Crossrail delay cost implications ‘unknown’

Brown explained that the full cost implications to TfL’s annual revenues cannot be ascertained until it is known how long it will now take to reach the final stage five opening on the project.

He said: “We’re still in the early days on assessment of the additional costs, beyond the extra £300m authorised for delivering the project earlier this year. The revenue implication due to delay in central section services this year is just £20m if there is no further knock-on effect on the full stage five opening. £151m is the overall annual revenue for the full Elizabeth Line including associated TfL Rail overground services.”

The central section, predominantly in tunnels beneath London between Paddington and Abbey Wood, was to be the third stage in the phased opening. Trains are already in service between Shenfield and Liverpool Street in the east and between Heathrow Terminals 1-4 and Paddington in the west (stages one and two).

A fourth main stage in the opening will add services from Paddington to Shenfield and the final fifth stage will extend the line to Reading and Heathrow Terminal Five from Paddington.

The full opening of the Elizabeth Line from Reading in the west through to Shenfield in the east was scheduled for December 2019. According to a Crossrail spokesman, the full opening will now happen “as soon as possible” after the central section opens in Autumn next year.