London mayor Boris Johnson has revealed that the likely cost of building a second Crossrail line across London has escalated from £2.8bn to £15bn since the proposal was last examined in 1995.
Johnson confirmed that Transport for London is currently reviewing options for Crossrail 2, which would run from south west to north east London via the West End. Johnson has identified the project in his transport strategy as being necessary to support the long term growth of London, not least because it could provide an interchange with Euston - the proposed terminus of High Speed 2. The review is looking at how Crossrail 2 would interact with the transport network and assessing any congestion problems that might arise.
Johnson said the actual cost to deliver Crossrail 2 depended on a number of variables, including the size of the scheme, how many stations it has, and the type of financing used, but that initial estimates for the project indicate a range from £10bn to £15bn. The Crossrail line now under construction is costing £14.8bn. He was responding in a written answer to question posed at his weekly question time session.
The Crossrail 2 scheme, often known as the Chelsea-Hackney line, was last seriously considered in 1995 when TfL saw it costing between £2.4bn and £2.8bn.
Crossrail 2’s original route ran from Wimbledon in the south-west to Epping in the north-east. A 7.3km long tunnel under central London would connect existing District Line services in the south west with Central Line services to Epping in the north east.
New underground stations would be built on the King’s Road in Chelsea and at Essex Road, Dalston, Hackney and Homerton. The line would include stops at Sloane Square, Victoria, Piccadilly Circus, Tottenham Court Road, King’s Cross and Angel.
“I believe Crossrail 2 (Chelsea - Hackney Line) is best able to assist in relieving congestion from Euston in this particular transport corridor, especially in light of High Speed 2, which is why I shall continue to press for Crossrail 2 with the secretary of state for transport,” he said.
He added that Crossrail 3 - a mooted 4km underground route between Waterloo and Euston was not being considered. “No specific work has been undertaken to consider this proposal or its cost,” he said.
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