According to a report in the FT on 21 November, in a letter sent to head of the National Audit Office, the UK’s spending watchdog, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, says that despite £650 million in extra funding for the Crossrail project, the project will need even more cash.
Gareth Bacon AM, Chairman of the London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee said:
“The Crossrail project is floundering financially due to what seems to be incompetent management and is in need of even more cash injections to keep it going.
“The Mayor must get a grip on this project once and for all. Londoners want the scheme to be successful and it is already well behind schedule.
“It is troubling that the Mayor is attempting to indicate that he has lost faith in the project management, as implied by his announcement of two reviews into Crossrail’s governance and cost. Crossrail Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of TfL and TfL is run by the Mayor. Someone needs to sort out the mess urgently.
“The Government has a shared responsibility for this project and it is vital that agreement is reached quickly on how to provide the necessary funding to deliver the Elizabeth line. If the Department of Transport have to step in and take back control of the project that would be a calamitous outcome for TfL and the Mayor.”