Business stumps up Crossrail cash, but questions still remain

An artist’s impression of a Crossrail train calling at Paddington station

An artist’s impression of a Crossrail train calling at Paddington station

The long awaited Crossrail scheme took a major step forward this week after private sector beneficiaries agreed to contribute more than £1bn towards the £16bn east-west London rail link.

The City of London Corporation, Canary Wharf and BAA are each understood to be willing to donate hundreds of millions of pounds to finally get the scheme off the drawing board. However, the exact nature of their contributions still remains unclear.

Recent progress follows pressure from prime...