Released on: October 26, 2007, 11:14 am

Press Release Author: Jim watson

Industry: Real Estate

Press Release Summary: Earlier this month prime minister Gordon Brown announced the
government was giving the go-ahead to the £16 billion Crossrail project

Press Release Body: Earlier this month prime minister Gordon Brown announced the
government was giving the go-ahead to the £16 billion Crossrail project, which will
see a new high-speed rail link heading from east to west across London in the same
way Thameslink heads from north to south.

The announcement means that, from 2017, a link will be in place between Maidenhead
in Berkshire and Shenfield in Essex, with spurs running off to Heathrow Airport and
Abbey Wood in south-east London. As well as providing a rapid link which will
connect with the main central London terminuses of Paddington and Liverpool Street,
the route will also interchange with the Docklands Light Railway and all but two of
the London Underground lines.

With so many connections supplied by the route, it has been widely anticipated that
districts of Property linked by Crossrail will see prices rise, which may be of
considerable interest to those looking to invest in London property with a view to
selling as prices rise. For example, the Islington Gazette reported earlier this
month that local real estate agents are predicting a boom in property prices in the
borough, due to the link with Farringdon Station, which already hosts three tube
lines and Thameslink.

However, those looking for investment properties along the route may also want to
consider looking beyond the capital to the commuter belt. Today estate agency Haart
said Maidenhead was set to become the leading commuter town for London. It predicted
that the Berkshire location, which had already seen house prices rising by 18 per
cent this year, would enjoy a rise of another 20 per cent over the next five years
in anticipation of Crossrail.

Haart suggested that Maidenhead had all the necessary attractions for this to occur,
with good schools and amenities, attractive scenery and the proximity of Windsor and
its castle. To all this will be added a cut in journey times between the town and
central London to 20 minutes once Crossrail services begin. Jane Matthews, manager
of Haart\'s Maidenhead branch, said: \"The market is buoyant and there has already
been a substantial rise in property prices. However, homeowners that remain in the
area will see even greater returns. The completion of the Crossrail line in 2017
will definitely boost prices further, as Maidenhead becomes a preferred spot for
commuters.\"

Thus those looking to find places to buy in anticipation of price rises may well
look to Maidenhead, or of course to Shenfield at the Essex end of the line. But
perhaps it should also be noted that pressure is already growing for Crossrail links
to be extended to other towns. Rail group Superlink has called for links to towns
and cities as far away as Cambridge, Ipswich and Milton Keynes, calling such an
expansion \"self financing\", reports Transport Briefing.

Bearing in mind the time gap between now and 2017, not to mention any changes in
government that may take place in that time, property investors may do well to keep
an eye on such possibilities.

In crowded urban areas public transport may be a key issue for property investors,
both in London and elsewhere, with car travel increasingly deterred as other cities
plan their own congestion charging schemes. With Glasgow looking to expand its
Subway, Manchester\'s Metrolink tram system extending and other cities pushing hard
for their own light rail systems, investors elsewhere may find similar opportunities
as a result of growing public transport infrastructures.

Web Site: http://www.assetz.co.uk

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fax:0845 400 6010

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