Despite the popularity and success of the Elizabeth Line, other major transport projects in the capital are in limbo, writes James Ford

Everybody loves the Elizabeth Line, right? There are the sleek, open-plan trains, the breathtaking, well-designed stations and, perhaps best of all, there are the smooth and swift journey times that have created new routes and shorter commutes across the capital. Passenger numbers have exceeded expectations, commuter satisfaction is unrivalled and TfL’s coffers overflow with extra fare revenue. Even if you don’t live in London, you should be pleased that the project boosted the UK economy to the tune of £42bn. As we celebrate the Elizabeth Line’s third birthday this month (24 May), the capital can bask in the reflected glory that comes from seeing an ambitious dream realised.

If one Elizabeth Line is good, two must obviously be better. Given that the Lizzie Line has been such a triumph, work must surely be underway on the next big rail project. Somewhere in the capital there must be a street or park festooned with TfL construction hoardings, a neighbourhood reverberating to the cacophonous sounds of pile driving, and pavements gently trembling as a tunnel boring machine slowly snakes its way beneath the metropolis. But no matter how much you strain your ears or how well you scan the horizon, you will not find another new tube line currently under construction.

This is not because nobody has come up with a credible proposal. There are several major rail projects that have been in development for years and were included in the most recent version of the London Plan (London’s statutory spatial development strategy) published in 2021, the year before the........

© City A.M.