Crossrail 2 proposals get firm backing

The Chancellor has indicated that the government will back initial studies into the feasability of Crossrail 2.

Addressing parliament, George Osbourne also said that although the Department for Transport (DfT) would have to find savings of 9 per cent in day-to-day spending, an additional £9.5 billion will be made available for capital costs – taking the total infrastructure investment in 2015 to £50 billion.

Setting out the 2013 Spending Round, Osbourne said: “Britain was once the place where the future was invented. From the railway to jet engine to the world wide web. We can be that country again. And today we set out how we get there. And a huge amount of innovation and discovery still goes on.

“But successive governments of all colours have put short-term pressures over the long-term needs and refused to commit to capital spending plans that match the horizons of a modern economy. Today we change that.”

He added: “Here in London we’re digging Crossrail, the largest urban infrastructure project in Europe.

“But we will do more – looking at the case for Crossrail 2 linking London from North to South.

“And we’re going to give the Mayor almost £9 billion pounds of capital spending and additional financing power to the end of this decade.”






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