http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...nce/article.do

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 go ahead to the extension in principle but
not guaranteeing it will be built until finances are clearer.


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