Keep Locals On Track Over Crossrail Plans

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 16th Jul 2002

Plans for Crossrail 2 (the line from Hackney to Chelsea and beyond) could be of huge interest to people living over a wide area of west London, who should be included in consultations over the line.

At presentation by Crossrail to the London Assembly, Lib Dem Sally Hamwee called for local residents and local councils to be kept fully in the picture. In response to her questions it appears that they are not being treated as having a stake in the project.

"If the line runs to Wimbledon through Putney Bridge and East Putney, it could be a really helpful route that travelers from Barnes, East Sheen and Richmond could pick up."

"But the project could affect the District Line, which serves Richmond and Ealing as well as Wimbledon - and regular users are all too familiar with delays and unreliability on the line.

"This is a long-term project, but everyone who may be affected should be involved from the start."