asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have any estimate of the difference in cost of (a) constructing new terminal facilities for the turnaround of Crossrail trains at Maidenhead; and (b) electrifying the line as far as Reading and using turnaround facilities there. [HL1925]

Cross London Rail Links Limited has provided the following project cost estimates, calculated on the same basis as the Crossrail project cost of £15.9 billion.

The cost difference of not constructing Crossrail turnback and stabling facilities at Maidenhead and instead electrifying the Great Western Main Line from Maidenhead to Reading and using the proposed turnback and stabling facilities at Reading is approximately £275 million. This figure includes overhead line equipment, bridgeworks and trackworks.

This figure does not include other additional project costs of extending Crossrail services to Reading, the most significant of which would be the potential modification of signalling (approximately £45 million) and additional Crossrail rolling stock (approximately £52 million).