The long-awaited approval for London's hotly-debated Crossrail scheme means that work can now start in earnest on the proposed link between the Thames Valley and Heathrow, via the West End, to the City of London and the London Docklands.
The scheme, which is expected to be up and running within 10 years, will be the largest addition to the southeast England's transport network for more than half a century.
Welcoming the decision, Michael Roberts, chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), says: "Crossrail will deliver additional and much-needed capacity to the city's transport network and should enhance London's world-city status."