Blair gives support to £10bn Crossrail

Prime Minister Tony Blair has today (Wednesday) given his backing for the £10bn Crossrail project and was "confident" that the scheme would go ahead.

Despite media rumours of the scheme's demise, Blair stated during question time at the House of Commons that the project was "well worth supporting" and would benefit the whole country.

However, he added that more preparatory work needed to be done to ensure the project could be properly funded.

"It is important as government that we sit down and work out how that can be funded because as you know it runs into many billions of pounds. However, we are confident that if we look at this in the right way we can take it forward," added Blair.

The Crossrail project, which is still awaiting government approval, would see a new rail corridor running from west to east, linking Heathrow to east London, through Paddington.

Original estimates of the scheme's costs have ballooned, and Treasury officials say a budget of £10bn to £15bn may be needed, with the project unlikely to be finished by 2012.