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Millions more commuters will enjoy the benefits of Crossrail as the £15 billion link is to be extended further west to Reading, it was announced today.

From December 2019 passengers will be able to travel directly into central London and the City without having to change at Paddington.

Under original plans, trains were to terminate at Maidenhead with a shuttle to Slough and Reading. But ministers decided to continue the service to Twyford and Reading, which will be served by two trains an hour.

The 1,500-capacity trains will take 61 minutes from Reading to Liverpool Street and 57 minutes from Twyford.

The extension has been made possible by the multi-billion pound upgrade to Reading station and the electrification of the Great Western Mainline carried out by Network Rail. No further infrastructure works are needed.

There will be no change to existing services between Reading and Paddington. Crossrail will be integrated into the Transport for London charging zone, meaning passengers will be able to pay by Oyster. Trains through the central underground section will run from December 2018.

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The new additions bring the number of Crossrail stations to 40. Rail Minister Stephen Hammond said: “This is further proof of our commitment to a transport network fit for the 21st century. It will make better use of the congested Great Western Main Line, freeing up capacity for improvements including potential direct services from Reading to Heathrow.”

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “I am thrilled that Reading and Twyford will take advantage of Crossrail, putting them on the doorstep of London’s main employment centres.” Reading East MP Rob Wilson said: “This can only be stage one in the process. Because there will be so many stops, journey times will be no faster than they are now.” Stephen Joseph, chief executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said: “It makes sense to extend Crossrail to Reading, but there is still work to ensure affordable fares for all.”