A new UK rail line running through the centre of London has been given the go-ahead with a £16bn funding deal to secure its construction.
Crossrail will link Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west with Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east and will include new stations at key city locations including Bond Street, Farringdon and Canary Wharf.
The UK Government says Crossrail will be Europe's largest civil engineering project, adding "at least £20bn to the UK economy" and 10% to London's overall transport capacity.
The 118.5km link includes 38 stations with 24 trains an hour running through the central section at peak times.
Crossrail will also provide a direct 43 min link between London's financial hub, Canary Wharf and Heathrow Airport.
Earlier this week, the municipal governing body of the City of London, the City of London Corporation, agreed to help meet a funding gap that was holding back the scheme.
The UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown says he expects the project to create 30,000 news jobs.
Work on the project will begin in 2010 with the first trains expected to run in 2017.
By Ozge Ibrahim
