The London Underground was and is pivotal to London’s growth and prosperity. It meant the urban poor were able to travel to work cheaply. It meant families were able to move out a little, to where they could afford two rooms rather than one. It meant the end of gruelling daily walks to and from the workplace in all weathers. It meant children being able to see trees and fields. It led to the development of our glorious suburbs and it also led to a less stratified society with people of all classes travelling together on the same trains.
In other words, the London Underground was a revolution and now London is poised on the brink of another. The tunnelling for Crossrail 1 is now complete. The tunnelling for Crossrail 2 could start as soon as 2017. There is already talk of Crossrail 3. The Crossrail revolution is coming. The question is: will Chelsea be part of it?
Personally I hope the answer will be a very big yes.
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