Former Labour Transport Minister Lord Adonis has been named chair of the Crossrail 2 project. Adonis is already chair of the National Infrastructure Commission and will use his knowledge and reputation to make the £32 billion project a reality. Previously known as the Chelsea-Hackney line, Crossrail 2 plans to tunnel
As well as being granted permission to proceed with London’s £27bn Crossrail 2 project, the latest construction news highlights the sheer number of green lights given to construction projects, not solely in London, but across the North of England. With landmark projects such as HS3, expansion to the M62 and
Recommending that the Crossrail 2 project should move forward to the construction phase as soon as is possible, the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has urged for funding to be made accessible as soon as is possible to support the planned development. In line with this, it is also hoped that
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Former Labour Transport Minister Lord Adonis has been named chair of the Crossrail 2 project. Adonis is already chair of the National Infrastructure Commission and will use his knowledge and reputation to make the £32 billion project a reality. Previously known as the Chelsea-Hackney line, Crossrail 2 plans to tunnel beneath London between Tottenham Hale and Wimbledon with the goal of improving connections for outer London commuters. In the same way as Crossrail 1, which is now almost complete, the new project will tie the London Transport network in with the national Network Rail system. Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London who is now responsible for Transport for London, put forward the suggestion of appointing Lord Adonis and was supported by the Treasury and the government Department for Transport. Speaking about his appointment, Lord Andrew Adonis said that the Crossrail 2 scheme is vitally important and without it London will not run properly. He said that the challenge of the overcrowded transport network is the greatest challenge London faces alongside the housing crisis and that this project will play a part in tackling both of those issues. He continued by saying that he is very pleased to be chair of the project and that he looks forward to making it happen, while remaining involved with the National Infrastructure Commission. Meanwhile, Khan emphasised the importance of long-term transport infrastructure as London continues to grow and as such he is pleased to have Lord Adonis at the forefront of this major project. He said that Adonis will ensure Crossrail 2 is delivered sooner rather than later and that his experience will prove vital in getting the project in motion. The Civil Engineering Contractors Association also backed Lord Adonis’ appointment, labelling him an ‘outstanding choice’ that shows collaboration between the Mayor of London and the Government in ensuring delivery of the scheme as soon as possible.
As well as being granted permission to proceed with London’s £27bn Crossrail 2 project, the latest construction news highlights the sheer number of green lights given to construction projects, not solely in London, but across the North of England. With landmark projects such as HS3, expansion to the M62 and improvements made to both the A69 and A66 all given the green light, optimism is rife for the benefits the improved infrastructure of these schemes will bring. Additionally, a study as to the feasibility for a Trans-Pennine tunnel between Manchester and Sheffield was also given the go ahead for further investigation. Of course, the budget is, by very essence only a plan for development, yet with this plan clearly highlighting government dedication to improved infrastructure, the industry of tomorrow is one of great hope. And while direct benefits of the projects are some time down the line, with projects such as Crossrail 2 planned to be completed by approximately 2030, the industry is optimistically excited due to the volume of work the schemes will generate between now and then, with a vast number of construction jobs to be created in accordance. Yet, despite a forecast rise in the availability of construction jobs, key to remind ourselves of is the availability of skilled workers in the industry. Firstly urging a focus on the availability of such skills onto and into the future, Clare Watson, Chair for the North West of the National Federation of Builders highlighted that: “Improving transport and infrastructure will not only improve business prospects, it will increase social mobility and widen the opportunities available in construction for the next generation. With aforementioned plans already reported by the CITB to provide much-needed support in the training of tomorrow’s construction workforce, a clear effort is being made to shorten the skill gap, yet, with some 22,500 construction jobs to be created in the North West, even further emphasis throughout the sector is urged.
Recommending that the Crossrail 2 project should move forward to the construction phase as soon as is possible, the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has urged for funding to be made accessible as soon as is possible to support the planned development. In line with this, it is also hoped that the submission of a hybrid bill can then be placed in 2019, with the scheme then reaching the completion of construction by 2033. As a stated ambition, Crossrail 2, expected to cost some £32bn, is hoped to offer the city of London a brand new rail artery to effectively to provide a link between the south west and north east network lines. This will see the line operating through a new tunnel between Wimbledon and Tottenham Hale, which will expand the capacity for people to access London city centre by approximately 270,000 in morning peak times. This will effectively take a great deal of the strain presently on the London rail networks off, as well as facilitating extra capacity as a whole. When asked for its opinion on the scheme last year, the National Infrastructure Commission also suggested for the Department for Transport to property identify key proposals in a bid to maximise both the benefits and deliverability of the scheme. As part of this, a number of suggestions were made to reduce the costs of the scheme and improve affordability of it, as well as developing funding strategies and the placement of homes along the route to develop usage of the line itself. Lord Adonis, Chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission commented that: “By the 2030s London will be a megacity of more than 10 million people.” He then highlighted the importance for planning ahead for Crossrail 2 as early as possible as, even when considering planned investment and the addition of the east-west Crossrail line, the impact of reduced infrastructure in comparison to population density and commerce would be undeniable in holding the capital back.
