The Arun Valley line, and much of the Outer London lines are basically one-up, one-down. Express trains would not be able to get past stopping trains. Taking a train from London to Brighton via Arundel which would take 2 hours rather than 50 minutes kind of undermines the whole point of the...
I haven't avoided it (a) because you haven't asked it and (b) it's completely the wrong question to ask.
A far more pertinent one is - how much does Sussex and Kent have to pay to not have this option?
AND the Ouse Valley Viaduct. AND the doubling of line capacity south of Haywards Heath. AND the congestion at East Croydon which can't cope with any more capacity.
BML2 isn't planned to go through East Croydon. It doesn't have the capacity.
BML is tits-up every day - dispute or no dispute.
http://www.brightonandhoveindependent.co.uk/news/politics/report-no-case-for-government-to-progress-second-brighton-mainline-1-7847646
A study looking at a second Brighton Mainline has concluded there is currently ‘no case’ for the Government to take the scheme forward.
Campaigners been...