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ACE has expressed its support for the government’s confirmation of a
£75m extension of the East London Line (ELL) to Clapham Junction.
The
extension, which was announced by transport secretary Geoff Hoon on
Thursday, will be completed in time for the 2012 Olympic Games in
London and will receive the benefit of a £64m cash injection from
Transport for London (TfL).
ACE chief executive Nelson
Ogunshakin backed the decision and said: “ACE has members who will be
involved with this exciting project and we are proud that Londoners
will be able to reap the rewards of their endeavours. We are naturally
glad that the government has moved to further the work already being
carried out and look forward to watching on as the project develops.”
The
£1bn ELL extension will run from Dalston to Crystal Palace and West
Croydon by 2010 and will also incorporate a further extension to
Highbury and Islington, to be completed in 2011. Mr Hoon’s latest
announcement will see four trains per hour in both directions linking
Clapham Junction, Wandsworth Road, Clapham High Street, Denmark Hill,
Peckham Rye, Queen’s Road Peckham and Surray Quays stations, completing
a circuit of Central London around zones 2 and 3.
Ogunshakin
said: “The current economic climate poses a series of questions to the
rail sector, one of which is how to continue making London easier to
navigate for commuters, tourists and those who live there. We are
hopeful that the funding proposed by the government's pre-budget report
in November, which has since been supported by a series of progressive
moves, will be sustained. It is clear that concerted spending in the
transport sector will help the UK economy to recover a healthy position
and that Mr Hoon has adopted a longsighted stance can only be
encouraging for those of our members working within it.”
-ENDS-
Further information and photograph from ACE communications
and public affairs director Andy Walker on 020 7227 1889, 07947 558654
(mobile) or email awalker@acenet.co.uk
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