Article from BTNews 25 JANUARY 2021
Crossrail 2 mothballed
New Civil Engineer reports that Crossrail 2 has been mothballed after £115m has been spent on consultants and research.
It was one of a number of expensive schemes initiated by Boris Johnson when Mayor of London, including the doomed Thames Estuary Airport project.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has spent £58.4m on Crossrail 2 development work, while the Transport for London (TfL) spend amounts to £57.3m, figures obtained via the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act.
TfL began winding down activity on the scheme at the end of last year as part of conditions attached to its £1.8bn emergency funding package from government.
Network Rail received £27.5M for its work on the project, the largest sum paid out. It is understood that this money was used to assess the feasibility of integrating Network Rail’s existing stations and railway network with Crossrail 2.
Under the terms of the government funding agreement, TfL will prioritise “safeguarding activity” on the Crossrail 2 project and bring “an orderly end to consultancy work as soon as possible”.
TfL commissioner Andy Byford said that the scheme “will still be needed in the future,” but conceded that it will not be realistically affordable before 2030.
TfL’s revised business plan also prioritises schemes such as Docklands Light Railway and Northern line upgrades over the Crossrail 2 project.
A TfL spokesperson added: "The pandemic, and subsequent impact on our finances, has meant that we have to be realistic about what is currently affordable.”
https://crossrail2.co.uk
https://www.newcivilengineer.com
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David Starkie,
A scheme that would have boosted property prices in Surrey, Chelsea and Hertfordshire!!!
John Hepworth,
So is HS2 and now the CBG/OXF ilne
James August, Enfield London
What a waste. It was never a starter.