St George's Hospital Trust has backed the Crossrail 2 route through Tooting Broadway over Balham, as the consultation period deadline looms.

In an email sent to their members on Thursday, December 17, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust stated they support Crossrail 2 but are concerned about the proposed change of route from Tooting Broadway to Balham.

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The route change has been sore point for residents in Tooting and in Balham, since it came to light in October that Transport for London (TfL) would present Balham as their preferred option instead of Tooting Broadway.

TfL's managing director on Crossrail 2, Michele Dix, said that the discovery of poor ground conditions at Tooting Broadway means work to build a station there could take two years longer than a station at Balham, require more land space and cost twice as much.

Despite this, the St George's Trust is keen to see the station come through Tooting.

In the members email, a trust spokesman said benefits of the station included:

  • A station with wheelchair access, because Tooting Broadway currently has no step-free access. They say this will enable many of their patients to make their journey to the hospital by public transport rather than car
  • Improved accessibility for their growing number of staff
  • The reduction of overcrowding on the Northern Line
  • Local regeneration and economic benefits in and around Tooting

A station at Balham would also mean a shaft would need to be built on Wandsworth Common, which would cause disruption to the open space during the build and leave a lasting mark on the common.

Although the original Tooting Broadway route included a shaft on a different part of the Common, this was moved after a campaign by residents.

The consultation ends on Friday, January 8.