Crossrail still sort of actually has funding

The DfT have put out a press release making news of the Crossrail funding deal rumoured earlier in the week official, meaning Gordon Brown has given the project the 'go-ahead', whatever that means. As far as I can tell, there's no actual change in the project's status today - we still seem to be waiting for the deal to be finalised.

More interestingly, the press release has the latest construction timetable:

• 2008 Royal Assent
• 2009 Enabling works
• 2010 Construction begins
• 2017 First services commence

It looks like we can forget the possible 2015 opening date a few sources had been reporting this week.