The Mayor and Transport for London are currently consulting on the scheme which they say would cut commuting times and spur regeneration along its route.
The two routes being proposed are:
Metro – a high frequency underground service operating between Wimbledon and Alexandra Palace via an underground railway. TfL say this option would relieve congestion on trains and platforms on the Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines.
Regional – a combined underground and overground railway operating from Alexandra Palace and stations in Hertfordshire to various locations in south west London and Surrey.
In its response to the consultation, the Assembly’s Transport Committee says the regional route promises to deliver the most benefit to the capital and passengers, including reducing overcrowding on existing services.
UK Government ministers have provided £2m to support a feasibility study but say the £12bn scheme would need to be part funded by London.
Assembly Members have called on the Mayor to ensure that any funding package is “fair” and want developers and landowners who will benefit from the scheme to contribute to its construction.
Committee Chair Valerie Shawcross AM, Chair of the Transport Committee, said: “London needs a transport network that can cope with the millions of extra passengers that will travel on our tube and trains in future.
“The cost-effective investment needed to construct Crossrail 2 will herald sustainable rewards, potentially boosting London’s economy by up to £49 billion, not to mention much-needed relief to passengers suffering on some of the UK’s most-crowded services.
She added: “We must all get behind Crossrail 2 to ensure London has the transport it needs for its future growth.”
