be awarded in the UK since the Jubilee Line extension and Channel Tunnel Rail Link and will provide a much-needed boost to the UK construction as well as creating major employment opportunities.

Crossrail will run 118km from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west, through new twin-bore 21 km tunnels under central London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. It will bring an additional 1.5 million people within 45 minutes commuting distance of London's key business districts.

When Crossrail opens it will increase London's rail-based transport network capacity by 10 per cent, supporting regeneration across the capital, helping to secure London's position as a world leading financial centre, and cutting journey times across the city.