Crossrail, the largest addition to the transport network in London and the South East for more than 50 years, has been given the go ahead by Parliament.

When complete, the rail line will run from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the West through to central London and then on to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the East. More than 200 million people are expected to use the network each year, which will bring an extra 1.5 million people within one hour’s commuting distance on London’s business districts.

Crossrail will add 10% to London’s public transport capacity with trains travelling at up to 100 mph on the surface and 60 mph in tunnels. Heathrow will be 31 minutes away from the West End and 43 minutes from Canary Wharf