Can I say straight away that my view on the danger of the ELL being "swamped" by stopping fast trains at NXG is one that is shared by senior rail planners.

About two and half years ago, I attended a "High Level Rail Meeting" organised by LBL which brought together TOCs, Network Rail, Lewisham officers and local civic societies to discuss future rail needs. Representing FH Soc was Peter Irby, then head of the FH Soc Transport Committee. Peter, keen to gain easy access for local rail passengers to Thameslink trains, asked why Thameslink trains couldn't stop at NXG. One of the key reasons why this wouldn't work, Peter was told by Network Rail was the danger that this could "draw too many passengers from outside London onto the ELL".

If you won't accept this from me at least listen to professional rail planners.

I have the greatest of respect for Michael but there really is a danger in these circumstances of drawing up ill-thought out schemes without fully thinking through the exact, and sometimes unintended, consequences.

Michael himself has pointed out earlier one of the biggest holes in this scheme - how on earth you would get 2,000 extra passengers heading for our part of the world on each of the already packed fast trains from LB?

Many people when they spot a huge hole in their calculations decide that the course that they have been following is wrong and drop the idea. I can only suppose that when you are in a hole most of us, myself included, often keep digging.

The point raised by New Forester about what is to stop Surrey commuters from gaining acccess to the ELL at Norwood Junction is very simple - absolutely nothing. I am fully confident that ELL trains from W Croydon in the morning will be packed to bursting point by the time they arrive at FH. The other four trains coming from Crystal Palace will be less full since they don't, of course, go through NJ. My point would be - you already have ample opportunity for crowded ELL, so why make things worse by encouraging Surrey commuters to interchange at NXG?