A new tunnel could be built under London to link Victoria to King’s Cross or Liverpool Street if GNER is successful in its bid to take over the South West Trains franchise from Stagecoach.

The tunnel would allow some Waterloo-bound services to be diverted across London via the tunnel from near Clapham Junction to Victoria, Tottenham Court Road and onwards.

The ambitious plan is not likely to be implemented before 2010.

In a