In The Dangerous Sound of Silence we looked at the reasons why Crossrail’s delay was not spotted earlier. Possibly more importantly, we looked at why that delay was not fully communicated to those who needed …
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Crossrail: The Dangerous Sound of Silence
We have been critical of the wall of silence that has enveloped Crossrail. In a welcome contrast, at the December 2018 meeting of the Programmes and Investment Committee, the public were treated to a full, …
Continue readingCrossrail: Breaking Down the Crisis
On Thursday 26th July 2018 a meeting took place at City Hall. The subject was Crossrail – the Elizabeth line – and whether it would open on time. Up front were Simon Wright, Crossrail’s then-CEO, and Sir Terry Morgan, its Chairman. To the assembled senior officials from TfL and City Hall, their presentation would have left little room for doubt: Crossrail would not be ready to open in December.
Continue readingMTR Crossrail creates virtual reality stations for training (Railway-Technology)
The operator of London’s upcoming Elizabeth Line has developed a platform that allows trainee staff to hone their safety and security skills in a virtual train station. In this Q&A, MTR Crossrail finance director Andy …
Continue readingCrossrail: A Hole New World
At the beginning of August 2018, seven Crossrail core stations were due to be handed over to TfL. Instead, all remain in some state of construction. For Crossrail, this is a problem. For the Elizabeth line it is an even bigger one.
Continue readingCrossrail: Timetable for Success?
Sufficient information is now available, unofficially, so that we can be fairly sure of the exact service pattern now proposed for Crossrail in December 2019. Furthermore, we can have a good guess at how it …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 11 May 2018
Welcome to Reconnections’ Friday Reads. This week’s list: • Crossrail to generate electricity from wind its own trains (Wired) • What can London learn from Barcelona? (BanPrivateCarsinLondon) • Woolwich hybrid battery ferries in service late …
Continue readingCrossrail: The Western Approach?
At the beginning of the year it seemed that Crossrail was experiencing something of an information blackout. At a TfL board meeting in late January, the Mayor, its chairman, moved all further discussion about the …
Continue readingSimulations reduce Crossrail track maintenance (E&T)
University of Huddersfield researchers have outlined how they have optimised London’s upcoming Elizabeth line underground route to lower maintenance costs associated with the inevitable wear and tear of having so many trains run across the …
Continue readingTfL Confirm Elizabeth Line Fares
TfL have issued a press release confirming a number of fares for the Elizabeth line. It can be read in full here, but the key tables are reproduced below. Peak services Heathrow to/from: 2018 Heathrow …
Continue readingCrossrail: Cutting it Fine
On 11 December 2017, TfL announced that they were seeking ‘launch partners’ for the opening of the Elizabeth line. What is on offer is “a unique opportunity that will align with this historic moment for London”. …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 2 February 2018
Welcome to Reconnections’ Friday Reads. This week’s lineup: • Ocean liner speed and style exhibition to open (V&A) • Woolwich Crossrail station (1LondonBlog) • British railway viaducts (The Beauty of Transport) • Who abandoned this …
Continue readingLeasing Lizzie: Finding the Funds for Deep Tube
On 3 January 2018, the London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee sat down with TfL to go through their current budget. Discussion largely focused on the various pressures on TfL’s finances – from the removal …
Continue readingCrossrail: Finishing The Job
On 14 September 2017 a formal ceremony took place to install the final four rail sleeper clips on Crossrail. As reported by Crossrail themselves, this marked completion of the installation of all the track that Crossrail …
Continue readingCrossrail using 3D-printed concrete to build its stations (Ian Visits)
When you start to use the new Elizabeth line stations next year, among its many achievements will be the first large scale use of 3D-printing in concrete. The use of 3D printing has made possible …
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