... as £18billion Crossrail delayed by another year
CROSSRAIL will not open until 2021 and could now cost more than £18 billion, the project’s chief executive admitted yesterday.
The 60-mile ‘Elizabeth Line’ from Reading to Essex has been hit by a litany of failings, including delayed engineering works and overspending in the billions.
It was due to be opened by the Queen last December, but the launch date was missed and in April the opening was pushed back to autumn 2020.
Now, in a fresh farce, bosses have admitted the project won’t be finished until 2021 – and could cost up to £650 million more than planned.
Mark Wild, chief executive of Crossrail, promised that services would begin ‘as soon as practically possible in 2021’, but admitted the overall cost could hit £ 18.25 billion. Crossrail’s original budget was set at £15.9 billion in 2007, and increased to £17.6 billion a year ago.
The latest delay has been caused by the need to develop signalling technology, and to get safety approvals for the new tracks. The high-tech new trains also need to be trialled for thousands of miles.
Mr Wild said: ‘We are doing everything we can to complete the Elizabeth Line as quickly as we can but there are no shortcuts to delivering this hugely complex railway. The Elizabeth Line must be completed to the highest safety and quality standards.’ Caroline Pidgeon, head of the London Assembly’s transport committee, said: ‘ The further delays to the opening of Crossrail and increasing costs are appalling news for Londoners.
‘The delay creates huge issues for many businesses that have made investment decisions based on its original opening date of December 2018.’
Crossrail Ltd is Europe’s biggest infrastructure project, and Britain’s largest for decades.
The first part of Crossrail to open will be the central section, with trains running between Paddington and Abbey Wood in south-east London via the centre of the city.
All stations on this section are expected to be in operation on the opening day except for Bond Street, which is delayed because of ‘design and delivery challenges’.
The failure to deliver Crossrail on time and on budget has been described as a ‘national embarrassment’ by critics.
In April, a damning report by public spending watchdog the National Audit Office revealed that Crossrail started veering off the tracks four years ago – but bosses failed to stop it.
In October last year, the Government was forced to give the project a £350 million bailout.