Six trains and about 82 minutes of travel. That is how long it took to visit Shenfield, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel, Bond Street and West Ealing stations, all of which will be on the Crossrail route when it finally opens. And when it does open, it will be a simple journey that takes 64 minutes. This purported ease of travel, as well as the massive overall cost and time overruns associated with Crossrail have been well publicised. 

What has not been widely discussed is the effect of the scheme on small businesses near the stations being worked on as part of the £17.6bn project. When complete, Crossrail will run through 41 stations, meaning there are hundreds, if not thousands, of businesses directly affected by the construction. Some have been buoyed by the influx of construction workers while others have been hindered by the disruption caused by the works. 

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