London’s Crossrail project faces further delays, as costs increase

Daniel Garrity

The opening of a monumental railway project that would connect many of London’s landmarks has been pushed back.

London’s Crossrail project, which will eventually become the Elizabeth Line, will be delayed until 2021, allowing more time to complete software development and allow safety systems to be tested.

The railway project, which is expected to ease congestion and improve rail capacity across London, will connect London’s Heathrow Airport and other landmarks across 42 kilometres of new tunnels, but is also expected to possibly go £650 million ($1.2 billion) over budget.

Crossrail Ltd., the company set up to build the new railway and a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London (TfL) said the line will open “as soon as practically possible”.

“Our latest assessment is that the opening of the central section will not occur in 2020, which was the first part of our previously declared opening window. The Elizabeth line will open as soon as practically possible in 2021. We will provide Londoners with further certainty about when the Elizabeth line will open early in 2020,” Crossrail spokesman Peter Maclennan said in an online update.

“Our detailed cost forecasts continue to show that the project’s costs will increase due to programme risks and uncertainties. The latest projections indicate a range of between £400 million to £650 million more than the revised funding agreed by the Mayor, Government and Transport for London in December 2018.

“We are doing everything we can to complete the Elizabeth line as quickly as we can but there are no short-cuts to delivering this hugely complex railway. The Elizabeth line must be completed to the highest safety and quality standards.”

The delay in opening comes after the route was initially pushed back from an original opening in 2018.

According to data produced by Statista, more than 1 billion people (without season tickets) journeyed on the London Underground in 2018/19, nearly 40 million more than the previous year.

Featured image: “Elizabeth line train makes successful maiden voyage across south east London” by Daniel Garrity/Crossrail Ltd.

Latest News

  • Cruise

Viking takes delivery of its newest ship, the Viking Vela

Viking has announced it has taken delivery of its newest ocean ship, the Viking Vela, when it was presented at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona, Italy. Classified as a small ship, as are all Viking ocean ships, the Viking Vela has 499 staterooms that hosts 998 guests. The ship joins the company’s growing fleet of award-winning ocean vessels and […]

  • Cruise

Celebrity Cruises sets sail from Canaveral for the first time

Celebrity Cruises has brought its premium holiday experiences to Port Canaveral, Florida, offering even more ways to escape to the Caribbean. Guests can now enjoy Caribbean escapes on Celebrity Equinox with seven-night sailings to tropical destinations including The Bahamas, St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, Belize, and more. With the addition of Port Canaveral, Celebrity Cruises now offers […]

  • Tourism

ATIA secures skilled migration win with inclusion of consultants, agency managers and tour guides

The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) has secured a significant win, with the inclusion of travel consultants, travel agency managers and tour guides as eligible occupations for skilled migration on the Federal Government’s Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). These inclusions mark a significant milestone for Australia’s travel industry. Until now, travel consultants and tour guides […]

  • Events
  • Hotels

An event producer’s take on Alma Resort – the ultimate MICE destination

The state-of-the-art Alma Resort has been rapidly gaining recognition for its world-class facilities and is now turning its focus to attract the Australian market, a key player in the global MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sector. Rebecca Perrier reports. Nestled along Vietnam’s picturesque southern coastline, the vibrant Alma Resort in Cam Ranh stands as […]

  • Travel Agents

TravelManagers’ Danielle Goncalves on falling in love with Bali in 5 days

TravelManagers’ Danielle Goncalves can confirm that five days is more than enough time to fall in love with Bali. Goncalves was one of seven personal travel managers (PTMs) to visit the iconic destination with Hoot Holidays on their annual ‘Hoot Legends’ famil. As a longtime supporter of Hoot Holidays (a sister company to TravelManagers Australia), […]

  • News
  • Sustainability

The DARWIN200 conservation mission sails into Hobart

The DARWIN200 conservation mission aboard the Dutch tall ship Oosterschelde sailed into Hobart ahead of a programme of conservation projects. The Oosterschelde set sail from Plymouth Harbour, UK, in August 2023 on an epic two-year planetary conservation mission retracing Charles Darwin’s voyage of the Beagle and training 200 young environmentalists along the way. The aim was to inspire […]