Train problems delay Crossrail opening to May

Hopes of Crossrail opening early next year appear set to be dashed after inspectors raised new concerns about its trains and stations.

They said it was now forecast to open next May, when Elizabeth line trains will run under central London for the first time.

The exact opening date in May has been withheld, but the report, by the Crossrail watchdog Jacobs, said it was at the latter part of the six-month “opening window” of the first six months of 2022 promised by Transport for London.

Caroline Pidgeon, a Lib-Dem member of the London Assembly, said: “Crossrail has been plagued with exaggerated claims about its progress and in the last three years opening dates have repeatedly turned out to be wildly over optimistic.

“Even at the beginning of the year it was being claimed that the central section would be open by this Christmas.

“Crossrail is now more than 1,000 days late, so it is time for some real honesty and transparency over the progress of the project and any difficulties it may be facing.”

The report, the latest in a series of monthly progress updates as the £20 billion line nears completion, reveals that testing of the £1 billion fleet of trains has hit problems.

The aim is to run 12 trains an hour through the central tunnels but train reliability has been “poor”. In one week, only eight trains an hour were run on five of the seven days.

This has delayed a subsequent stage of testing, known as trial operations, which will involve hundreds of volunteer passengers recreating real-life conditions. This is unlikely to start before the target date of November.

Crossrail bosses hope that a software upgrade to the signalling system will improve reliability.

But the report said a “significant increase in train reliability” was needed before the line could open to passengers.

The line was originally due to open in December 2018. Key parts of the report have been blacked out.

Costs “continue to increase” and it is “improbable” that they will fail to exceed the additional £825m set aside to open Crossrail.

Problems also remain completing Bond Street and Canary Wharf stations, the latter of which is now not likely to be handed over until late November. The line was originally due to open in December 2018. Key parts of the report have been blacked out.

The covid “pingdemic” also caused problems during the summer, with many workers having to self-isolate. An increases in cases this winter is seen as a further risk to completing the project.

Crossrail chief executive Mark Wild said the trial running phase had been “very busy and challenging” and described the reliability problems as “somewhat inevitable”.

He said: “This is all part of the learning process that is intrinsic in the trial running phase.”

A Crossrail spokesperson said: “The Elizabeth line is on track to open in the first half of 2022. Trial running of trains through the central tunnels is well underway as part of the major railway trials taking place throughout this year, with 12 trains per hour in regular operation to build reliability and flush out any issues with our systems and signalling software.

“Seven of the 10 new central section stations have now been transferred to Transport for London and we are now focussed on the final integration of Abbey Wood, handover of Canary Wharf this autumn and completion of the remaining work at Bond Street.

“The next phase of the programme will be trial operations which is forecast to commence later this year.”

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