Bid to end Crossrail deadlock

A major shake-up has been ordered at Crossrail in a bid to drive the longdelayed £10billion project forward.

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling has appointed an independent chairman with "decisive new powers" to break years of gridlock over the high- speed scheme.

He wants a Bill submitted to Parliament authorising its construction within the next five months to avoid the project getting caught up in the general election campaign.

First proposed in 1989, Crossrail would link Heathrow to Canary Wharf and Stratford, easing congestion on the Tube and boosting the regeneration of the Thames Gateway. It would run underground through two huge tunnels between Paddington and Liverpool Street.

Today's announcement signals the Government's determination to get Crossrail moving after successive Tory and Labour administrations spent more than ?300 million without getting the project off the drawing board.

Mr Darling has asked Adrian Montague to become chairman of Cross London Rail Links, the company behind the scheme.

Unlike his predecessor he will have a casting vote, allowing him to settle disputes between the other six board members, now drawn equally from the Department for Transpor t and the Mayor's Transport for London body. The DfT representatives replace those from the Strategic Rail Authority, which is being wound down.

Crucially, Mr Montague has only been appointed until 31 March 2005, by which time the Government expects legislation paving the way for Crossrail "to have been introduced into Parliament", according to a DfT statement.

Mr Darling, who gave backing in principle to Crossrail in July while failing to address funding, said: "The new chairman will have decisive new powers to move the project forward."

Mr Montague's appointment is also significant because it was his report for the Government earlier this year that set out ways the scheme could be funded.

He suggested spreading the burden between the Government, Londoners and big City firms - with investors entitled to share in any future profits.

However, arguments continue about the amount each should pay - with Ken Livingstone believing the Government should contribute more than the mooted ?2 billion. Even once funding is agreed, the line is unlikely to begin running until 2013 at the earliest.

Mr Livingstone said: "I strongly support the appointment of Adrian Montague as the new chair of Crossrail. His report played a key role in moving the project off the drawing board to the introduction of the Hybrid bill [a bill that affects a private interest or organisation]."