Mayor Khan reiterates the importance of Crossrail 2

London will grind to a halt without Crossrail 2.

That was the claim made by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, during a speech at the London Transport Museum’s annual fundraising dinner on February 9.

Khan said Transport for London modelling showed that at least 17 stations would be overcrowded without the new route, and that thousands of passengers arriving at Euston on HS2 Phase 2 would lose time saved on journeys due to queuing at Underground stations.

“Crossrail 2 is crucial,” he said. “It’s crucial to meeting our ambitious targets for new affordable homes. It’s crucial to unlocking future economic growth in the aftermath of the EU referendum. It’s crucial to ensure that Euston station keeps running smoothly when HS2 opens. And it’s crucial if we are to prevent Waterloo, Victoria and many other stations from rush hour meltdown.”

Planned London Underground upgrades and the opening of Crossrail will provide capacity now, but that will only last for so long, said Khan.

He claimed attendees that Crossrail 2 would increase London’s rail capacity by 10% and bring an additional 270,000 passengers into London each morning peak. It would also bring more than 800 stations on the national network within just one interchange.

It is hoped that construction could start early in the next decade, with trains running in 2033.