Crossrail will open “in the first half of 2022” – but TfL can confirm no exact dates for the launch of the highly anticipated Elizabeth Line.
The project, now billions of pounds over budget and three and a half years behind schedule, will stretch more than 60 miles, connecting Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east via tunnels running through central London.
But while Transport for London (TfL) chiefs have announced it will fully open within the coming months, shuttling between 41 accessible stations, they remain tight-lipped on further details.
“I’m not being coy,” said Andy Byford, TfL commissioner.
“We just absolutely do not want a repeat of Heathrow Terminal 5. We will not settle on an opening date until we can be certain to open reliably.
“No one will forgive us if we don’t get it right.”
Byford was referring to Terminal 5’s disastrous opening day in March 2008.
After British Airways promised its frequent flyers that the terminal would be “so calm, you’ll simply flow through” with “no queuing”, a number of factors combined to create an embarrassingly chaotic inauguration.
BA employees could not park their cars in the staff car parks or get through security screening; flights were cancelled and luggage lost; and there were numerous problems with the baggage system.
It turned out that delays in construction meant there was not enough time prior to opening for all necessary testing and familiarisation – an issue Byford is keen to avoid with the Elizabeth Line.
“We are now in the trial operations phase where our staff are working through 150 practical scenarios, ranging from what happens in the event of an active shooter, to what do you do if you lose all of the escalators, all the way to full mass evacuations,” he added.
Some sections of the line are already operational: Reading to Paddington and Shenfield to Liverpool Street.
But the most complex part, connecting them across the capital, is yet to open.
When completed, the Elizabeth Line is expected to serve around 200 million passengers each year.
It was originally slated to open in 2018, while the estimated cost has risen from £15.4bn to £18.9bn.
