Crossrail 2 consultation: It’s an investment in the future that we simply can’t afford not to make
The proposed new railway, that will run underground between Wimbledon in the south and Tottenham Hale and New Southgate in the north, connecting to National Rail networks in Surrey and Hertfordshire, is one of the most vital infrastructure projects in the country.
Crossrail 2 promises to relieve some of the morning crush at Waterloo and other main line stations, support hundreds of thousands of new jobs and homes, and create up to £102bn in an economic boost not just in London but across the UK.
Previous public consultations have confirmed support the strategic need for it, along with its route and stations. This week, a major new consultation has got under way on the detail of how we propose to build it in a way that minimises disruption to the communities and places it will serve.
It's an opportunity for people to comment on where we’re proposing to put station entrances, worksites and ventilation shafts, as well as on the proposed service patterns and potential changes to existing rail services. And, as with any major infrastructure project, there are many different factors to take into account.
Such big projects can create concerns locally with the changes proposed. We want to hear and understand people’s concerns so that we can seek to address them in the plans going forward.
We have been listening and will continue to listen and respond. In the King’s Road area of Chelsea, for example, we have already altered our proposals so that the proposed station entrance could be moved to a location that blends in better with the location environment, and avoids the use of more sensitive sites.
In Soho we have altered our plans for a worksite at Soho Square, to avoid impact on the green space. At Euston we continue to work with Network Rail to explore options that would see the station have less impact on local housing than it might on current plans.
Our latest consultation is an opportunity for people to tell us what they think about our latest proposals and how we can improve them further. There will be more than 60 local drop-in sessions for the public along the route, to enable people to come along and ask the questions they want.
People’s views are important to us in helping deliver a railway that not only meets our strategic needs but our local needs. The population of our city is growing by the equivalent of two Tube trains full of people every week – an extra 1.4 million people by 2030 – and despite the construction of Crossrail 1 and the modernisation of our Tube and road networks, London’s transport services will still struggle to cope with rising demand unless we act now.
Ultimately, Crossrail 2 is an investment in the future that we simply can’t afford not to make. And we are dedicated to working with Londoners and people along the route and beyond to make sure we deliver the railway we need.