Chancellor George Osborne has approved initial scoping work on Crossrail2, a new underground route between Wimbledon and Aexandra Palace.
The announcement has been welcomed by Wandsworth council leader Ravi Govindia.
He said: “The scheme is vital to Wandsworth and will bring new jobs, new investment and homes to the borough.”
“An underground link is particularly important to Clapham Junction where it would ease congestion and vastly increase the station’s effectiveness as a major transport hub outside of Zone 1.
“We also believe the Northern Line can be extended to Clapham Junction giving the station two high capacity underground lines alongside its many rail and bus connections. This would be of enormous benefit to the many thousands of people who use this station each day.”
Baroness Jo Valentine, Chief Executive of London First, said: “Crossrail 2 is essential to keep London moving as its population increases by another 1.5 million people over the next 20 years and we welcome the Chancellor’s support for the project. But we cannot afford the decades of indecision that so delayed Crossrail 1. Construction must start as soon as Crossrail 1 is finished in 2018 which means detailed planning must start now.”
Crossrail 2 could be operational in 2030.
