The Government will be advised by the end of the year what route the much-needed London Crossrail project - shelved for nearly 10 years - should take.

Last week, the chairman of the company set up to progress the scheme said experts were still trying to judge which would be the best route on the basis of a business case and its value for money.

All potential route options for Crossrail are subject to detailed evaluation and appraisal in consultation with major stakeholders and no single option to the east or west of central London is a given at this stage, said Sir Christopher Benson at the Mayor's London Conference on Saturday 9 November 2002.

The recommendation will then be subject to intense scrutiny both as part of the Parliamentary process and by the public at large.

The option we recommend must be fully evaluated against a broad range of criteria. If any potential route does not stack up in business terms, regardless of how high-profile the destination, then it will not be included in the preferred option, said Sir Christopher.

We have been tasked by Government, and have a duty to the taxpayer, to recommend a route which achieves its objectives, is operationally feasible, affordable and offers value for money.

The shortlist of route options for Crossrail line 1 was announced in March and is based on a core route running from Heathrow to Paddington, then to Liverpool Street with branches to Stratford and to the Isle of Dogs.

West of London, the shortlist includes lines to Reading, Aylesbury and Watford Junction. To the east, the shortlist includes lines to Shenfield and Ebbsfleet.

All have been subjected to detailed appraisal work against a broad range of criteria including impact on the environment, integration, transport and regeneration benefits, engineering feasibility and costs.

In addition, each route has been the subject of thorough consultation with local authorities and other key stakeholders with an interest in the proposal.

Sir Christopher said it will be more than London and Londoners which stand to benefit from Crossrail.

The private sector is also poised to make considerable gains thanks to Crossrail, he said.

Businesses in London will gain from having their workforce delivered to work on time and in the right frame of mind to do business and landowners and developers will gain in terms of increases in land values and in rental levels.

History has proved that land in locations which are well served by reliable public transport increases in value and that those landlords who own property there can command premium rents from big name tenants with strong covenants.

"Crossrail, and all that it offers in terms of increased capacity, efficient operations, better interchange and direct links, has considerable worth to those active in development within London.

However, the development of a Crossrail route through certain areas gives rise to a substantial additional cost over the original core scheme. As part of the development of the preferred route,

Crossrail is identifying those commercial interests along the line of route which stand to gain most from Crossrail and is exploring mechanisms for sensible, mutually beneficial equity partnerships to provide an appropriate element of the private sector contribution to the financing of the project.

Sir Christopher concluded: We want to develop the best scheme for London and UK plc. I firmly believe that those who have a genuine interest in the commercial success of London as a whole will see the investment potential in Crossrail and join us in financing its success.

Cross London Rail Links (Crossrail) is a 50/50 joint venture company formed by Transport for London (TfL) and the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA).
Crossrail is tasked with developing and promoting Crossrail line 1 (East-West) and developing Crossrail line 2 (North-East to South-West).
Crossrail has been allocated a budget of £154m by central Government to carry out feasibility work and to acquire powers for the two lines.


More information at www.crossrail.co.uk