For those living in and around London the omission of Crossrail 2 from the Tory manifesto is distressing. Capacity is stretched and commutes are becoming miserable. Simply put, the project is no longer a “nice to have” option, it is necessary; those at Transport for London feel the scheme is critical.
Transport infrastructure needs to be upgraded and improved across the whole of the UK – that is why Labour will build a Crossrail of the north – but it is important that London also gets the upgrades it needs. Research shows that infrastructure investment in London directly benefits many parts of the rest of the country.
London desperately needs Crossrail 2, as current capacity is increasingly unviable, with the capital’s population set to rise to 10 million by 2030. Arguments for this project go beyond alleviating busy carriages; supporting London’s growth as a global city is dependent in part upon the swift construction of this new train line. The National Infrastructure Commission says Crossrail 2 is essential. Business groups have warned that the project must be firmly committed to, with the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry saying it is of “national importance”. Rail industry bosses have warned London could be “left behind” without the project.
All this begs the question: why has the government delayed its response to the project? Why has Tory transport secretary Chris Grayling been sauntering around the project ?
Catherine West
Labour candidate, Hornsey & Wood Green
• If Theresa May wants to rebalance the economy she could start by changing the HS2 routes. How about running one line from Dundee to Sheffield and one line from Glasgow to Liverpool? Now that would really be a visionary statement. The south-east is overheating and everybody knows it – but if you live in Hartlepool, Lanark, Sunderland, Blackpool and Rotherham and you never visit the capital, you may not be so aware.
Jonathan Marsden
Durham
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