Prime minister David Cameron, mayor of London Boris Johnson and transport minister Stephen Hammond visited the £14.8bn project, going 25m underground at Crossrail’s Tottenham Court Road site. This station will be a key interchange with London Underground when trains run through central London from 2018.
They were joined by Crossrail chairman Terry Morgan and chief executive Andrew Wolstenholme, as well as transport commissioner Sir Peter Hendy.
Seven tunnelling machines have now bored more than 29km of 6.2m-diameter tunnels under London. An eighth machine is due to launch next month. Construction is also advancing on the 10 new Crossrail stations and on works above ground west of Paddington and east of Stratford.
There are 10,000 people currently working on Crossrail, including more than 280 apprentices.
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Mr Wolstenholme said: “Crossrail has now reached the halfway point and is being delivered on time and on budget. We are on track to deliver a world-class railway.”
During 2014, Crossrail’s major civil engineering and tunnelling works will conclude and the focus will shift towards station construction, fit-out and implementing railway systems within the tunnels and stations. The train operator will then test and refine the systems before trains run from 2018.
Upcoming Crossrail milestones include:
- Structural completion and start of fit out of western tunnels in early 2014
- Further tunnel boring machine breakthroughs during construction of the eastern tunnels at Stepney Green cavern, then Whitechapel, Liverpool Street and Farringdon. Major tunnelling for Crossrail is due to complete by the end of 2014.
- Completion of the Canary Wharf station ticket hall, and the roof of Canary Wharf Group’s over station development in early 2014
- Network Rail to continue major surface works on the existing rail network including platform lengthening and construction of a new station at Abbey Wood
- Crossrail rolling stock and depot contract to be awarded in spring 2014
- Announcement of the Crossrail train operating concession in late 2014
- Joint venture partners will be sought during 2014 for major above station property developments at Paddington Triangle, Tottenham Court Road (Dean Street), Farringdon East (Lindsey Street), Liverpool Street East, Woolwich and the Limmo Peninsula
- Delivery and testing of trains is scheduled to start in 2017 ready for the opening of the new Crossrail tunnels to passengers in late 2018.
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