London’s population is set to reach 10 million by 2030, and its transport system must be ready to service this increasing demand. The introduction of a new east-west railway, called the Elizabeth line, delivered by the Crossrail project is a key part of the UK’s plan to maintain the capital’s place as a world-class city by supporting economic growth and maintaining the highest standards in urban transportation.
KEY INFORMATION
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date started: 2009
Completion date: 2023
Client type: infrastructure
Main capabilities: controls and performance, cost and commercial management, project management, programme advisory
A transformational infrastructure programme
The Elizabeth line opened on 24th May 2022, with its arrival adding 10 percent capacity to central London’s rail network, bringing an extra 1.5 million people to within 45 minutes of central London and adding an estimated £42bn to the UK economy.
A long-standing partner
We were appointed as sub-consultant to the programme partner, Transcend (a joint venture between Aecom, Jacobs and Nichols), to provide commercial, controls, cost and risk management support to the client for over 13 years.
We played a role helping Crossrail Ltd to set up the delivery organisation and achieve support from sponsors to deliver the programme. We were also instrumental in re-building Crossrail’s Programme Controls capability when the programme obtained new leadership in late 2018.
Leaving a legacy
Crossrail provides a rich source of learning for other major infrastructure programmes. Since the construction of the new railway began in 2009, it has generated a huge pool of talent and skills with over 1,000 apprenticeships delivered by the Crossrail programme. An estimated 75,000 people have helped deliver the Elizabeth line.
The Elizabeth line has also been built with step-free access and helps connect more people to more of London.
