 A new east-west London rail line that will help boost jobs in the capital well into this century has been given the go-ahead.
In a crucial transport announcement, the government has approved Crossrail - the underground rail line which will link the West End, the City, Heathrow and Canary Wharf.
The line will shorten journey times for hundreds of thousands of passengers that make the journey across the capital daily.
And it will add 10 per cent to London's public transport capacity - easing overcrowding on many parts of the rail and Tube system.
Mayor Ken Livingstone said: 'Crossrail is not just a transport scheme - it is the key to the economic development of London.
'Crossrail will provide the transport underpinning the greatest centres of London's business - the City, Canary Wharf and the West End.
'It will also link up these areas of high jobs growth to the areas of greatest deprivation in east London and open up new housing developments in the Thames Gateway.
'In the seven years since I have been Mayor delivering Crossrail has been by far the most important transport project I have sought to deliver, working together with London's businesses and the government.' Crossrail was first planned 20 years ago, but has been stalled by successive governments.
Work is now expected to start next year and the line is due to be finished by 2017.
Once up and running, it will provide trains between Maidenhead in Berkshire, Heathrow, Paddington, Tottenham Court Road, and Whitechapel.
At Whitechapel it will split into two branch lines with one heading through Stratford and out through east London before ending in Shenfield, Essex.
The other line will pass through the Docklands - including Canary Wharf - and travel under the Thames to Woolwich and Abbey Wood.
The station at Whitechapel will provide a junction to the East London line which passes through the areas of London's greatest social deprivation.
When complete Crossrail will have a capacity twice that of the Jubilee line, and will be the largest addition to the capital's transport system for more than 50 years.
Jo Valentine, the chief executive of London First which campaigns for business in London, said: 'Getting the go-ahead for Crossrail has been like putting together a giant jigsaw, but with real UK jobs and economic growth at stake.'
Cross rail map (PDF)
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