Cross-London rail link gains thumbs up
Work on a £16 billion high-speed rail line through the centre of London is to start in 2010 after winning the approval of Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
The long-awaited Crossrail project will link Maidenhead and Heathrow to Essex through the capital when trains are expected to use the connection by 2015.
The government is to fund a third of the project with the remainder coming from borrowing against future fares and a levy on London business rates, the BBC reported.
The link will add capacity to the stretched Underground network as well as improving connections to Heathrow and other airports.
Brown said: “Crossrail will add £20 billion to the UK gross domestic product. Today’s go-ahead proves that London works best when London works together.”
London Mayor Ken Livingstone said the approval was an “internationally recognisable vote of confidence” in the capital’s economy.
“Crossrail is not just a transport scheme, it is the key to the next 20 years of economic development of London,” he said.
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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