Currently, some 44,000 passengers interchange to and from the Bakerloo line during the morning and evening peak and this is set to increase when Crossrail starts serving Paddington in 2018. TfL announced that the link will help alleviate the additional passengers who will be interchanging between Crossrail and the Bakerloo line.

Miles Ashley, TfL’s programme director of Crossrail and stations, said: "The building of the tunnel link is essential to support the increase in passengers when Crossrail starts serving the station at the end of 2018."

"The next stage of the process is to invite the three shortlisted contractors to engage in the Innovative Contractor Engagement procurement model, which we successfully used on the Bank Station Upgrade contract this summer, where the bids are assessed on the added value of their proposal, rather than on lowest cost."

The building of a link between the Crossrail and Bakerloo line Platforms is expected to be completed in autumn 2018.