Crossrail on track to open next year despite ‘significant challenges’

Crossrail To Face Further Delays
Getty Images

Crossrail chiefs have insisted the long-delayed £18.6bn line remains on course to open next year despite being warned of significant challenges ahead.

An independent watchdog has raised concerns that the delayed start to “trial running” could cause knock-on difficulties in finishing the stations and upgrading the software programmes on the new trains.

But Crossrail chief executive Mark Wild insists the target of opening the Elizabeth line, as it will be known, in the first half of next year remains “unchanged”.

This is despite recent optimism from Transport for London commissioner Andy Byford that the line could open before the end of this year. Sadiq Khan will be asked at Mayor’s Question Time next week whether it could be open by Christmas.

TfL’s Elizabeth Line committee was told on Thursday that trial running had begun on May 10, about six weeks later than hoped – sparking concerns about when the full “dress rehearsal” stage known as trial operations can commence.

Four empty test trains an hour are currently running in the new central London tunnels and on the existing above-ground tracks. The next stage is to increase this to eight and then 12 trains an hour.

Trial operations are due to start later this year and will include using volunteers to check that trains and stations can be evacuated safely. The Elizabeth line cannot open until trial operations are completed successfully.

Stephen Hill, the independent “project representative” who scrutinises progress on Crossrail, told the committee that TfL faced the “competing pressures” of testing the trains, finishing the stations, ensuring safety and upgrading the train software at the same time.

“Productivity levels across the programme in the first six weeks have not been where they should be,” he told the committee. “The trial running period looks like it is going to be very challenging ahead.”

In a written monthly update last month, Mr Hill also said the “start of trial operations is at risk”.

He warned the committee that TfL’s hopes of not exceeding the additional £1.1bn it has to complete the project “cannot be reliably underpinned”. The central section is due to cost £15.8bn, with the changes to the Network Rail lines and stations to Reading and Shenfield costing an additional £2.8bn.

Only three of the nine new stations – Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon and Custom House - have been handed over to TfL, with delays to others such as Paddington and Bond Street.

Mr Wild admitted Paddington had become a “real challenge” but hoped it would be ready to be handed over to TfL in the “next two to three months”. He said: “It will need holding the contractors’ feet to the fire over the next six to eight weeks.”

Liverpool Street and Woolwich are also due to be handed over in the next two or three months. Canary Wharf station is due to be ready in September or October. There have been longstanding issues with Bond Street and Whitechapel.

From next week, nine-carriage Elizabeth Line trains will start to appear on the eastern section of the line between Shenfield and Liverpool Street, where passenger services already run as part of TfL Rail.

Crossrail’s central section transitioned from being a construction project to an operational railway on March 26 when it gained “ROGS” status – meaning it came under rail safety regulations known as Railway and Other Guided transport Systems.

It had been hoped that trial running would have started at the same time but Mr Wild said this proved “unrealistic”.

A Crossrail spokesman said: “Bond Street station remains at a less advanced stage than the other Elizabeth line central London stations but we are working hard to improve on that position. The station remains on track to support entry into trial operations.”

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in