Just two weeks to go to respond to the Crossrail 2 consultation

Transport for London (TfL) is reminding people to share their views on the proposed options for Crossrail 2 before the consultation closes on 2 August.

Crossrail 2 would create a new high frequency, high capacity rail line with shorter journey times between south west and north east London. It would help to relieve congestion on busy main line routes into central London and on the Underground network, while allowing communities around London to benefit from the creation of new jobs and homes. With Crossrail already set to provide a 10 per cent increase to rail capacity in London, Crossrail 2 would add to this even further.

TfL’s Managing Director of Planning, Michele Dix, said: “We have had a good response rate to the Crossrail 2 consultation already but we do want to encourage anyone who has not yet shared their views to do so by 2 August.

“Crossrail 2 is vital to support London’s forecasted population growth to 10 million by the early 2030s. The support we have received from Government for Crossrail 2 is really good news and allows us to further the business case and examine the funding and financing opportunities to take Crossrail 2 forward.”

David Higgins, Network Rail Chief Executive, said: “London’s railways are already the busiest and most congested in the country, with many main lines already operating at, or close to, capacity. With the number of rail passengers in London predicted to grow by 30 per cent in the next twenty years, our plans to increase capacity through projects like Thameslink and Crossrail will make a real difference. But we must also press on with schemes such as Crossrail 2 to make sure public transport continues to support and drive economic growth in and around the capital.”

Even with the Tube upgrade works and the delivery of Crossrail additional capacity on the transport network is needed to cope with London’s forecasted population growth. Crossrail 2 could be operational in 2030 but it is essential that work continues now to meet this target so the future forecasted population and employment growth in London is supported by new transport infrastructure.

A route for Crossrail 2, formerly known as the Chelsea-Hackney Line, has been kept free from any intrusive building development since 1991 and any new buildings along the route have been constructed to allow for a potential new railway line. TfL is now reviewing this safeguarded route and has proposed two alternatives which would better meet the rail needs of the capital in the future – a Metro option and a Regional option.

The Metro option could offer a high frequency underground service across central London. This option could be an underground railway and could operate between Wimbledon and Alexandra Palace. The route would relieve congestion on trains and platforms on the Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines.

The Regional option could benefit people in London Hertfordshire, Surrey and beyond by enabling more trains to run on busy National Rail routes. This route could be a combined underground and overground railway and could operate from Alexandra Palace and stations in Hertfordshire to various locations in south west London and Surrey.

A report on the findings of this consultation will be presented to the Mayor of London in autumn this year and made publicly available on the consultation website. Further, more detailed consultations will then follow.