Today is a big day for rail, London’s £19bn Crossrail.
Four years late and £4bn over budget, more than 70 miles of train lines and 10 new stations will span London and the South East from Reading and Heathrow in the west, through 42km of new tunnels under central London, to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the South East. Its first passengers will board today, initially taking journeys between Paddington and Abbey Wood.
Crossrail is a welcome development. The densely populated capital calls for more links to new housing, a jobs boost and greater transport capacity. East-west links have long been a problem across the country, and Crossrail is London's remedy.
