Taken from the Kearney Files
Local Government journal 4th January 1919
The Woolwich Borough Council, at their last meeting, adopting a report from the General Purposes Committee, presented a report on a proposal for the construction at an estimated cost of £180,000 of a high - speed tube railway from Beresford Square passing under the river to the Great Eastern Railway Station at North Woolwich.
The railway is 5 furlongs 4.1 chains in length and consists of a single tube in which one train runs backwards and forwards. Beresford Square Station is a shallow cut - and - cover station, with platform level 14 ft. below street level.
The entrance is immediately adjacent to the Arsenal Gates. This station has two platforms -- one for arrival and the other for departure. The train is fitted with a door on each side for every right seats, so that loading and unloading takes place simultaneously and with a minimum of delay. North Woolwich Station would be at the side of No 3 platform of the G. E. R. Station, consisting of a 12 feet widening of that platform, do that passengers passing between the G. E. trains (No. 3) and the tube train, or vise versa would have only to cross the platform.
The railway (it was added) is on the Kearney high - speed system, by which the trains run on a single rail and are kept upright by a single overhead guide rail. The train is accelerated and retarded by means of a gradient of 1 in 7 at either end of the line. This permits of a speed of 60 miles per hour being reached in 23 seconds and the complete trip being performed in one minute. The gradients save approximately two - thirds of the power that would otherwise be required, as well as a corresponding amount of wear - and - tear due to brakes. They also take the line down to a considerable depth (110 feet) clear of the water bearing stratum below the river - bed and into the solid chalk. The high speed of the train allows it to make a double trip every three minutes. With this service, the capacity of the tube in each direction for one hour, with a four - car train, is 4,800 and a total capacity - including standing - room -- of about 8,000 persons per hour. The whole of the estimated traffic of 5,000,000 passengers can be carried each way in less than two hours working time per Diem.
The committee recommended : "That the scheme made no provision for extension to East Ham.,be informed that this Council views the proposal for the construction of a high - speed railway from Beresford Square to the Great Eastern Railway at North Woolwich with favour, but that they reserve to themselves their rights as a Local Authority to oppose the application should their rights in any way be prejudicially affected."
Mr. Dawson, in reply to a question, said that the scheme made no provision for extension to East Ham. With reference to a suggestion that the Council should approach one of the tube companies to run a tube from London to South Woolwich, he said such a tube would undoubtedly be of great value to the district, but there was a little difficulty in a municipal authority approaching a tube company, for the first question would be that of a contribution and he personally did not think that the Council should be asked to contribute to a scheme of that kind. Anyway, it was not a matter that could then be discussed in open council.
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