Crossrail link to Reading hangs in the balance

A decision on whether to extend the £16billion Crossrail scheme to Reading will be made in the New Year, it emerged today.

Transport minister Tom Harris is looking at whether the cross-London rail line can be linked to Reading without significantly increasing the cost of the project.

The decision is understood to be "evenly balanced".

Construction on the long-delayed project will start in 2010 with the first trains running in 2017.

The 74-mile route stretches from Maidenhead in the east to Canary Wharf and beyond by way of Heathrow, the West End and the City.

With the scheme expected to benefit the economy by as much as £68billion over the next few decades, Ministers have faced sustained lobbying from MPs anxious for their constituencies to be linked to the route.

Extending the line to Reading could be done without having to amend the Crossrail Bill, which has just passed through the House of Commons.

One possibility is to give the goahead to the extension in principle but not guaranteeing it will be built until finances are clearer.