Crossrail should be a public project in every sense, says RMT

Publication Date: July 23 2008

BRITAIN’S BIGGEST rail union today welcomed the news that the Crossrail project has been given the go-ahead by parliament.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow today said:

“Crossrail makes sense from every angle. It will help ease overcrowding on other routes, get more people off the roads and onto public transport and give the capital a massive economic boost.

“But we need to learn the lessons from the failures of privatisation and ensure that Crossrail is a public project in every sense, publicly run and publicly accountable, and with rolling stock built in Britain to help rescue our skilled train-making industry

“A modern, high-capacity and affordable rail network is not a luxury, it is essential for the economy and the environment, and we hope the government will use the momentum to work quickly towards a new high-speed north-south link as well.

“Businesses stand to benefit massively from Crossrail and it is only right that they pay their share towards its cost, but its benefit will be lost if it becomes a premium railway for use only by those who can afford high fares.”