More than £115m of public money spent on Crossrail 2 consultants
More than £115m of taxpayer money has been spent on Crossrail 2, before the project has even been green lit.
The £33bn project, which would see a new north-south Tube line through London, was put on hold earlier this year as Transport for London (TfL) were forced to seek a government bailout.
Delays and budget overspends in the billions of pounds on Crossrail 1 have also created doubt about whether Crossrail 2 will get government funding.
Figures obtained by trade publication New Civil Engineer show that £115m was spent on consultants for Crossrail 2, with £83m of taxpayer money going to TfL and the Department for Transport.
Development costs were at their highest in 2018-19 when £25.4m was spent.
The proposed line for Crossrail 2 spans from Hertforshire to Surrey, with stops in places like Tottenham, Dalston, Victoria and Balham.
TfL asked Crossrail 2 bosses to bring the project to “an orderly end” last year.
A spokesman for Transport for London said: “The pandemic, and subsequent impact on our finances, has meant that we have to be realistic about what is currently affordable.
“Very large projects from the mayor’s transport strategy, particularly Crossrail 2 and the Bakerloo Line Extension, are still relevant and aligned to the Department for Transport’s decarbonisation plan.
“However, given current affordability constraints, our immediate priority for these schemes is progressing safeguarding as they are still likely to be needed in the future to support long-term growth and modal shift in London. The work developing proposals for these schemes will still be used when we are in a position to confirm funding in future.”