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Crossrail – Surface Works

Crossrail is the biggest engineering project in Europe. It is the new high frequency, convenient and accessible railway for London and the South East. When the service opens Crossrail trains will travel 118km from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west, through new twin-bore 21km tunnels under central London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.

When Crossrail opens it will increase London’s rail-based transport network capacity by 10%, supporting regeneration across the capital, helping to secure London’s position as a world leading financial centre, and cutting journey times across the city.

Crossrail will deliver substantial economic benefits for all of London and the South East, bringing an additional 1.5 million people within 45 minutes commuting distance of London’s key business districts. Latest economic forecasts suggest that Crossrail will add £42bn to the economy.

When it opens in 2018/2019, Crossrail will provide new transport links with the Tube, Thameslink, National Rail, DLR and London Overground.



Crossrail – Surface Works 

Network Rail is responsible for the design, development and delivery of the parts of Crossrail that are on the existing network. Network Rail’s scope of work includes:

  • upgrading 70km of track
  • redeveloping 27 stations
  • renewing around 20 bridges
  • removing around one million cubic metres of excavated material from the tunnel by rail.

Unlike the central tunnel section, Network Rail will do all of this on an active, operational railway, delivering vital upgrade works whilst minimising disruption to train services.



Crossrail – Surface Works

The Crossrail project will deliver:

  • 24 trains an hour in each direction during peak times through 21km of new subsurface railway infrastructure under central London
  • each Crossrail train is over 200m long and is able to accommodate up to 1,500 passengers
  • around 200 million passengers will travel on Crossrail each year
  • the project will add 10% to London’s overall rail capacity
  • alleviate overcrowding on the western section of its route by 30%
  • bring an extra 1.5 million people within 45 minutes of London’s key business districts.



Crossrail – Surface Works

Client: Crossrail Ltd (a fully owned subsidiary of Transport for London)

Location: London, UK

Start date: 2010

End date: 2019

Duration: 120 months

Contract value: £2.3bn

Services provided: Programme management, track/permanent way, structures, station redevelopment and renewal