Crossrail back on track

Crossrail, the much deferred plan for a rail tunnel through the heart of London, was back on track today following plans for a £20 billion rescue of the ailing national rail system by two US groups.

The tunnel would connect existing rail links to the west at Paddington and to the east at Liverpool Street. It would call at enlarged stations through central London.

Although in much demand by the City to provide a direct link with Heathrow, the Government and the private sector have baulked at the huge cost - somewhere between £3.5 and £5 billion.

Now there is fresh hope for both Crossrail and the proposed 200mphplus-5billion line linking London with the North and Scotland.

Under initial plans now being discussed with the Government, engineers Babcock & Brown and investment bank Morgan Stanley would plough money into the existing 10-year plan to improve the railway.

? Thousands of mainline rail commuters suffered long delays today following a major points failure between Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, which halted all services from Hastings into London Bridge and Charing Cross.