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Boris Johnson vows to fight off new threat to Crossrail project
Pippa Crerar, City Hall Editor19 May 2010
The future of Crossrail is again under threat after Boris Johnson claimed today the key infrastructure project was not yet “signed, sealed and delivered”.
The Mayor revealed that although the cross-capital rail link would go ahead in some form, it was in real danger of being scaled back by the new government.
He warned ministers he would stage a “Stalingrad defence” of London's £9.3 billion annual transport budget.
Mr Johnson's words will put him at loggerheads with Transport Secretary Philip Hammond, who announced last week the £16 billion rail scheme would go ahead but raised fears it could be scaled back.
It is the latest in a series of expected battles over funding. Last week the Mayor warned Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt not to cut the Olympics budget.
Mr Johnson's admission that the full plans for Crossrail are under threat raises the prospect of the Maidenhead or Abbey Wood spurs being abandoned. However, he pledged to fight “very, very hard” to protect the rail link in its entirety.
“Whether we are successful in that is yet to be established. But it's absolutely essential that we mount a Stalingrad defence of the London transport settlement,” he said.
“I'm broadly confident that we can keep the project going but it's going to take a huge amount of political effort to do so.
“Be in no doubt the Government will try and de-scope. Don't get the impression that this is all over, folks. There's a huge campaign of lobbying that is still to be done.
“I do not want you to rush away from today with the idea that it's all signed, sealed and delivered. That is simply not the case.”
Mr Hammond, who is meeting the Mayor for face-to-face talks next week, told the Standard last week that Crossrail would go ahead.
“I think the funding for Crossrail is already established. We are making sure that in delivering the project we absolutely optimise value for money,” he said.
Mr Johnson also warned the new coalition Government it would be “complete folly” to cut funding for Tube upgrade work.
He said it would be “utter lunacy” to starve London's transport network of funds which were crucial to economic recovery.
“I think it would be complete folly on the part of the Government to seek to de-scope the [Tube] upgrade programme,” he told the London Assembly. “We will be advocating very, very strongly to the coalition government that it would be very unwise.”
He added: “We need to upgrade it, we need the capacity gains and the City needs it and we're going to fight for it.
“We should be making that message loud and clear to all our friends in
government.”
Reader views (4)
I know that Crossrail has been examined in great detail more than once. It is extremely unlikely that any money can be saved by delay, and I fear that prices may be higher later.
I fear that delays to investment are the easiest way to take money out of this year's gross Government budget.
I think value for money would be to let the tunnelling contracts on time this summer.
What do Philip Hamnmond and George Osborne think?
- Alan Griffiths, Forest Gate, LONDON, 23/05/2010 21:23
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Seems we are back to having another Transport Secretary who knows nothing about his brief!!!
Crossrail is simple it is the joining of the GWR (once electrified) to the GER by a tunnel under central London thus allowing trains to travel accross London East/West in the same way that Thameslink allows trains to cross London North/South with a joint station at Farringdon.
As for the Abbey Wood spur this just happens to contain the station which serves Canary Whalf and North Greenwich and is being paid for for Canary Whalf Group!! If it is not built then no further development will be possible in this area and multi national businesses might as well move to Paris or Brussells where they know how to provide 21st century public Transport.
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex, 20/05/2010 19:57
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Good on BORIS,
MAKING A STALWART FIGHT -
in SUPPORT OF CROSS-RAIL
and the essential TUBE UP-GRADE.
BRAVE AS BORIS IS, HE should NOW:
RE-VISIT his IMPETUOUS and HASTY CANCELLATION of CROSS-RIVER TRAM, and REVERSE A BAD DECISION.
The PRE-PLANNING COST £ 19--millions.
Such a VITAL LINKING of CAMDEN, KINGS CROSS, EUROSTAR, ST PANCRAS, EUSTON (HST 2 Terminus), WATERLOO, Lambeth, BRIXTON, CLAPHAM, ELEPHANT & CASTLE, to PECKHAM, should AT THE VERY LEAST, be KEPT 'ON HOLD'.
Also REGRETTABLE - Mayor Boris's WASTED Millions on SCRAPPING the existing 'Bendy-Bus' FLEETS;
Together With Wasting MANY MORE MILLIONS over his Personal Political INDULGENCE and Obsessive Fixation,
searching for an UN-NECESSARY 'NEW' ROUTE-MASTER.
- ROGER BAILEY, GROVE PARK, S E LONDON, 20/05/2010 06:45
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Yes, do a John Smith! (not relating to this, he would have changed his view on somethings in 2010 had he lived)
Good Luck!
- M, London, 19/05/2010 15:11
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