The contracting team has now broken through the crowns of the two running tunnels and will now excavate the earth between them to create a large open station platform level. Once excavation is completed, they will start building the station platforms and laying the track bed.
Construction manager Andy Mooney said: “Reaching the tunnels marks an important phase in the construction of Paddington station. The excavation down 16m underneath Eastbourne Terrace will allow us, once we have removed all of the 2,640 individual tunnel segments, to start the construction of the platforms and track bed.”
Tunnelling machines Phyllis and Ada built the new train tunnels through Paddington at the beginning of 2013 ahead of completing their 6.8km journeys to Farringdon in autumn 2013.
Costain Skanska’s workforce of 400 subsequently excavated more than 40,000 tonnes of earth to reach the western running tunnels.
Following the completion of the platform and track bed construction, system-wide contractor ATC (Altsom, TSO & Costain) will start fit-out of the new tunnels with track and other rail infrastructure.
The new Crossrail station is being built next to the existing Paddington National Rail station under Eastbourne Terrace. The 250m-long and 30m-wide station will include a 120m-long glass canopy.
Paddington is one of 10 new stations being built along the Crossrail route.
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