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Delayed! Crossrail to arrive Autumn 2019
Tuesday 4th September 2018 | Jake
Scheduled to open in December, the highly anticipated (and heavily criticised) Crossrail train’s full arrival has been delayed until late next year. The £15bn line requires more time for testing, according to transport officials. This will not affect the section of the line that is already up and running.
The project will link landmarks across London to commuter belt areas such as Reading. The line will be known as the Elizabeth Line. Furthermore officials believe the line will attract 200m passengers annually, and increase central London’s rail capacity by 10%, relieving the intense congestion on the city’s underground come rush hour.
Photo courtesy of BBC and Crossrail
Crossrail executives had long held firm on their insistence the project could be delivered on time and on budget. It is now confirmed that neither of these promises can be kept, with the project long having exceeded its budget (it is currently £600m over). The delay will undoubtedly have financial repercussions for Tfl and subsequently their customers, as fare take will drop far below previous estimates that anticipated a boost from Crossrail ticket sales. Nonetheless, the sheer ambition of the line meant the inability to stick to an ambitious unveiling was unsurprising.
The Elizabeth Line will run 60 miles long and weaves its way around existing infrastructure such as sewers and skyscraper foundations, not to mention the capital’s existing underground train network.
