0810 [0755] Hrs GMT
London
Friday
30 April 2010
Editor © Muhammad Haque
Why has the BBC posted this online [see texts below] plug for Crossrail? We asked the BBC specially to tell the truth. But the BBC has posted another plug. Empty of the substance that only the truth would contain. But the BBC cannot tell the truth. Not when it is following the Big Business agenda. Had the BBC told the truth or wanted to tell the truth, it would have mentioned Rod Eddington. And if it had mentioned Rod Eddington, it would also have had to admit the reservations that Eddington had about CRASSrail. And if the BBC could bring itself [or whoever wrote their latest Big Biz agenda CRASSrail plug THEMSELVES] to admit the truth then they would also show – the truth would compel them to have to show - the economic case AGAINST Crossrail and the truth that the existing transport network in and around London was much more important than the Big Biz agenda. And if the BBC did publish the truth and the contextual report that alone will do then it would have to say that the EXISTING transport budget in London is in deficit by SEVERAL £ Billion and that in this context the £16 Billion for CrossRail was a wasteful, debts-causing, debts-adding irresponsibility.
And this is even before the full ‘transport’ case for Crossrail is exposed. Which a truthful account of the adventure would have to show and wills how.
We shall be taking part the BBC’s Party-plugs one by one, starting with the item next.
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The BBC online plug for Crossrail dated 1740 GMT London Thursday 29 April 2010
How a fast rail link to London could affect Maidenhead
Crossrail could transform the fortunes of Maidenhead
Maidenhead residents are hoping their town will be transformed by a £16bn high-speed rail link to East London.
However, the Conservatives have said that although they support Crossrail they can offer no guarantee to the project.
Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have condemned the Conservative stance towards a "vital project".
Due for completion in 2017 Crossrail will link Maidenhead to the West End, the City of London and Canary Wharf.
Labour and the Lib Dems criticised the Conservatives over Crossrail
Mike Miller, President of the Maidenhead and District Chamber of Commerce said the project was "extremely important" for commuters and businesses.
"Without Crossrail economic development will be curtailed," he said.
"At the moment the train service to London isn't bad, but it basically takes you to Paddington and it's basically quite a mission to get elsewhere in London.
"It's very important."
Mr Miller said he believed that Crossrail would go ahead whatever the result was of the election because so much money has already been spent on it.
Crossrail and Politics
CONSERVATIVES: Their manifesto says they support Crossrail but in a recent radio interview the Shadow London Minister Justine Greening said 'I cannot give a guarantee that it will continue', sparking a row over whether they will indeed see the project through.
LABOUR: They gave the go-ahead in 2007 to £16 billion project and say they still plan to finish it on schedule.
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: They also say they are committed to delivering Crossrail, stressing they would deliver it on budget. They would prefer to get more businesses involved to reduce the funding burden on the taxpayer.
History of Crossrail
1980s
Plans for Crossrail have existed since the late 1980s, as it became clear that existing tracks were reaching the limits of capacity. The Government then commissioned a study to investigate how this problem could be solved.
The Central London Rail Study of 1989 proposed three projects, East-West Crossrail (now 'Crossrail'), a new Underground line to link Wimbledon and Hackney (now Crossrail Line 2) and an extension of the Jubilee line.
1990s
In 1991, a Bill was submitted to Parliament for the East-West scheme. Unfortunately, in 1994 the bill was rejected as the then recession temporarily depressed passenger journeys into and through the capital.
2000s
In 2000, with both the Underground and National Rail networks now suffering record levels of congestion and a resulting decline in service reliability, the Government asked the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) to study the requirements for extra passenger capacity to and through London.
Hundreds of millions have already been spent on the £16bn project to link the east and west of London by rail.
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