Construction work on the new Crossrail rail network serving London and the south east will continue apace next year, creating the first of thousands of new jobs in construction.

Starting with preparatory work at Royal Oak station in west London next month, construction work is expected to begin at all of the line's central stations during 2010, while the tunnelling and remaining station design contracts are also set to be awarded.

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According to Transport Minister Sadiq Khan, next year will also see the first of 14,000 construction jobs being created by the project, mainly among the unemployed and the communities living along the new railway's route.

London Mayor Boris Johnson commented: "2010 is set to be a huge year for Crossrail, with full construction getting underway on the railway that will transform the capital.

"It is the biggest transport infrastructure project in Europe and will deliver at least £20 billion in jobs and economic benefits to London."

Such projects remain a key driver of construction recruitment at present, with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors reporting that non-housing public sector building work reached its greatest extent in nearly two years during the third quarter of 2009.

(BMcC/GK)