The second phase of the London Crossrail Project could generate £102bn for the UK economy, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) said.

The £32bn Crossrail 2 programme will see 36km of twin-bore tunnels dug underground.

It will run beneath the streets of the capital from Wimbledon to Tottenham Hale and New Southgate, before joining existing rail networks in Surrey and Hertfordshire.

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However, research carried out by KPMG suggests SMEs in the supply chain stand to gain from a total of £5bn, with £1bn going to the West Midlands economy, over £200m to the North East and £170m in Scotland.

Yorkshire and the Humber could net around £910m from the project, while Northern Ireland could get £170m and Wales £260m.

Alasdair Reisner, Chief Executive of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association, said: "The economic benefits of Crossrail 2 will be felt across the length and breadth of the UK, potentially supporting 60,000 full-time jobs in the supply chain and providing a boost to UK engineering, construction and manufacturing sectors.

It is understood construction could get underway from 2020, with a completion date estimated for the 2030's.

(LM/CD)