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Money Saving Hopes for £16 Billion Crossrail Scheme

The company running the £16 billion cross-London Crossrail scheme says the Whitechapel and Canary Wharf stations are being redesigned to save money.

Crossrail.JPGCrossrail Limited says no stations will be scrapped and the planned route will not be shortened but new trains for the 73 mile long project will be based "on tried and tested designs" instead of starting from scratch.

It will also use disused rail infrastructure for a major part of the route to Abbey Wood.

Crossrail chairman Terry Morgan wanted to re-assure future passengers, "Crossrail and its delivery partners recognise fully that Crossrail is a significant investment. It is critical that every pound invested in this vital scheme achieves maximum value for money. Sensible efficiency savings will be made at every opportunity.

"Crossrail is bearing down on its whole cost base, while ensuring delivery of a new railway that is fit for purpose and delivers the capacity improvements required. We are looking at every aspect of Crossrail to identify where efficiencies can be made and understanding what cost-saving lessons can be learned from other global infrastructure projects."

The service will run between Berkshire and Heathrow in the west, and Shenfield in Essex and Abbey Wood in south-east London in the east.

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