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All systems go for a world class railway
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent23.07.08
The £16 billion rail link which will transform transport in London passed a historic milestone today.
The Queen gave her formal royal assent to the Crossrail Bill - putting the whole project on track to be operational by 2017.
Work will begin next year on two tunnels which will run from Paddington to Canary Wharf, giving millions of passengers faster and more comfortable commutes.
The step ends decades of wrangling and comes after a long-running Evening Standard campaign.
The line will run from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west through tunnels under central London - with new stations at Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel and Isle of Dogs - then out to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.
More than 200 million passengers are expected to travel on Crossrail each year and it will run 24 trains an hour in each direction through central London during peak times.
The service will provide an alternative to packed Tube lines and will boost the development of Canary Wharf and the Thames Gateway.
Douglas Oakervee, chairman of the company behind the scheme, promised a new "world class affordable railway" for London. Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly, who played a key role in clinching the funding deal, said: "Crossrail has been talked about for decades and work can finally begin to deliver this fantastic project." Mayor Boris Johnson hailed the funding as a "cracking deal". He said the east-west link was vital to the future prosperity of the capital and would boost the quality of life of many Londoners, with shorter journeys, as well as benefiting visitors.
"Most importantly it can act as a catalyst for regeneration across the whole of our city," he said. "Londoners-living in the east will have far greater access to jobs in the centre of London and we expect to see the areas where they are living flourish from private sector investment in housing and development."
Mr Oakervee, of Cross London Rail Links, said: "After years of planning and discussion, we are ready to move into the delivery phase."
Baroness Valentine, chief executive of business group London First, said: "Final parliamentary approval signals government intent to get moving on this crucial project. But, more than that, it signals a world city investing in its future competitiveness." The Crossrail Act allows land to be bought and in effect gives outline planning permission to the scheme, the biggest engineering project since the Channel tunnel.
It was passed at the last minute by the House of Lords after months of legislative scrutiny. Every clause of the bill, which details all aspects of the development from where the tunnels will be bored to which buildings will be demolished to make way for new stations and ventilation shafts, was pored over by two committees - one in the Commons and the other in the Lords.
Ms Kelly had made clear she would force Parliament to sit late to pass the "hybrid Bill", an unusual Parliamentary device which gives the Crossrail company permission to build the project in the wider public interest.
Crossrail will be run by Transport for London in a significant extension of the body's powers. Steve Norris, the former Tory mayoral candidate and transport minister, is to take a key role in overseeing the project.
During the Conservative government of the 1990s Mr Norris pushed for the project but was bitterly disappointed when the Treasury ruled it did not represent value for money. This time round it will be funded by a combination of private and public cash. The Department for Transport is guaranteeing £5.6billion, the Mayor, through Transport for London and the Greater London Authority, will raise up to £7.7 billion, using a combination of borrowing on the back of the future revenues from a business levy and fares, plus other sources, while Network Rail has pledged £2.3 billion.
It is estimated that Crossrail will boost the UK economy by £20 billion and up to 14,000 people will be employed in its construction.
Enabling works will take place next year with the main construction starting in 2010. It will take seven years to bore deep under central London and build the massive stations associated with the project. Each will be a huge Tube interchange and some will see major new developments of shops, offices, hotels and private housing.
London's Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy said: "The importance of Crossrail to London's economy and transport network cannot be overstated.
"When complete, it will carry twice as many passengers as the Jubilee line, increasing London's public transport network capacity by 10 per cent."
Reader views (29)
Trains; sorry guv don't go south of the river!
- Mr S.Port, London
Oh dear, I know this should be good news; why do I fear a long, thin subterranean Dome?
- Mdj, Leyton, e10 london
Hi. Are any of the sections going to be affected by the expected (or worst case) rise in sea levels?
I'm just wondering if allowance for flood protection is in the costs, and that such a big scheme will have the longevity of the tube.
- Dan Bonnick, witney, oxon, uk
Why was the Queen's approval necessary for the project to get on track? Surely she is no transportation expert, neither is she funding it. Surely her opinion matters naught.
- Barry Antelope, Fulham
I do agree the importance of Crossrail to London's economy and transport network cannot be overstated however is it a case "London comes up a winner again"? When are the Government going to waken up, the whole damn country needs a serious transport upgrade. For example have you tried driving from Newcastle or Carlisle to Edinburgh or worse still to Aberdeen. These roads are appalling considering the revenue that Alistair Darling receives from oil and gas etc. Granted the 'City of London' is a world leader when it comes to Finance however there is still some Manufacturing industry that also needs a supporting infrastructure out with London. Unfortunately there is little sign of any development on improving the lot for others.
- James Watson, Kirkcaldy
"The importance of Crossrail to London's economy and transport network cannot be overstated" - Peter Hendy. May I congratulate Peter Hendy on his use of "overstated" instead of the usual - and incorrect - "understated" (or "underestimated") - though paradoxically "understated" might have been a better word for a project that might be a bit hyped up( or do I mean over-hyped?)
- David Baugh, Rome, Italy
In a city like London you are never going to please everyone. But the remarks on here seem to show that these letter pages are all about moaning and less about making London a better place to live.
- Dave Smith, Croydon
There used to be a great railway line from Crystal Palace (High Level station) via Honor OAK, Nunhead to London Bridge but alas it has been built on.
- Angry Of Alton, Alton UK
All those in the south should migrate north. We all know it's better so stop fooling around down there.
