Chelsea-Hackney Line

Chelsea-Hackney Line

Crossrail 2 is a proposed rail route across London, linking the South Western Main Line to the West Anglia Main Line, via Victoria and Kings Cross St. Pancras, intended to alleviate severe overcrowding on London's rail network that would otherwise occur by the 2030s. The project was earlier known informally as the Chelsea–Hackney line in reference to a potential route for the line. The plan for a line on this alignment has existed in various forms since 1970.

The line is the fourth major rail project in the capital since 2000, after the East London line extensions (opened 2012), Thameslink Programme (opening 2018) and Crossrail (opening 2018). National Rail's projections of overcrowding led it to call for more new lines such as Crossrail, but such plans have gained more importance with Euston being named as the London terminus of the planned High Speed 2 rail line. High Speed 2 would bring an estimated 20,000 passengers onto the congested Northern and Victoria lines at Euston so if HS2 is approved, Transport for London (TfL) plan to change the safeguarded route for Chelsea-Hackney between Tottenham Court Road and King's Cross St Pancras so that the new line will serve Euston. On 28 June 2011, the Deputy Chair of Transport for London stated that such a new tube line running through Euston would be vital to disperse passengers arriving on High Speed 2. For the same reason, the idea of the line serving Euston is also supported by Network Rail's Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) for London and the South East, published on 28 July 2011.

By including Euston, to serve a new High Speed 2 interchange, Crossrail 2 has a considerably improved business case. Due to the higher numbers entering the tube network at Euston as a result of HS2, it would become a necessity. The line may cost less than Crossrail 1 due to having fewer central London stations.