Crossing London: Overcoming the obstacles to CrossRail

London's main transport modes are over-loaded. An important part of the solution is CrossRail, a new east-west underground railway. It was agreed and fully planned all of ten years ago; but the obstacles to its construction are severe and have become worse as time has passed. While the value of CrossRail is clear and generally recognized, a large number of direct interests have both the incentive and the power to object to it as a specific proposal, in an attempt to secure a better outcome for themselves. Many commercial, public and governing institutions will have to be persuaded to make a sacrifice in the interests of the project going ahead.