NIGEL HOLNESS, Programme Director at MTR Crossrail, told the RSA that success will come by pulling together
The Crossrail project – to be known in operation as the Elizabeth Line – is good news for the economy. The new route, set to open in stages over the next two years, will improve transport links, drive housebuilding and support economic regeneration. It will add around £42 billion to the economy. The economic benefits are not limited to London, but are spread around the country: for example the Class 345 Aventra trains that will be used on the line are being assembled in Derby.
The opening of the central operating section from Abbey Wood to Shenfield in December 2018 will see the term ‘Elizabeth Line’ come into daily use and the new route will impinge on the public consciousness. An estimated 200 million passengers are expected to use the line every year, delivering a 10% increase in the capital’s rail capacity. It will relieve overcrowding on the Underground – most obviously on the Central Line, which runs parallel for much of the route, but also on other lines such as the Piccadilly and Hammersmith & City.
The scale of the structures being built to serve the vast crowds expected is truly im…
