Crossrail 2 could come through Twickenham (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

Crossrail 2 could come through Twickenham

1:40pm Tuesday 5th February 2013 in News By Rachel Bishop

Going underground: Could Crossrail 2 come to Twickenham?

Boris Johnson is backing a new underground train line connecting south-west and north-east London, including Twickenham.

Crossrail 2, connecting the south-west and north-east via a tunnel beneath central London, was recommended today in a new report by London First, headed by former transport minister Lord Andrew Adonis.

If approved, Crossrail 2 would transform journeys for commuters from Wimbledon, Kingston, Twickenham, Hackney, Islington, Tottenham, Cheshunt and Hertford East.

Some journey times would be halved as a result of the new line, providing major relief to London interchanges including Euston, Victoria and Clapham Junction, and reduce pressure on congested Tube lines.

The Mayor said: “The case for the construction of Crossrail 2 is incontestable and is made forcibly in this report. Over the next 20 years London’s population is forecast to expand to levels that will clog the Tube and rail arteries of our great city if we do not provide more capacity.

"There is no time to lose and my team will work closely with London First and others on developing plans for this vital railway.”

The plan proposes to join suburban and regional services between parts of Middlesex and Surrey in the south-west and Hertfordshire in the north-east, via a new central tunnel between Wimbledon and Tottenham, with a spur to Alexandra Palace.

The report recommends the Mayor should now take forward work on detailed planning and consultation, with the aim of developing the basis of a safeguarded route for when the Department for Transport goes out to consultation in late 2013. This would potentially enable construction to begin in the 2020s.

If the necessary planning and consultation for Crossrail 2 were to begin now, the new line could be open by the early 2030s, and would be expected to cost £12bn.

Lord Adonis said: “Without Crossrail 2 by 2030, Euston and other tube stations at mainline termini will be so congested they might have to be closed for parts of each weekday because of the danger to passengers.

“Waterloo, Victoria, Euston, Kings Cross, St Pancras and Clapham Junction all gain massive congestion relief from Crossrail 2, which is essential to keep London moving as its population rises by another 1.5m in the next 20 years and the number of rail journeys into London termini increase dramatically.”

• Will Crossrail 2 make your life better or worse? Tell us by emailing rbishop@london.newsquest.co.uk.