London’s transport system just keeps getting busier. Around 1.37bn passengers travel in and out of the capital’s stations every year, journeying from their homes to shops, workplaces and to visit the sights.

Next year’s arrival of Crossrail, or the Elizabeth Line, will take some of the strain, but more capacity will be needed soon.

Waiting in the wings, Crossrail 2 could arrive some time around 2030. Yet recently plans for Crossrail 2 have begun to look shaky, raising fears of a transport crunch in the capital.

Formerly a key part of infrastructure and productivity strategies, the project now appears to be on the back burner as Brexit and political instability dominate.

There was no mention of Crossrail 2 in the recent Queen’s Speech. Nor was it in the most recent Conservative manifesto. But what does it mean for the UK if it never breaks ground?