Britain begins construction work on delayed London rail project

Britain began construction work on a landmark €18 billion rail line through London from west to east, 35 years after plans for the project were first mooted.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown and London mayor Boris Johnson trumpeted the launch of Crossrail, which will notably link Heathrow airport to the Docklands financial district, as a much-needed economic shot in the arm.

"Many people said it would never be built, but today we are celebrating a defining moment for London as Crossrail's construction gets under way," Mr Brown said as the foundation for a new station was laid in east London's Docklands.

Crossrail was initially proposed in 1974, but was scrapped entirely by John Major's Conservative government 20 years later.

In October 2007, though, Mr Brown gave the go-ahead for the project, which will run from Maidenhead in Berkshire, west of the capital, through the heart of central London, as far east as Shenfield in Essex, and will also provide a link-up to Heathrow.

The service will first begin carrying passengers in 2017, with Transport for London, which manages the capital's public transport, claiming there will be £36 billion worth of benefits to the British economy.

Crossrail will run mainly over land but will travel underground in central London. The capital already has an extensive underground railway network, while it is also served by a number of overland railways.

"Investment into important projects like Crossrail, the largest construction project in Europe, is vital to create and protect jobs as well as supporting business, so we can grow our way out of recession and ensure a strong future for London and the country as a whole," Mr Brown said.

Mr Johnson, meanwhile, described Crossrail as an "amazing project" that will "change the face of transport in London and the south east (of England) forever".