Actually seems that the Metro has worded it slightly wrong. From
http://www.thetube.com
Press release: November 16 2004
London takes over responsibility for building East London Line extension
Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, today pledged to deliver the £900m extension of the East London Line to Dalston, Croydon and Crystal Place by the end of the decade.
Responsibility for the project was officially transferred to the Mayor’s transport authority, Transport for London, on November 12th. The extension forms a key part of TfL’s 5 Year £10bn Investment Programme. It will help underpin London’s bid to host the Olympic Games in 2012 and boost economic development in north east, south east and south London.
The East London line will run a ‘metro’ service with trains running at Tube-style frequency.
Speaking at Canary Wharf station, Ken Livingstone said:
“Following our ground-breaking deal with the Government this summer, we are now in a position to get on and build this vital extension. It will be London’s first purpose-built metro rail service providing a vital north-south link and triggering up to £10 billion worth of economic development in some of London’s most deprived boroughs.
“The decision will be a big boost for everyone in north east and south London who have campaigned for this vital project. It will be completed by 2010 and will powerfully boost transport capacity for the Olympic Games.”
Bob Kiley, London’s Transport Commissioner said:
“Delivering this extension of the East London line is a major challenge for TfL and the work now starts in earnest. Our focus now is to get the right team in place and build on TfL’s experience of delivering transport improvements to take the East London line project forward. There will inevitably be some disruption as the work progresses, but the end result will deliver much needed transport improvements for both east and south London.”
The East London Line will be built in two phases. Phase 1 will extend the existing line north to Dalston Junction and south to Crystal Palace and West Croydon. This extension will be completed by June 2010 in good time to support a successful Olympic bid. It will reduce overcrowding at London Bridge station and provide frequent services for passengers travelling from south of London to the Olympic Park. Phase 2 will further extend the line west to Clapham Junction and connect the North London Line stations at Canonbury and Highbury and Islington.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The new line will eventually form part of an “orbital” rail service for London relieving congestion at central London stations and making many journeys much quicker and easier.
In phase 1, four new stations will be built at Dalston Junction, Haggerston and Hoxton and Shoreditch High Street. Another new station will be built at Surrey Canal Road during phase 2.
Train frequency on phase 1 will be 12 trains an hour from Dalston Junction to Surrey Quays. When phase 2 is completed, the train service will rise to 16 trains an hour in each direction through the central section.
If current tube line continued, passenger numbers would increase to 11.6m by 2011 – the new railway will carry 35.4m (phase 1). More than 50m passengers will use the line when both phases are complete.
Phase 1 of the new line will transfer an estimated 1.4 million journeys from road to rail – rising to two million when phase 2 is complete.
The Investment Programme follows a ground-breaking agreement with the Government giving London’s transport authority, Transport for London (TfL), certainty over funding for the next five years. For the first time ever, TfL has been allowed to borrow to get major projects moving and will be spending £10bn on capital projects over the next five years.
