CHANCELLOR George Osborne has promised that the £16 billion Crossrail project will survive this week’s budget cuts.
Osborne will announce on Wednesday a series of austerity measures aimed at saving around £85 billion.
But despite some fears the cross-London rail project would be under threat through the cuts, Osborne says scheme like Crossrail have to be made a priority.
Speaking on Sunday’s Andrew Marr show, he said: “The priority has been to target waste and welfare, to invest in our healthcare, to have real increases in our school budgets and to invest in the things that are going to make our economy strong.
“We have got to make some tough decisions but the priority is healthcare, children’s education, early years provision - particularly for some of our poorest - and the big infrastructure developments like Crossrail, Mersey Gateway, the synchrotron, broadband.
“Those things are actually going to get us out of this stronger and able to pay our way in the world.”
But despite the reassurances, there is still doubt that funding will be set aside to ensure the Crossrail project finishes in 2017 as planned.
Reports this week suggested the completion of the project could be put back by at least a year.
More than 2,500 people are now employed on the Crossrail project, a figure which will rise to 14,000 between 2013 and 2015.
Crossrail will run 118km in total, through new twin-bore 21 km tunnels, increasing London’s transport capacity by 10 per cent.
source: Docklands24
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