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Tunnel Boring machine being lowered into main shaft in the west , through central London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east . 26 miles of tunnels had to be bored in the process of construction .
Reading is still thought of as a County Town rather than a suburb , nevertheless it is at the western extremity of the £ 32.5 billion economy that has grown along the Thames Valley since it became a magnet for ‘ knowledge based ’ industries . But the rail service to Paddington is unreliable and overcrowded . Crossrail will bring the commuters of Reading among 1.5 million people , to within 45 minutes of central London and will link this key development area with London ’ s employment , leisure and business districts – Heathrow , West End , the City , Docklands – enabling further economic development .
From 2019 it is estimated that 200 million passengers a year will be using Crossrail following the opening of the £ 14.8 billion project and its 38 designated stations . Currently the
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