SOUTH LONDON PARTNERSHIP WRITES TO PRIME MINISTER IN SUPPORT OF CROSSRAIL 2
The five council leaders of the South London Partnership have written to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State expressing their strong support for Crossrail 2 and the importance of reaching a decision to progress with it as soon as possible.
The railway services in the South London Partnership are among the most congested and crowded in the entire country and this is only set to get worse as the area grows. But the challenge stretches far beyond our boundary, with crowding and congestion a common feature on services all the way to the South Coast.
We echo the letter from South East and London councils, written on 13 April 2017, emphasising how Crossrail 2 will transform journey times and help relieve congestion from Solent to the Wash. Crossrail 2 would provide a huge boost to the capacity of our region’s railway, helping not just our residents but people across the entire South East. It is also necessary for the country to derive the full benefits from HS2.
Our ambitions for growth are highly dependent on greater transport provision, particularly the improvements Crossrail 2 will provide to Clapham Junction and Waterloo stations and the South West Main Line. These services cannot meet current demand and as the region grows in the coming years this will only increase.
We recognise there are strong transport demands for investment across the country and welcome the focus on rebalancing growth across the UK, but we do not believe investment in infrastructure to support growth should be a case of either/or, especially with London able to find half the funding for Crossrail 2. Crossrail 2 is an excellent investment which will help unlock growth and improve connectivity to the advantage of the whole country.