The team behind London's £14.8bn rail project Crossrail has revealed plans to host permanent large-scale public art across eight stations along the 118km route.

Crossrail - to be funded entirely through private sponsorship - will work with leading art organisations and commercial galleries to secure international commissions for the project, called The Cultural Line.

Crossrail, due to open in 2018, will include 37 stations spanning from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.

The brief states artists should work in partnership with Crossrail's architectural design teams and manufacturers of keynote materials for their station.

Already, American artist Spencer Finch has been chosen to produce 120m long A Cloud Index for Paddington Station, which will use a glazed station canopy to depict more than 25 types of clouds found in the British sky.

Crossrail will work with Victoria Miro to secure an artist for Liverpool Street, Gagosian for Tottenham Court Road, White Cube for Bond Street and Sadie Coles for Farringdon.

It is in discussions with other renowned galleries for remaining stations at Whitechapel, Canary Wharf and Custom House.

It is also working with potential sponsors who might wish to have their name permanently associated with one of the featured artworks.

Public art curatorial consultancy Futurecity is providing specialist strategic support to the project.

Crossrail chairman Terry Morgan said: "When Crossrail is finished it will not only be a functional transport system, but a cultural destination for everyone to enjoy."