A rival consortium has proposed an alternative tunnelled route under London, England, last month, to the Crossrail alignment already tabled (T&TI November 2002 p9).
London Regional Metro (comprising AECOM, Arup, Bank of Scotland, Berwin Leighton Paisner solicitors, and Jones Lang LaSalle) plans to design, construct, finance and maintain a new east-west rail link under London from Liverpool Street to Paddington, in partnership with the government. Spur lines could be built according to demand.
Crossrail, the company equally owned by the Strategic Rail Authority and Transport for London, has already submitted detailed proposals to link Heathrow in the west of London, to Woolwich Arsenal, in the east, including 14km of tunnels. The scheme, costing up to US$16bn, would be financed by government and private money.
London Regional Metro has already invested in the design, financing and feasibility analysis for the project. “We believe our proposal can deliver a much-needed strategic link for London quicker than any alternative and at lower cost to the public purse”, Peter Head, Development Director of London Regional Metro, said.
A decision on the link is expected in the next six months.
