Transport department happy with Crossrail 2 business case

Crossrail 2's business case is up to scratch, according to the transport department.

Transport for London (TfL) has said the strategic outline business case (SOBC) Crossrail 2 submitted to the government last June has met Treasury green book guidance.

This sets out a framework for the appraisal and evaluation of all policies, programmes and projects in terms of making a case.

TfL said: "It was confirmed that the SOBC is technically robust at this stage of development. The [department] commented on the high quality of the document and stated no further work is required on the SOBC at this time and it could therefore be used to support a decision on the project at the next spending review."

The £30bn scheme involves building a railway line linking south-west and north-east London, as well as towns across Surrey and Hertfordshire.

The central London section of the route would run from Clapham Junction in the south to Tottenham Hale in the north.

The chair of the London Assembly's transport committee, Navin Shah said the decision went some way in making Crossrail 2 happen but that there was still a long way to go.

Shah said: "A decision on the funding for this major infrastructure project in the Spending Review is urgently needed.

“Dither and delay will get us nowhere and we want to see this critical project given the get go as soon as possible. It is not just to the benefit of London, but the country as a whole."

TfL is due to provide an update cost estimate for the scheme later this spring.