£30bn Crossrail 2 London route set to go ahead despite anger at cancellation of northern rail improvements
TRANSPORT Secretary Chris Grayling was slammed for favouring London over the rest of Britain as he backed London’s multi-billion Crossrail 2 scheme.
Northern mayors Andy Burnham and Steve Rotherham blasted the move days after the scrapping of plans for electrification of railway lines in Wales, the Midlands and the North.
Mr Grayling threw his weight behind Crossrail 2, the proposed north-south rail line running across London between Hertfordshire and Surrey.
But his backing sparked fury with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram.
Mr Burnham blasted: “On Friday, Tories say they can’t afford rail schemes in the North. On Monday, they find billions more for London. Are these two things linked?”
Mr Rotherham said while he did not “begrudge” the investment in London and the South East, there needed to be balanced spending to “support growth in the North as well”.
It came as the Cabinet Minister Mr Grayling came under fire last week for scrapping long-awaited rail electrification plans.
Labour claimed he was “taking people for a ride” and breaking promises on upgrading the routes.
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Mr Grayling said he was a “supporter” of Crossrail 2, but insisted “we have to ensure that we get this right” given the price tag.
The scheme is estimated to cost around £30 billion at 2014 prices and construction could start in the early 2020s and the railway could be open by 2033.
The line would run as far north as Broxbourne in Hertfordshire and as far south as Epsom in Surrey, passing through central London via places such as Tottenham Court Road, Victoria, Chelsea and Clapham Junction.