Crossrail - Construction updates and progress towards opening (now expected 24 May 2022)

[kevin_roche]

The final trial operation test is this weekend. I wouldn't expect the line to be open before the results of the trial operations (not everything went entirely to plan) are turned into new operational policy. Dates are getting thrown around internally, but I genuinely can't remember which date it was I heard!

One of the posts further up mentioned some time ago that the start of a full timetable was 6th March which would fit with that. Andy Byford has said in the past that there will be 2 weeks of full timetable run prior to opening. That might also allow time at a couple of weekends to rerun the 24tph test and the test across the transitions to GWML and GEML with turn rounds at Acton and Stratford if they wanted. I'm not sure if those tests need to be repeated though.

 

[Horizon22]

I have heard late May from a relatively good source, but things are still in flux.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

I have heard late May from a relatively good source, but things are still in flux.

they just need to get it into use now why they've still got suppliers focused as things always crop up once you put real passengers onto new infrastructure that will never be found out from stage managed tests.

 

[Horizon22]

Well they've given themselves the long heralded "first half of 2022" - good advice is that if a range is given on the railways, always presume it to be the last possible date!

 

[Bald Rick]

My fiver is on a very quiet soft launch, with a more public one a few weeks later.

 

[Roast Veg]

My fiver is on a very quiet soft launch, with a more public one a few weeks later.

Yes, very likely indeed. Especially since it'll be self contained Paddington to Abbey Wood services.

 

[Horizon22]

Yes, very likely indeed. Especially since it'll be self contained Paddington to Abbey Wood services.

There are still a lot of cross-London passengers who have been waiting for a very long time for this service! Even changing at Paddington/Liverpool St will speed up a lot of journeys, not to mention those who crawl in on a Southeastern/Thameslink stopper at present.

 

[Dstock7080]

 

[Snow1964]

The odd think is in the set of photos, the one with the doors open shows Paddington, next stop Custom House on train destination, and 1 Farringdon arrived on platform edge doors.

Bit worrying if the control room can’t yet agree with driver where train is going, and train and platforms can show different destinations. Even more worrying is management considered the discrepancy acceptable for a formal published record.

Trial Operations: Train Evacuations

New images and a new video released by Crossrail show staff, friends and family taking part in the mass evacuation events as part of Elizabeth line Trial Operations.

www.crossrail.co.uk

 

[fat_boy_pete]

There is another trial operations test evacuation today. Twitter thread of pictures and videos in link

https://twitter.com/omari_antony/status/1500051577062797315?t=MuAyvagQJrXolVwgKBGzsA&s=09

Even Modern Railways magazine are taking part.

https://twitter.com/Modern_Railways/status/1500102829385687041?t=ubLpG41Wnc0HVME0zA6fjA&s=19

Today was #TrialOps evacuation. Starting at Woolwich, “failing” outside Canary Wharf, evacuating to a rescue train, then going to Canary Wharf for an emergency evacuation. It all started at Woolwich #Crossrail https://t.co/xqvfye9kma

 

[subk2010]

Seems that Crossrail.co.uk is not working today. "Service Unavailable”

 

[kevin_roche]

Seems that Crossrail.co.uk is not working today. "Service Unavailable”

It's back.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Mar 2022 ==


TfL is applying to the ORR for authorisation to open the Central Section according to this article in IRJ.

Wild said that the ORR process is expected to be complete by the end of April. He said that would mean that the central section of Crossrail, which was due to begin commercial operation in December 2018, could open before than the end of June.

 

[AndyNLondon]

IanVisits is suggesting that opening at the end of April is on the cards:

The final mass test takes place this weekend, with over a thousand TfL volunteers. Then the formal testing is over. From next week, the line will enter two weeks of Shadow Running, to bed in some more experience. Then it’s over to the rail regulator to sign off on the railway as fit and safe to open. That’s likely to take another month, so towards the end of April.
...
So, at the moment, baring any other issues, a few weeks after Easter could be when the line opens, but still within the target of the first half this year.

