Crossrail - Construction updates and progress towards opening (now expected 24 May 2022)

[iphone76]

The late running, including one train arriving at Abbey Wood exactly 2 hours late was not planned. The plan at this stage was all automatic mode running to get drivers accustomed to the system with perhaps the odd glitch.

 

[kevin_roche]

It'd be interesting to understand if the later running services are due to planned "service disruption" (and recovery) type testing as part of the trial running? Or if this is the kind of teething trouble to be expected on the first attempt at trial running (I appreciate trial running is building upon many previous days of dynamic testing)? Or is this unexpected (I've seen on the 345 thread that two stock transfers through the core were also delayed) - possibly there was a more general infrastructure issue)?

There was a plan to move two FLUs from Old Oak To Gidea Park today via the COS. It seems it all went wrong when they tried to leave the COS at Pudding Mill Lane. More details on the Class 345 Progress Thread. My guess it that the recovery from that caused the delays.

 

[itfcfan]

The late running, including one train arriving at Abbey Wood exactly 2 hours late was not planned. The plan at this stage was all automatic mode running to get drivers accustomed to the system with perhaps the odd glitch.

Thank you for explaining @iphone76.

There was a plan to move two FLUs from Old Oak To Gidea Park today via the COS. It seems it all went wrong when they tried to leave the COS at Pudding Mill Lane. More details on the Class 345 Progress Thread. My guess it that the recovery from that cause the delays.

I thought that might be it too, but the later than scheduled running was present from early in the morning (very few services ran within 10 mins of their booked times, e.g. 9Y14 leaving Bond Street at 07:20 instead of 07:01 was fairly typical) while the stock movement later (5Y52 not departing until 10:24).

The run times today are also later than scheduled, but (so far) the delays are lower (e.g. 9Y20 leaving Bond Street at 07:38 instead of 07:31 is the equal most delayed).

Realtime Trains - Departures from Bond Street

Realtime Trains provides live realtime running information for the Great British railway network using open data.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[kevin_roche]

The run times today are also later than scheduled, but (so far) the delays are lower (e.g. 9Y20 leaving Bond Street at 07:38 instead of 07:31 is the equal most delayed).

9Y29 seems to have been very delayed. 10 mins late arriving at Canary Wharf. Something went wrong after Custom House. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/F06256/2021-05-11/detailed

It looks like an FLU was moved to Gidea Park today.

Realtime Trains - 5C88 1218 Old Oak Depot to Gidea Park C.H.S.

Realtime Trains provides live realtime running information for the Great British railway network using open data.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Snow1964]

The latest Elizabeth Line Board papers are now available
the juicy stuff pages 51 to 194 are unfortunately not public

section 3.9 (page 16) says Bond Street and Canary Wharf are exceptions, not achieving SC3 (substantial completion)

Section 3.12 (page 17) says Woolwich and Liverpool St both now in T-12 (12 weeks to handove)

section 5.2 (page 20) trial running starting at 4 trains, building up to 12 trains within couple of months

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/elc-20-may-2021-agenda-and-papers.pdf

 

[rebmcr]

section 3.9 (page 16) says Bond Street and Canary Wharf are exceptions, not achieving SC3 (substantial completion)

Odd, I thought CW was done years ago (even downstairs that hasn't opened yet). I must have been mistaken.

 

[swt_passenger]

Odd, I thought CW was done years ago (even downstairs that hasn't opened yet). I must have been mistaken.

Wasn’t there a problem with the escalators or lifts at Canary Wharf, and TfL wanted a lot of rework?

 

[InOban]

I think that CW was done so long ago, and by the private sector, that it doesn't meet current specifications.

 

[rebmcr]

Ahhh that will explain my confusion then!

 

[stuu]

Fairly sure the fire safety system needed reworking/replacing

 

[rebmcr]

Fairly sure the fire safety system needed reworking/replacing

Shades of Flughafen Brandenburg...

 

[kevin_roche]

With the London Mayoral and Assembly elections complete, TfL has been able to publish the latest updates on Crossrail progress from Mark Wild. There are therefore two new update letters available.

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/london-assembly-mothly-update-09-april-2021.pdf

On 28 March 2021, the Great Western Main Line transition was commissioned. Crossrail infrastructure is now connected to the Great Western for test trains across that route. The first System Testing with a train session was undertaken with six runs completed.

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/london-assembly-mothly-update-12-may-2021.pdf

In recent weeks the project has achieved three major milestones that are necessary for activities in the central section to begin and, crucially, for delivering passenger services in our opening window. These are the commissioning of the Great Western Main Line (GWML) and Great Eastern Main Line (GEML) fringes and the assumption by Rail for London Infrastructure (RfU) of responsibility for relevant infrastructure as an Infrastructure Manager under Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006 (ROGS), which gives TfL the ability to allow the infrastructure to be used for operating the trains.
Connecting the GWML and GEML lines to the Central Operating Section is a significant moment for the project as we now have, for the first t ime, a fully joined up railway.

 

[samulih]

So in the essence Crossrail is complete but they still have to test so it does not break on first day?

 

[Railwaysceptic]

So in the essence Crossrail is complete but they still have to test so it does not break on first day?

