London’s largest businesses have been asked to pay more towards the cost of building Crossrail, in order for the east-west rail link to proceed. Financial Times. The Guardian

Transport secretary Ruth Kelly told City bankers and other business leaders yesterday that a funding gap remained that would have to be bridged if the project were to get the go-ahead.

She called for business to ‘put real money on the table now’ to get the government’s approval in this autumn’s comprehensive spending review, adding that ministers expected ‘very substantial contributions’.

Kelly refused to disclose the extent of the funding gap in the £10bn project and made no suggestions as to how it could be bridged.