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Crossrail 2: Business leaders call for increased government support

Following The Mayor of London’s introduction of the Crossrail 2 Growth Commission, the city’s top business leaders have urged the Government to back new rail links to boost the economy.

With London’s population set to top 10m by 2030, some of the UK’s most senior business leaders today issued a powerful call to Government to support the Mayor’s economic case for building Crossrail 2, the proposed northeast south west rail link across London.

The call to action came as the Mayor announced the creation of the Crossrail 2 Growth Commission, and the appointment of Sir Merrick Cockell as the Commission’s Chairman.

In an open letter to The Times newspaper highlighting the importance of the new railway to the UK economy, business leaders called on the Government to use the current Comprehensive Spending Review to provide the development funding needed to start building Crossrail 2 early in the next decade.

Leading business figures like Simon Collins, UK Chairman of KPMG, and Lord Mervyn Davies, Chairman of Chime Communications, believe Crossrail 2 is vital to the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs and homes, and argue rapid progress of the new rail link needs to be harnessed now to support growth in London, and across the UK.

The Mayor urged the Government to boost support for the scheme as he set out plans for the Crossrail 2 Growth Commission.

The Commission will help maximise the benefit of the new railway by bringing together the London boroughs, county councils outside London and other key business and development stakeholders along the route to work together on how the railway can best support housing and job creation.

Tens of thousands of homes could be built ahead of opening in anticipation of the improved connectivity, helping to meet the demands of a rapidly growing population. By 2030 it is expected that the population of London alone will have risen by 1.4 million people – from 8.6 million today to 10 million – rising to 11 million by 2050.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson MP, said: “Crossrail 2 will help realise London’s full economic potential, increasing the nation’s productivity and creating thousands of new jobs and homes. Major projects take time to plan and prepare and with Crossrail 1 nearing completion, we must move quickly to the next transformational growth project which could see even more benefits delivered. Crossrail 2 will support up to 200,000 more homes and jobs, adding billions of pounds to the national economy and ensuing a prosperous future for the whole country.”

The call came as the Mayor gave a speech at the European HQ of business specialists Bloomberg, setting out how Crossrail 2 can be a transformational infrastructure project that will maximise the country’s economic growth. Crossrail 2 will enable and accelerate the development of much needed new housing, helping regenerate some of the UK’s most deprived areas including the Upper Lea Valley.

Lord Mervyn Davies, Chairman of Chime Communications said: “It is vital that we increase the country’s productivity and with London growing rapidly we cannot afford to delay this transformational project. By supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs and homes, Crossrail 2 will drive the UK economy forward - that’s why we are calling for rapid progress to ensure that that this essential new railway is ready for when we need it.”

Sir Merrick Cockell, Chairman of the Crossrail 2 Growth Commission, said: “I am delighted to be appointed as the Chairman of the Crossrail 2 Growth Commission. This new railway is imperative to the future growth of the Capital and across the UK and the Growth Commission will play a key role in helping ensure local development plans along the route meet their full potential.”

A public consultation will begin in the autumn, providing more information on the scheme including locations for work sites and station entrances.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .