Crossrail Update
With eight months to go until the scheduled Elizabeth Line launch, it’s all systems go. After the problems switching on power reported last month, the electrical substation at Pudding Mill Lane was successfully switched on – and with it the first 25kV overhead lines – on 1 February. This development meant that by the end of the month Crossrail was able to announce that an Elizabeth Line train had travelled through one of the new Crossrail tunnels for the first time without a locomotive.
The Bombardier-built Class 345 was driven from Abbey Wood station, entering the new tunnels at Plumstead portal and travelling under the river Thames towards Connaught Tunnel, before returning to Abbey Wood. A train was hauled through the tunnel to Abbey Wood in October 2017 using a locomotive, but now ‘345s’ can run electric. Cue many more test runs – hundreds are due to take place this year to rack up the miles and assurances required to allow the Elizabeth Line trains to enter passenger service in December.
Crucially, Transport for London needs to ensure the Communications Based Train Control system will work without conflicting with other electrical systems; the first test run in the tunnel under a…
