Inside the long-awaited £40,000,000,000 Crossrail 2 project in London

Londoners are holding onto hope that the Crossrail 2 train project could still become a reality one day.

If you have lived in London long enough, the chances are you have heard whispers of the elusive Crossrail 2, the south-north version of the Elizabeth line.

The route was planned to run from Hertfordshire in the north through central London and into the southwestern corners of the capital to the M25 border, with dozens of stations in between for smoother connection between the two parts of the city.

But the megaproject, estimated to cost around £40 billion in 2019, was put on hold in October 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic.

However, Crossrail 2 has never been fully dead, with London leaders offering occasional breadcrumbs that it could be resurrected one day in the not-so-distant future.

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has insisted that he is keen to ensure Crossrail 2 is built in the future, saying that it is a ‘no-brainer’ that would boost homes and jobs.

What is Crossrail 2?

Crossrail 2 is a planned Underground rail route through London and parts of South East England.

Crossrail 2 is similar to the Elizabeth line, but it would run on the north-south axis, while the Lizzy line connects west and east London, including Heathrow Airport.

While the Elizabeth line project got over the finish line and opened in May 2022, Crossrail 2 has not been so lucky.

The plans for an underground line connecting southwest London to the northeast go back to the early 20th century, but concrete steps for the modern Crossrail 2 were taken in the 2010s.

Although the construction is on hold, the route through London has been ‘safeguarded’ by the TfL – meaning it is kept safe from competing construction on behalf of the Transport Secretary until the time is ripe for it.

The last update from Crossrail 2 said the route is protected ‘until such a time as the railway can be progressed.’

But like any major rail project, Crossrail 2 is not expected to be cheap.

The last price tag was around £40 billion, according to the London Mayor.

What is the proposed route map?

The proposed Crossrail 2 route connects the underground to 47 stations across Greater London and the Home Counties.

In 2015, the route map showed the regional branch would extend to at least Broxbourne in the north, and Epsom, Chessington South and Shepperton in Surrey.

Why was it paused?

Plans for Crossrail 2 took off in 2013, with an early TfL survey showing that 96% of respondents supported it.

Boris Johnson, then Mayor of London, went as far as to say that the rail project was not a question of if, but ‘how quickly can we get it built,’ New Civil Engineer reported.

Things were looking bright until the pandemic hit, when Transport for London announced the project was frozen as part of the London funding agreement with the government, which determines how much money TfL gets for major projects.

Any work on Crossrail 2 was paused along with the Elizabeth line construction, which was near completion.

How could it be linked to the British Library?

The iconic site in King’s Cross is set to undergo a £1.1 billion extension to build a new library, research and commercial space – and a possible Underground station.

The plan, expected to be ready by 2032, also includes space earmarked for a possible future Crossrail 2 station.

Metro understands that this means ensuring that Crossrail 2 needs, like the outline structures for ventilation and underground passageways, can be delivered and preserved without hampering the British Library development.

When could the construction begin?

The British Library extension gave fresh hope for a fresh Crossrail 2 announcement.

However, Metro understands that the government is not planning to restart the project for now, although it has never been cancelled either.

A government source suggested the inclusion in the British Library expansion is likely to be a ‘precaution’ for the future.

‘If you were the British Library, you wouldn’t want to be the reason it was not going ahead,’ they told Metro.  

When Metro asked Khan’s office when the construction could restart, a spokesperson said: ‘The Mayor has pledged to safeguard the Crossrail 2 route so that this much-needed project can be brought to fruition in the future.

‘The Mayor is committed to ensuring vital schemes like this, which are key to long-term economic growth and housing delivery in London and around the country, are in a position to progress once a funding approach is agreed.’

But for now, the focus will be on the DLR and Bakerloo line extensions in the southeast, and the West London Orbital Overground expansion.

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