Reader Comments:

Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.

• Adrianbewsey , London

  We need CR 2 period , so Mr Osbourne think about it , we need it , we have the skill and boring equipment now in place , we are only 5 years away from grid lock on the northern line As it is .
  We can borrow off the useless banks at record lows !.
  Asia won't invest unless its all moving in the right direction .
  As for others outside London , you've got HS2 stop moaning !.
  Mr Osbourne stop buying time we don't have any .
  Thanks for CR1 but we need CR2 more so.

• claydon william, Norwich Norfolk

  Another thought on the 'Crossrail2' debate.
  
  Why are we so seemingly obsessed with heavy rail solutions to transport schemes in metropolitan areas?
  
  The recently re-opened ELL Dalston-New Cross service is another good example of using expensive heavy rail trains to carry passengers over distances typically of 10kms or less.
  
  Further future rail expansion in metropolitan areas should be using light rail/tram solutions IMO

• claydon william, Norwich Norfolk

  IMHO there is just no need for a Chelsea-Hackney 'Crossrail2'. There are dozens of projects ahead of this one on the 'to do' list ahead of this one.
  
  If you must improve SW-NE links across London, with technology and improvements to signalling, more trains can be run on the Piccadilly and District Lines.
  
  'Crossrail1' will only be running at 24tph instead of the 36tph or 40tph witnessed in Paris, and a number of these trains will be terminating westbound at Paddington. A chord built near North Pole depot onto the WLL would allow 'Crossrail1' trains to access the SW suburban lines.
  
  There are plenty of cheaper effective options to be considered before we start digging 'Crossrail2'.

• Steve Sherwood, Brighton

  Agree with all of you but I still think the balance needs to swing in the favour of the rest of the country a bit more. If the opportunity is there, the people will come. Many examples are cited, but there has to be a large incentive to get over the idea of people using their cars, and filling government coffers with huge amounts of tax revenue. The point is: the quality of life in the UK needs to be better. Sure, the goverment will need the revenue. They can have it, but give us something back! How much more revenue would you get out of South West if the trains were made more accessible or cycle friendly? We cannot have foreign dignitaries and wealthies coming over here and commenting that 'London is a first rate city with a second rate country attached'! Why should we bother paying taxes for London if thats the thanks we get?

• Graham, Basingstoke

  In support of James' comment, although the number of passengers solely on the tube is less than on the whole of the NR network, a large number of the passengers on the NR are travelling solely within the M25.*
  
  Yes London does seam to recive a lot of public transport funding, but it needs to be remembered that it has over 12% of the UK population and a similar amout to the population of both Scotland and Wales.
  
  Yes other places do need further investment, however this happening and there are many other schemes around the UK which are being developed (some more advanced than Crossrail 2, some less so).
  
  (* Some -- but I would have thought most LSE passengers are middle/outer suburban commuters. However I do agree with you both that there is not a lot in it. Counting London Overground (and that IS mostly within the M25) as part of the NR total is a statistical oddity, and we have not mentioned the DLR either, which adds another 100 million. In fact, citing the Underground on its own is probably not very helpful: TfL rail in all its forms would be a better measure, and that probably does rival the rest of National Rail.—Editor.)

• James Palma, London

  Whilst I agree with the general consensus above, that spending in London should also be reflected across the country, may I also suggest that London's Underground railways actually carry more people in one day than the entire Railway network of Britain in the same day!* As such, London must take priority, BUT other areas should also see improvements to enhance their economy and job availability.
  
  (* I'm afraid not -- although it's a commonly heard urban myth. The Underground's latest annual total (just released by TfL) is 1,229 million. The latest National Rail total(including an estimate for 2012-13 Q4) is a little over 1,500 million.—Editor.)

• Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex

  For information Crossrail 2 is NOT a new project but the latest version of the Chelsea to Hackney line that dates back to the Abercrombie Report during WWII !
  
  It needs to be remembered how long Crossrail (1) has taken to get underway and the current work is more about updating plans to match present day London ( Abercrombie had it going through Old Street Station!) now a route via Euston (for HS2 removing Piccadilly Circus) and linking with Crossrail1 at TCR .
  
  While a decision whether it should be Tube or Main Line is also being considered and for those outside London who think London is getting all the money well its about planning for the future something that this country finds difficult to do and even if money is not available today it needs to be ready for when money is available something Manchester and Sheffield with their tram networks have learned to do with much success !
  
  In fact today Mayor Boris has announced that he wants London to keep more of the money raised in London for London and while this sounds like more money it is simply a guarantee of funding in place of stop start funding that prevents a rolling programme of improvements that in the end actually cost less !
  
  

• Adam Robson, Washington

  I am anticipating that this will be built, and yet things elsewhere in this country become ignored, such as the Leamside. London does have its transport issues and they should be solved, but solving London's transport issues will logically not solve the transport issues of people living nearly 300 miles, and it would be appreciated if some money started being spent solving some of the transport issues that the North-East faces.

• Andrew Blurton, Stafford

  Should We Now Plan & Get Crossrail 2 Building & Developing For The High Speed Network Now Before All Railway Stations In London With The Tube Network Reach Braking Point & Start Overcrowding With All Continental & British People Now Travelling In Order To Make London More Safer To Get To Heathrow & Gatwick & Stanstead & Luton Airports In Future & Better Direct Rail Links & Rail Interchanges As Well To Serve Them Where They Are Needed & Required To Improve Passenger Safety & Travel As Well.

• Chris Neville-Smith, Durham, England

  My response: yes, build Crossrail 2 if you want, but only if it's matched by spending on rail improvements for commuters outside of London. HS2 is all very well for long distance travel, but when you consider that London is already getting the Thameslink Programme as Crossrail 1, the spending on new lines elsewhere pales into insignificance.
  
  Tell you what Boris, I'll give the thumbs up to Crossrail 2 if we can have a decent Middlesbrough-Durham-Newcastle rail link. Bringing back the Leamside line and upgrading the Norton-Ferryhill goods line to passenger use should do the trick.