Basil Jet wrote:

We've got a little off the transport in London topic here. Yes, I know I
sort of started it, but my question was transport relevant.

Coming back on topic, I wonder what effect Brexit will have on London?

- Government interest rates are even lower now, and the goal of a surplus
by 2020 has been dropped, so there's actually more scope for infrastructure
investment.

- Perhaps lower traffic growth rates? I don't think traffic will actually
fall, but if there's a recession, growth will be less. That could, indeed,
mean that CR2 is needed less urgently. But the need won't go away.

- Maybe a requirement that future Tube trains (ie, the huge NTfL order) be
built in the UK? Such a requirement would be legal if we're out of the EU.

- There's now little chance of Heathrow getting its third runway. May is MP
for Maidenhead, where more Heathrow flights would not be popular. But
she's not as virulent an opponent as Boris. And there may be an argument
that, more than ever, we need to be able to handle more long haul flights,
to help grow our non-EU exports.

- Will Eurostar's growth suffer? Certainly, there will be less Brussels
traffic once the exit negotiations are complete.

- EU air quality rules will no longer apply, but I doubt that Sadiq will
back off on his restrictions on dirty vehicles in central London.

- The drop in the £ will put fuel prices up. That may push a few more
people to use public transport, but I suspect that the effect will be
insignificant.