Thameslink may face £750 million in cutbacks - report

LONDON (Reuters) - The Thameslink rail programme may face 750 million pounds of cutbacks, with possible knock-on effects for Crossrail as the government prepares to tighten its belt, according to a report in the Observer.

Treasury officials are looking to scale back the 5.5 billion pound Thameslink programme, which will upgrade one of Britain's busiest rail routes, after a recent investigation into the project and in response to the economic downturn. This comes as wider public spending cuts are expected, especially in the infrastructure sector.

Crossrail plans may also be hit, the report added, as officials are examining the 'point of no return' in terms of its commitment to the 16 billion project that will run trains from Heathrow airport to Canary Wharf.

(Reporting by Lorraine Turner; Editing by Hans Peters)