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Crossrail Bill

I welcome the Bill and acknowledge the Government’s commitment to the Crossrail project by bringing it forward as a hybrid Bill. I also welcome the Secretary of State’s wish to put some certainty into the Bill by defining the limits of the Crossrail network. That is essential if the scheme is to be practical and affordable. The project is important to the nation and will have national rail links, but it is, in essence, a London railway and it needs to be looked at in those terms. The hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Peter Luff) referred to Superlink. If I have got the jargon right, that proposal is essentially a commuter scheme, whereas Crossrail is a metro scheme. The hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Tom Brake) made some complimentary references to Superlink. If that is Liberal Democrat policy, it would be of interest to my constituents.