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Business leaders and politicians are leading calls for Crossrail’s “missing link” to be completed by extending it into south London and Kent.

MPs, council leaders and firms want the delayed £15.4 billion line’s south-eastern arm to continue from Abbey Wood to Ebbsfleet — and include a new station at London City Airport.

A letter to transport minister Jo Johnson asks for £25 million to be set aside in the Budget to draw up a business case for C2E (Crossrail to Ebbsfleet), which could create thousands of homes and jobs in the Thames Gateway, he was told. Sir David Evennett, Tory MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford, said: “This is a crucial opportunity for the Government to create a boom of jobs, opportunities and homes in an area that needs investment to unlock its potential. [It] will join up our transport network, bring Kent and south-east London properly into the fold.”

The 10 miles of line would see trains call at eight stations: Belvedere, Erith, Slade Green, Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe, Swanscombe and Ebbsfleet, linking with HS1 and Eurostar.

Crossrail’s original route went to Ebbsfleet but was cut to Abbey Wood to save cash. City Airport has offered to fund a station as part of its £480 million expansion. Crossrail, renamed the Elizabeth line, passes within 170m of its runway.

The opening of Crossrail’s central section has overrun by £590 million and been delayed to next autumn amid a failure to get the new trains to work with signalling systems. The extension is part of Mayor Sadiq Khan’s transport strategy but requires government funding. The extension passes through some of his Opportunity Areas for regeneration.

Mr Johnson, who is MP for Orpington, has previously told MPs he shares their frustrations, but said: “Any extension ... would require a strong business case and need to be technically feasible, and include the identification of funding.”

City Airport chief Robert Sinclair said: “C2E is a unique opportunity to add a station at the airport.” Colin Stanbridge, chief executive of London Chamber of Commerce, said it “creates the missing connection between HS1 and the Elizabeth line and links opportunity areas”.