£4bn Crossrail plan is launched

London's business leaders were today urged to "stand up and be counted" by giving vocal support to Crossrail.

The proposed £4 billion project will see a twin bore tunnel through London, connecting Stratford and Canary Wharf with Heathrow Airport and the mainline network.

Chairman of Cross London Rail Links Ltd, Sir Christopher Benson, at the launch of the scheme, welcomed the £154 million of taxpayer funding the Government had provided. However, he warned: "There is no room for complacency and I am calling on the business community and those who represent it to make their voices heard."

The launch by Cross London Rail Links Ltd, a joint venture company formed by Transport for London (TfL) and the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) was backed by Transport Minister John Spellar and Mayor Ken Livingstone.