Darling confirms commitment to Crossrail
Crossrail, the £10bn proposed rail link between east and west London, has the Government’s full backing – as long as supporters can prove its viability.
Transport Secretary Alistair Darling laid out the future for the project in a written statement to the Commons today, noting that an expert government team would be set up to ensure that the current proposals are deliverable.
There will be a consultation on the issue later in the year, which could result in Government support for a bill to take Crossrail forward.
Mr. Darling said: ‘There is a clear transport case for Crossrail and we remain committed to the scheme.’
However, he stressed that the project would have to offer good value for London, and that businesses in the capital would have to be prepared to invest in the initiative.
‘We need to be sure that we have a robust plan for delivering and funding the project, with effective mechanisms to ensure those who benefit from it contribute as fully as possible to meeting the costs,’ Mr. Darling explained.
Indeed, the Prime Minister himself has been meeting with business leaders in London today to discuss funding for Crossrail.
Cross London Rail Links, the team behind the idea (made up of Transport for London and the Strategic Rail Authority), intends to create a central east-west tunnel across London, with services extending along two branches in both directions.
Trains will pass through the Isle of Dogs or Stratford and across the Thames to the East, and go to Heathrow and Kingston in the West, while providing more local services in between.
CLRL insists that the project would be cost effective, taking up to 200,000 passengers off the current underground system during peak periods, and creating as many as 100,000 jobs.
