28.11.14
New Crossrail images released as project hits 60% milestone
New images released today by Crossrail reveal the project’s progress as it hits the 60% complete mark.
More than 23 miles (nearly 90%) of train tunnels are now complete, with tunnelling due to finish in spring next year. Six of Crossrail’s eight tunnelling machines have now completed their drives. The construction of ten new stations in central and southeast London is more than half complete.
The surface works, delivered by Network Rail, are also well underway. Significant progress has been made on the new flyover at Stockley, providing access to Heathrow, and on a new dive-under at Acton. In addition, a temporary station has opened at Abbey Wood to allow the new Crossrail station to be built.
Andrew Wolstenholme, Crossrail chief executive said: “Crossrail is being delivered on time and on budget. These fantastic images show the scale of work taking place around the clock beneath the streets of London. We are on schedule to provide London and the South East with a fantastic new railway in 2018.”
More than 10,000 people are working directly on Crossrail at around 40 construction sites. Over the coming months, while tunnelling will continue, Crossrail’s focus will shift to the substantial job of fitting out the stations and tunnels.
Images
1 to 4: Platform tunnels at the new Crossrail Bond Street station. The 260 metre long platforms run parallel to and around 100 metres to the south of Oxford Street. From 2018, 220,000 passengers are expected to use Bond Street London Underground and Crossrail station every day.
5: Machinery in the new platform tunnels for Liverpool Street station. More than 1.5 kilometres of platform and pedestrian tunnels are being created over 40 metres below ground level.
6: Tunnelling machine Elizabeth at Whitechapel station. The 150 metre long, thousand tonne machine is one of eight used on Crossrail. With almost 90% of tunnelling complete, Elizabeth is one of just two machines still operational.
7: Platform tunnels at the new Farringdon station. When it opens in 2018, Farringdon will be one of the busiest stations in Britain. An estimated 90,000 passengers will use the Crossrail station every day and 150,000 will use the Farringdon interchange that will also encompass London Underground and Thameslink services.
8 & 9: Platform tunnels at Tottenham Court Road. Alongside TfL’s upgrade of the existing Tube station, Crossrail is building a new station the length of three football pitches, four storeys below ground. More than 200,000 passengers will use Tottenham Court Road station when Crossrail services start in 2018.
10: Train tunnel at Paddington. The new Crossrail station is being constructed directly next to Brunel’s Grade I listed Paddington mainline station. Once complete, the station will be 250 metres long and 30 metres wide and will cater for 70,000 passengers a day.
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