The Crossrail project received Royal Assent last month. The Bill was first lodged in early 2005 and as good progress was made in its progression it had been anticipated, last year, that it might receive Royal Assent by April but planning was based on approval by mid-year.
With the powers now are in place under the Crossrail Act to build the £16bn (US$31.3bn) scheme, the developer – Cross London Rail Links (CLRL) – has a firm construction programme planned.
CLRL is in the process of procuring consultants and delivery partners for the project (see p11), enabling works are to start in 2009 and main construction is scheduled to commence in 2010 for trains to start running over 2017-18.
The scheme will create an east-west running main rail link through the heart of London, from Liverpool Street to Paddington with branches off each side of the capital.
The total length of the twin-track project is 118.5km, including a total of 41.5km of bored tunnels (earlier estimated at 46km) mostly through central London. Crossrail will also include eight underground stations and many deep shafts.
Tunnel excavation for the 6m i.d. tubes is expected to require seven TBMs – EPBMs for the drives under central London and a slurry shield for the crossings under the river Thames. The first machine is due to be launched in mid-2011.
The stations are to be constructed by SCL with steel fibre reinforcement for primary and secondary linings.
