Whitechapel is a busy place at the moment. Work appears finally to have started on the SSL platforms, with hoardings now up on the two outer platforms (effectively rendering it a standard two road station for now).
Elsewhere, Crossrail work is now properly underway above the Overground as well. As can be seen from the images below, the crash deck that began to appear above the ELL in December continues to progress, the last shot also gives a nice idea as to the relationship between the Hammersmith and District Lines and the Overground.
In other Crossrail news, both Terry Morgan and Rob Holden appeared before the London Assembly Transport Committee this morning.
There they indicated that negotiations over the Woolwich box were nearing completion, and that they expected all final agreements on this would be signed Tuesday next week.
Caroline Pidgeon also asked Rob about the reasons for his departure (and some of the rumours about discord between the two men). Holden made clear that his reasons where a combination of personal and professional – the professional being that he felt that ultimately Crossrail needed a skill set at a Chief Executive level which now did not necessarily mesh fully with his own. Notably, he felt that it needed someone with a stronger engineering background than his own.
He also rather eloquently summed up his own feelings on his resignation and the attention it has drawn:
I’m very frustrated that [rumours] are being raised. I’m also extremely frustrated that we’re spending so much time on this issue to the detriment of taking the project forward.
The project is not about me. If you’re a football follower, as Kenny Dalglish said the other day – ‘The club Liverpool is much greater than any individual.’
Irrespective of the fact that someone just spent fifty million pounds on Torres, Crossrail is the same. It’s more than individuals, and I’m proud that I’ve helped to put together a team that will take the project through to testing.
They’ve finally extended the Overground platforms to take 5-car trains
@ D-Notice – I’m still convinced that Crossrail are way behind programme at Whitechapel. I know it is a difficult and constrained site but they’ve had to rework the booked closures, change working methods to raise productivity and there is an ominous lack of commentary from Crossrail and TfL about this site plus the section through to Farringdon. If we ever get to hear the “trials and tribulations of Crossrail”, long after the opening, I’ll be fascinated to learn what has really gone on at Whitechapel.