Fears grow that Tories would delay Crossrail
Joe Murphy and Nicholas Cecil23.07.09
Doubts have emerged about whether the Conservatives will keep London's giant Crossrail project on track and completed on time.
Amid claims that Mayor Boris Johnsonand shadow chancellor George Osborneare at loggerheads over the future of the £16billion scheme, fears are growing that a future Tory government could seek savings by delaying or trimming the east-west rail project.
Mr Osborne's office failed to dispel the fears today when asked by the Standard for a commitment that the scheme will carry on to its timetable of completion by 2017. Instead of a statement with Mr Osborne's authority, the response was a statement from a Tory party spokesman: "There is no change to our position that Crossrail is an important piece of infrastructure for London. That is why we backed it."
The statement left open the possibility of Crossrail going ahead on a later timetable or with some lines or services axed. Insiders have revealed that the Mayor and Mr Osborne had dinner with Tory leader David Cameron at his home earlier this week. Tory sources insisted it was a collegiate event and not an attempt to patch up any disputes.
Gordon Brown gave the final go-ahead to Crossrail two years ago and construction has begun, with laws passed enabling the Mayor to raise funding from London businesses. But there have been reports, including in today's Guardian, that the project may have to be trimmed due to pressure on finances.
Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has pledged it will not be cut and today announced his proposal to extend Crossrail to Reading. He said plans to electrify the rail line to Swansea"make it possible to extend Crossrail, which could bring significant benefits, giving Reading and the wider Thames Valley direct rail access to London and the City".
A spokesman for Mr Johnson said he was absolutely behind Crossrail.
Baroness Valentine, chief executive of business group London First, said: "Crossrail and the Tube are almost as fundamental to London as clean drinking water. Londoners will find it hard to support a party that by failing to invest in the Tube and Crossrail sentences them to decades of transport misery."
Reader views (7)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
The reality is that the next government is not going to find out the true state of our finances until McClown and Co have been dragged out of Downing Street, there is absolutely no chance of getting the truth out of them before then.
It is a certainty that we are in a far worse mess that NuLiebour will admit. No party aspiring to government is in a position to make firm manifesto commitments until they know how much cash is available. All that they can do in the mean time is to make statements about where their priorities lie.
There is no doubt that uninterrupted cross-London rail travel would be an advantage to the wider economy, as would being able to travel directly between Heathrow and Gatwick without using the world's largest car park aka the M25. However, the rail termini in London and other major cities are a throwback to pre-1948 rail nationalisation, and LHR/LGW have been there for over 75 years. I won't be holding my breath waiting for improvements to be made, by the Tories or anyone else.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
Crossrail is not just about connecting the West End, City and Docklands, Frank from London. It will enable cross-London travel without having to change trains and endure the Tube, will give thousands the chance of working in our wonderful Capital City on a fast and 21st Century railway, and will link St. Pancras, the gateway to the Continent, with the rest of civilisation.
Why the Tories want to scupper the chance of getting more cars off the road and provide more flexability is beyond me. Anyone who travels daily on the delapidated Tube East-West will know this project is desparately needed, and it's not just the rich who will benefit - it will give the poorer the chance to be commutable into London, will provide many thousands of jobs, and, above all, will just be more convenient.
- Rod, Epping, UK
You say ‘fears grow’! Whose fears are those? Not of the people in London. Some secret force must be propelling the propaganda that Crossrail is an aspect of our emotional equilibrium! Surely not the needed answer to the existing transport problems and priorities in London! Scrap Crossrail. Save public money!
- Muhammad Haque, London United Kingdom
"Crossrail is an important piece of infrastructure for London"
Really? How? It runs from East to West London, don't we already have tube lines that do exactly that?
- Bob, Cheam
This project is a vital piece of investment for the future prosperity of the country. I do hope that the Conservatives have finally accepted the need for a modern rail system. Not making this investment will further delay any improvement in the economy.
- Mike Constable, Islington, London
Boris should scrap Crossrail as it was Red Ken's idea and come up with his own proposal. When he is prime minister he can open it.
- Ruth, Westminster, London
Crossrail doesn't help anyone except greedy bankers in the City and Canary Wharf. Now they've been cleared out no-one will use it and it will be a whiter elephant than the Dome and the Olympics. This country doesn't have the money to build it, the next decade is going to see people have to work a lot harder to get this country back on track, and they need to buck up and get on with it, not moan about their journey to work everyday. If it's that bad don't work in London.
- Frank, London
