Revisiting the growth coalition concept to analyse the success of the Crossrail London megaproject

ABSTRACT

There is a common perception that infrastructure megaprojects are difficult to implement, as they face many obstacles (cost overruns, political barriers and time delays). This was particularly the case in the UK where many projects were difficult to develop given a complex, centralized and turbulent financial context (e.g. the jubilee Line extension, the Eurostar project). Despite this complex British system, London is developing the Crossrail mega infrastructure project which is recognized to be on time and built within a planned budget. The paper aims to analyse the reasons for the development of this project in a turbulent political and financial British system. The main argument I defend is that Crossrail benefited from the constitution of a specific and localized growth coalition. Revisiting the notion developed by Logan and Molotch, I show how the aggregation of different interests (political and economic) has been essential in the concretization of this project. Actors motivated by the will to promote the growth of London and to sustain the growth of population and jobs have been at the forefront to defend Crossrail. These elements have put Crossrail on a route of success. The paper concludes by characterizing and analysing such a success.

KEYWORDS:

• Crossrail
• megaproject
• London
• growth coalition
• infrastructure
• success

Acknowledgements

The paper is based upon a research comparing among other things transport projects in Paris and London within the WHIG project (What is governed) developed in Sciences Po. I acknowledge the support of the COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. COMUE Université Paris Cité is a consortium of higher education institutions associating Sciences Po, Sorbonne Paris 3, Sorbonne Paris 5, l’INALCO.

2. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vols43-4/pp686-691#fnn92

3. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/sorry-for-the-delay-1170657.html

4. http://www.irbnet.de/daten/iconda/CIB5132.pdf

5. http://www.crossrail.co.uk/benefits/

6. http://www.propertyweek.com/Journals/2013/12/09/q/j/s/Crossrail-The-Impact-on-Londons-Property-Market.pdf

7. http://www.crossrail.co.uk/news/articles/prime-minister-and-mayor-of-london-visit-crossrail-as-project-reaches-halfway-point

8. It was demonstrated in March 2007 that delaying Crossrail would cost £1.5bn a year

9. https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/urban-planning-and-construction/planning-applications/community-infrastructure-levy

10. http://www.crossrail.co.uk/news/articles/mayor-listens-acts-on-reaction-to-crossrail-planning-charge-proposals

11. Interview with Julian Ware, TfL 9 July 2014; Julian Ware is a principal in the TfL Corporate Finance team. He is working on the financing of projects such as Crossrail.

12. http://www.crossrail.co.uk/benefits/

13. DfT press notice, Major boost for Crossrail as BAA agree £230m funding, 4 November 2008. Retrieved from http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-1.nsf/0/50B0D0015DCB3802802574F7002D2D24?OpenDocument

14. http://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Crossrail-2010.pdf

15. Mark Kleinman is the Head of the Mayor of London’s Economic and Business Policy Unit at the Greater London Authority (GLA) and former researcher at the London School of economics; He has also been a consultant in various organizations among others the OECD, the European Commission, the UK Film council.

16. Email exchanges with Michael Edwards on 1 July 2014.

17. Simon Bennett is Crossrail’s head of stakeholder Engagement. He was interviewed on 17 February 2014.

18. Jim Berry is Senior Vice President of Hatch Mott McDonald (Canada). Retrieved from http://munkschool.utoronto.ca/imfg/uploads/255/crossrail___jim_berry_oct_30_2013_final.pdf