The true scale of the potential problems with Crossrail are laid bare in an article on the New Civil Engineer website. It’s long and detailed but well worth a read.
The new Chief Executive Mark Wild gave a bleak review of the current situation to a recent London Assembly meeting. It seems the contracts for new stations at West Ealing, Ealing Broadway and Acton Mail Line have yet to be placed.
The key points are:
- Three years’ work likely with project now running £2.5bn over budget
- Station construction revealed as critical path activity yet not one central station ready
- One or two central London stations may be “omitted” for opening
- Up to 15 month’s dynamic testing of trains and signalling yet to begin in earnest
- On-board train control software unable to work with Heathrow spur
This comes out barely a few weeks after a Network Rail public meeting at Ealing Town Hall where we were told Crossrail/Elizabeth Line would be fully open by the end of this year!