- Tony Tiger, Highgate, London
The public transport in the UK is a joke, over priced, bureaucratic, slow and painful. However this sounds like a good idea so I hope it goes well; unfortunately I can see this being yet another money hole and jobs for the boys. If you want a reliable and trusted transport company to take this country forward then ask National Express to lead project management for the whole country in terms of public transport. They are world class!
- Richard, Bristol
Yet more money wasted on London and the rest of the UK goes ignored!
- Annoyed Yorkshire Man, UK
Once you've left Whitechapel it uses the same line that's been there for years - couldn't they have built some new stations and track through Newham, Barking, Dagenham etc past Lakeside way - these are areas in desperate need of investment and hope, and maybe this would spread the wealth a bit?
And 'Gray, Scotland' - we already are paying for the Olympics through higher council tax bills yet the money generated will be spread through the UK - so I agree its not very fair is it?
- Jason, london
Yeah! finally it's about time we saw some investment in London Transport!
- Phil, London
Hurrah for the Crossrail connecting parts of London that were previously only connected by an enormous tube network. Don't worry about us living South of the river, we've got Southern, South West trains and First Great Western, your friendly neighbourhood "couldn't run a drink up in a brewery" rail companies.
- Late Again, Carshalton
By the end of the project it will have cost the rest of the country double that (ie £32B ). Still, Manchester can have a new Tax system heavily disguised as a congestion charge.
- Max Dutton, Bolton, England
.. while the Cross River Tram has been put on ice. Congrats!
- Carsten Haferkamp, London
"Good to see that London is getting another 16bn spent on it over and above the exorbitant amount the 2012 Olympics will eventually cost."
Don't forget the multi-billion cost of the Tube refurbishment, also met by central taxpayers. Oh, and the similarly expensive Victoria line extension, and the Jubilee line extension, and the Docklands Light Railway. And, of course, CrossRail is funded by cancelling tram systems for other cities.
Why is public transport in other cities such an unmitigated disaster? It's because all the central government funds are spent on London, who's public transport system is already hugely extensive.
- Bob Frigo, Bristol, UK
What depressing comments to some of the best transport news London has had for ages.
The implication of Rod amd Tim's comments is that, if any transport initiative does not provide better connections for South London, it is, as Tim has it, "a waste of ... money".
Surely Crossrail should be seen alongside Thameslink, another multi-billion pound cross-London rail line which will vastly improve capacity and, oh yes, is all about offering improved access for South London. Perhaps people living in West and East London should object that Thameslink is "a waste of money"?
Gray's comment is even more depressing: Scotland will automatically receive an increased capital allocation as a result of this transport investment in London. That's the way public funding works with devolution. It doesn't matter whether it is needed more there than, say, North-East England -- it will go straight to Scotland. Although I can't argue with his comment on the bloated cost of the Olympics.
Interestingly, the Scottish Government is re-opening railway lines and electrifying at a frenetic pace. Pity the London DfT can't apply itself in the same way.
- Paul, London, England
Actually part of South London is getting access as Crossrail will go to Woolwich and Abbey Wood. It is also getting a tube of sorts - the East London Line extension to Crystal Palace and West Croydon opens in 2010 - which means trains every few minutes through areas like New Cross, Forest Hill and Sydenham. And funding has been approved for the Thameslink project, which has started, and will mean frequent 12 car-trains. Approval for the tramlink to Camberwell and Peckham depends on The Mayor I guess. But it's not all doom and gloom.
- Dave, London
Another hike to our expensive train fares to fund this.
- Louise Sanders, Northants
It really is time there was a bit of though for the south of London. It's like a completely different city.
- D, Dulwich
As with so many infrastructure developments in this country, there are obvious design flaws in the Crossrail proposal that will take many millions to rectify after construction.
One of the key stated objectives of Crossrail was to link up major transport hubs to create a better integrated and more efficient network.
Instead, the route begins in the west at Maidenhead rather than mainline-connected Reading. The route then runs past Heathrow (they say a link may be added at some time in the future..) and likewise bypasses King's Cross, surely central London's biggest traffic interchange, in favour of Farringdon Road. In the east it again bypasses another of our under-served gateways at London City.
It's easy to see already how the £16bn budget could be merely the opening bid in another transport funding lottery.
- R. Goodacre, London SW15
So what pressure are you applying to Bromley council for transport solutions?
Bromley was responsible for ending the GLC "Fares Fair" project 25 years ago, so it is hardly the most pro-public transport authority in London.
- Jon10, London
Well done Boris! Another example where the Conservatives know what Londoners want.
- Mikey, Essex
Is it just me, or does it look a bit old-fashioned? Shouldn’t it be much more “space age”? It looks to me like something from the 70s, which is probably apt given that the unions will no doubt ensure it works about as well as something from that era!
- St, London
Great news... now lets do this properly, no cut backs or anything!
- Sean Kirwin, london
This route is useless to me as much as it is useless to other South Londoners, it will still take me hours to get to work.
- Rod, Streatham
Good to see that London is getting another 16bn spent on it over and above the exorbitant amount the 2012 Olympics will eventually cost.
- Gray, Scotland
What a flipping joke, South of the river totally ignored again. West to East already has trains, tubes, buses and roads.
SE London has no underground.
What a waste of my money. London sucks.
- Tim Groves, Bromley SE London
