Crossrail is the largest ongoing construction project in Europe with many component parts, can you highlight the elements that make up this construction programme? Put very simply, the main elements of Crossrail include tunnelling, the construction of 10 new stations, and the works on the surface section of Crossrail. There is also the implementation of all of the railway systems, including signalling, tracks and platform edge doors and of course procurement of the trains themselves.
The western tunnels run from Royal Oak, west of Paddington, through to Farringdon station. The contractor for this work is Bam Ferrovial Kier Joint Venture. The Eastern tunnels run from Victoria Dock through to Farringdon and from Stratford through to Farringdon and the contractor for these is Dragados Sisk Joint Venture. The Thames tunnels run under the river at Woolwich and the contractor for these is Hochtief Murphy Joint Venture. We are have also refurbished the Connaught Tunnel, a Victorian era structure beneath the Royal Docks in East London. The surface section is being undertaken by Network Rail, on behalf of Crossrail. Each of Crossrail’s 10 new stations are significant projects in their own right, especially considering they need
to link in with all of the other major civil engineering work, all beneath and around one of the world’s most dynamic cities. Crossrail is much more than just a railway. As an example, we are planning to develop three million square feet of property above 12 construction sites, making us one of London’s biggest property developers in the next five years.
We have also built a new Tunnel and Underground Construction Academy, to up-skill a new generation of people capable of working in tunnels. We intend for the expertise gained from Crossrail to be passed on to future infrastructure projects.
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