Diocesan Press Release

Bishop paces railway route

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday 3 February 1998

The Bishop of Woolwich, the Rt Rev Colin Buchanan, who is a railway enthusiast, has walked the route to be followed by the Lewisham Extension to the Docklands Light Railway south of the Thames. He made a four-hour visit to the project, which crosses his pastoral area, on January 29. He watched a 2,000 ton concrete box, 50 metres long, being pushed through the railway embankment to take the new railway into the Lewisham Station complex. He went 20 metres underground to the new Cutty Sark Station excavation, and saw the southbound running tunnel. Back on the surface he viewed the continuously operating battery of pumps and other equipment needed to excavate the site so near the Thames.

"It was very impressive to see the scale of the construction," said the bishop. "It will be an important element in the transport network during the Millennium celebrations period."

The bishop was accompanied by the Rev John Paxton, Senior Chaplain to the South London Industrial Mission (SLIM). Bill Shepherd, the project manager, and Ian Page, liaison engineer, led the visitors along the length of the extension, which will be in operation by the year 2,000. They also had the opportunity to ask questions about the impact of noise and construction traffic on local residents, shops and churches, and how parishes are being changed because of the new line.

The bishop has previously visited the Jubilee Line extension to meet the people responsible for the major developments in his area.

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