Crossrail

A further £140 million is needed for Crossrail On Network Works, taking the cost of the surface works package to almost £3 billion.

Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris revealed the cost increase in the latest Crossrail Annual Statement, delivered on July 20.

He explained: “The additional costs, which were assessed before the COVID-19 crisis, are the result of some station and power upgrade work taking longer than planned.”

The Department for Transport will work with Transport for London (the joint sponsor of Crossrail) to “closely scrutinise” the project, he added.

DfT and TfL will also work together to oversee the effective review and evolution of Crossrail’s future governance arrangements regarding decisions, as the project moves towards its muchdelayed opening.

Heaton-Harris mentioned the introduction of the nine-car Class 345s on the western section, but failed to note that they have since been withdrawn from traffic (see Fleet News).

He also acknowledged Office of Rail and Road approval for ‘345s’ to serve Heathrow Airport, with four trains per hour planned, but said final testing and driver training was still taking place.

The cross-London railway should have been completely operational from last December. Instead, only London Liverpool Street-Shenfield and Paddington-Reading are running, and neither are using new Crossrail infrastructure.

It’s planned that the Abbey Wood-Paddington central section will open in summer 2021, with the full Shenfield/Abbey WoodReading/Heathrow Airport route operational by mid-2022.