A group of business, unions, the tourist industry and trade bodies has called on the prime minister to give the green light to the Crossrail London rail link.

According to reports, business is willing to contribute up to £2 billion towards the cost.

Forum Response: Crossrail

A spokesman for Crossrail told ePolitix.com: "Efficient transport systems are the key to reducing travel congestion and disruption. Crossrail Line One represents one of the most important infrastructure developments for the capital and the UK as a whole.

"There are serious implications in not building Crossrail. Congestion on an already overcrowded system will worsen and conditions for passengers will suffer.

"There is also the potential that, faced with a failing transport infrastructure, international business may relocate to Europe, away from the UK altogether. Crossrail will play a key part in the Thames gateway regeneration plans.

"Crossrail will establish a brand new network of services linking areas across London and beyond and allow existing suburban rail services to run through London.

"It will also reduce overcrowding on London Underground lines as well as reducing congestion at a number of busy National Rail stations."Crossrail will provide a major boost to the development of London's integrated transport network and ensure that features such as full access for mobility impaired people are included as an integrated part of the design.

"By bringing about these improvements, Crossrail will make a significant contribution to tackling the problems facing the infrastructure of the South East."

Forum Response: Institute of Directors

A spokesman for the IoD told ePolitix.com: "One way or another the transport infrastructure of London needs major investment.

"If the capital is to compete as a place for business then public transport has to improve. Projects like Crossrail need to be given serious consideration."

Forum Response: English Heritage

A spokeswoman for English Heritage told ePolitix.com: "English Heritage fully support the case for Crossrail and look forward to its construction at the earliest opportunity.

"We also appreciate the promoter's desire to secure as much clarity and certainty as possible on such crucial matters as cost, risk and programme and would like to help in the smooth delivery of this major infrastructure project for London.

"On the basis of current information on the route and its potential impact on the historic environment, none of the sites is likely to cause us major concern, in principle. The key issue for us is the degree of demolition of any listed buildings and unlisted buildings in conservation areas, together with the location of any ventilation shafts and work sites.

"We were pleased to see that the latest proposals have a lesser impact on the historic environment than in 1992 and in our view, all of these issues are best addressed through the normal consent process."

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

Ewan Willars, senior policy officer at RICS, told ePolitix.com: "RICS wholeheartedly supports the Crossrail project and has argued for some time that a full and frank consideration of the scheme's funding is required.

"Closing the funding gap will be fundamental to the scheme's go-ahead. The announcement of a significant funding injection, if true, demonstrates the realisation amongst the business community that the scheme is essential to London's future."RICS believes Crossrail is the single most important transport proposal for the capital, and essential if the government's ambitious plans for developing the Thames gateway are to be realised. The importance of getting the right transport infrastructure for London simply cannot be over-stated."