke Newington, Rectory Road and Stamford Hill would improve journey times for other parts of Hackney as well.  What will be the impact on local jobs, car use, cycling, net migration, deprivation, local communities?  What does Hackney need from its rail services?