Cross London Rail Links (CLRL) published its business case for the construction of London’s Crossrail at the beginning of last month, accompanied by a campaign-launch to win public support.
The UK’s proposed infrastructure project, which includes a possible 17km long tunnel through the capital (see T&TI, September 2003, p22), received government approval in July. The Secretary of State for Transport recently set up a specially appointed group of experts to evaluate the business case for value, affordability and deliverability.
This could be the most crucial aspect to the project. CLRL and the government already have the support of many London-based businesses, but there are still concerns. For example, BAA wanted to know if compensation claims had been taken into account should Crossrail replace the Heathrow Express service. Also, there are no solid proposals regarding the funding of the scheme.
These, and others, should be addressed before the Bill is put to government at the end of 2004.
