The rail industry has swung firmly behind plans for Crossrail 2 as outlined by former transport secretary, Lord Adonis.
The new north-south cross-London railway will relieve congestion and provide much-needed extra capacity. The line will see a new central tunnel built between Wimbledon and Tottenham.
The recommendation comes in the final report of London First’s Crossrail taskforce, chaired by Andrew Adonis. Welcoming the report, David Higgins, Network Rail chief executive, said, ‘If the capital’s economy is to continue to thrive then we must plan now, together, for the transport infrastructure requirements of London’s future.
‘Our projections show that by 2031 we will need to accommodate 36% more commuters into London each day. Network Rail is already delivering the biggest capacity improvement programme since the Victorian era, but even that will not be enough on some routes.’
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson is backing the plan. ‘The case for the construction of Crossrail 2 is incontestable and is made forcibly in this report,’ says Johnson. ‘Over the next 20 years London’s population is forecast to expand to levels that will clog the Tube and rail arteries of our great city if we do not provide more capacity.
‘There is no time to lose and my team will work closely with London First and others on developing plans for this vital railway.’