Bond Street and Whitechapel stations have not yet been completed.

 

[hwl]

Bond Street and Whitechapel stations have not yet been completed.

And a lot of the rest hasn't been snagged yet either...

 

[GRALISTAIR]

And a lot of the rest hasn't been snagged yet either...

Having worked on building sites in a past life, snagging often takes more time than people generally realise.

 

[Farang]

So in the essence Crossrail is complete but they still have to test so it does not break on first day?

And assure it.

 

[itfcfan]

Some interesting articles have been published on newcivilengineer.com in the past week re: progress to Crossrail opening.

2021-05-14: Schedule pressures at four Crossrail stations threaten to jeopardise entire programme

Schedule pressures and cost increases at four of Crossrail’s Central London stations threatens to jeopardise the project’s programme, according to project representative (Prep) Jacobs.

In the latest publicly available report on the project’s progress (Prep 12), Jacobs warns that outstanding work at Bond Street, Whitechapel, Paddington and Canary Wharf threatens to delay Crossrail’s programme to get the Elizabeth Line open during the first half of 2022.

In particular, Jacobs warns that “effective mitigations” will be required at the four stations to avoid a delay in entering trial operations, which involves tests and trials to demonstrate that TfL is capable of operating the railway.

Source: https://www.newcivilengineer.com/la...en-to-jeopardise-entire-programme-14-05-2021/

2021-05-21: Crossrail to enter June construction blockade after trial running delay

Crossrail will enter another construction blockade in “late June” to accelerate work which has not yet been undertaken due to the delay in starting trial running.

At an Elizabeth Line committee meeting yesterday, Crossrail Ltd chief executive Mark Wild said the blockade will enable teams to “catch up” some of the construction work “missed in this period”.

Crossrail officially entered trial running last week, with four trains per hour currently running through the project's central London tunnels. Rail staff had been prepared to start trials in late March and again at the end of April.

Source: https://www.newcivilengineer.com/la...lockade-after-trial-running-delay-21-05-2021/

 

[matt_world2004]

Iver now has roundels

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Some interesting articles have been published on newcivilengineer.com in the past week re: progress to Crossrail opening.

Hang on Wilde told us how successful the previous blockade had been in August/Sep 20 that put them back on programme only for them to have another blockade in November 20 and and now we need another one. Whilst undoubtedly the most productive way to get stuff done in the tunnels what more needs doing that wasn't previously completed?

Also the revised Delivery Control Schedule to get them from now to formal opening gets delayed again.

I can get the sense of ranging a window for opening was sensible ten years ago but if they can't put a firm date on it with a year to go then they are lacking significant confidence in my view.

 

[Dstock7080]

Email to staff suggests the following station handover to TfL dates:

Woolwich 25 June 2021
Abbey Wood 2 July 2021
Liverpool Street 5 July 2021
Paddington 23 July 2021
Bond Street 17 August 2021
Canary Wharf 19 August 2021
Whitechapel 21 August 2021

 

[JaJaWa]

New progress update today:

New video from Tottenham Court Road today:

 

[59CosG95]

Digging around on Greater Anglia's website, it looks like the GEML will be entirely shut west of Marks Tey (and the Southend branch west of Billericay) on Sunday the 5th of September.
Track renewal is occurring, but of more interest to the Crossrail works, the power supply of the OLE is due to be upgraded.

Perhaps the autotransformers between Pudding Mill Lane & Shenfield are due to come on stream?

 

[ijmad]

Anyone been down to the open sections to watch the trial running yet?

 

[JonathanH]

Anyone been down to the open sections to watch the trial running yet?

See post 4108 here https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/class-345-progress.120221/page-137#post-5136025 but don't go on a Friday.

 

[samulih]

https://twitter.com/MayorofLondon/status/1405911257379753986?s=20

@MayorofLondon

Just got from Paddington to Farringdon in 10 minutes on the @Crossrail The Elizabeth line will transform commuting and drive regeneration across our city. Now in its final delivery stages, everyone involved is working hard to get it open to Londoners as soon as possible.

 

[Aictos]

https://twitter.com/MayorofLondon/status/1405911257379753986?s=20

That's a step in the right direction, hopefully it will be ready by Dec or sooner.

 

[Railwaysceptic]

https://twitter.com/MayorofLondon/status/1405911257379753986?s=20

Has he associated himself with Crossrail in previous tweets or is it only now because there's light at the end of the tunnel?

 

[Snow1964]

https://twitter.com/MayorofLondon/status/1405911257379753986?s=20

Something looks odd with the picture of the mayor leaving the train, it’s only just within the platform doors, the train departing indicator is lit, and there appear to be cables hanging from the overhead handrails.

In the photo inside the carriage appear to be cardboard boxes lying around and what looks like a boat life jacket on seat

What exactly is going on here ?

 

[matt_world2004]

Something looks odd with the picture of the mayor leaving the train, it’s only just within the platform doors, the train departing indicator is lit, and there appear to be cables hanging from the overhead handrails.

In the photo inside the carriage appear to be cardboard boxes lying around and what looks like a boat life jacket on seat

What exactly is going on here ?

There backpacks and hivis probably a requirement for testing if they need to retrain

I