IAN BRIGHTMORE, Stage 2 Delivery Manager of MTR Crossrail, told the Institution of Railway Operators how the Elizabeth Line is becoming a reality
The £15 billion Elizabeth Line will serve a total of 40 stations, 10 of which will be new. These are on the core section from Paddington to Abbey Wood inclusive; elsewhere it runs on existing Network Rail tracks. The full completion of the Elizabeth Line is scheduled for December 2019.
In July 2014, MTR Corporation was awarded a 10-year contract by Transport for London (TfL) to operate the Elizabeth Line service (initially branded TfL Rail), trading as MTR Crossrail. MTR, the Transit Railway of Hong Kong, was the first operator of London Overground, in conjunction with Deutsche Bahn.
The Crossrail project is being delivered by Crossrail Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of TfL, and is jointly sponsored by the Department for Transport and TfL. On completion, asset ownership passes to TfL; Crossrail Ltd, which constructed the line, will cease to exist. Network Rail’s assets on its part of the Crossrail project remain with that company, as do those belonging to Heathrow Airport.
STAGED OPENING PLAN
The progressive introduction of services is based on six stages (0-5…