("A few weeks after Easter" and "the end of April" are roughly the same point this year.)

If those timings do happen, I wonder if they'll do an "official grand opening" a month later to coincide with the jubilee events?

 

[Horizon22]

There's a massive trail operation on Sunday 13th as previously mentioned. About 2,000 people have been invited.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Mar 2022 ==

IanVisits is suggesting that opening at the end of April is on the cards:


("A few weeks after Easter" and "the end of April" are roughly the same point this year.)

If those timings do happen, I wonder if they'll do an "official grand opening" a month later to coincide with the jubilee events?

My money is on mid-May.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Mar 2022 ==

Bit worrying if the control room can’t yet agree with driver where train is going, and train and platforms can show different destinations. Even more worrying is management considered the discrepancy acceptable for a formal published record.

Trial Operations: Train Evacuations

New images and a new video released by Crossrail show staff, friends and family taking part in the mass evacuation events as part of Elizabeth line Trial Operations.

www.crossrail.co.uk

Would appear that the PIS is correct (they were at Woolwich heading Westbound) but not the station display for some reason (which is all wrong)

 

[Taunton]

The odd think is in the set of photos, the one with the doors open shows Paddington, next stop Custom House on train destination, and 1 Farringdon arrived on platform edge doors.

Bit worrying if the control room can’t yet agree with driver where train is going, and train and platforms can show different destinations. Even more worrying is management considered the discrepancy acceptable for a formal published record.

If you look at the video instead of the photograph, it shows these screens were scrolling through information. The photograph just shows a chance of what was on display the moment the shutter was pressed.

 

[Roast Veg]

The displays at Woolwich were wrong during the trial operation I attended.

 

[Snow1964]

If you look at the video instead of the photograph, it shows these screens were scrolling through information. The photograph just shows a chance of what was on display the moment the shutter was pressed.

Doesn’t make sense, if station display at Woolwich shows a train to Farringdon, How can the train go via Paddington (from Woolwich) if terminating at Farringdon.

If it was showing an intermediate station at the moment photo was taken then understandable, but train display should not be scrolling through a station beyond destination.

 

[Bald Rick]

A few weeks after Easter" and "the end of April" are roughly the same point this year

My money is on mid-May.

my money is on both!

 

[Horizon22]

my money is on both!

Soft and official opening?

 

[CyrusWuff]

They're definitely ramping up towards launch. They did a press run from Paddington to Liverpool Street and back. Needless to say, Geoff Marshall went on it and he released his video today.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

They're definitely ramping up towards launch. They did a press run from Paddington to Liverpool Street and back. Needless to say, Geoff Marshall went on it and he released his video today.

That video shows Emma Hignett on the platform PIS, not Anne as had been previously stated. The recordings sound very similar to her original (very good IMO) Ditra ones, if a little slowed down, and I hope they will install her at Burnham-Acton (not Slough) and Stratford-Brentwood for consistency. It is good that they have decided to keep Emma as the "voice of TFL", following on from the abandoned trial of Anne at most stations between Dalston Junction and Surrey Quays.

 

[Horizon22]

The western stations reconstruction thread is now closed but there’s a big new sign at Ealing Broadway with the Elizabeth Line roundel clearly displayed.

 

[Acton1991]

That video shows Emma Hignett on the platform PIS, not Anne as had been previously stated. The recordings sound very similar to her original (very good IMO) Ditra ones, if a little slowed down, and I hope they will install her at Burnham-Acton (not Slough) and Stratford-Brentwood for consistency. It is good that they have decided to keep Emma as the "voice of TFL", following on from the abandoned trial of Anne at most stations between Dalston Junction and Surrey Quays.

I wonder if they will move to an 'all stations to XXX' message outside of the core, or continue to announce every station stop? There's also inconsistencies with dot matrix at the moment (different screen types, formats etc) - I wonder if the plan is to get these to a consistent place, and have the wait time shown in minutes vs time of departure.

 

[Non Multi]

The western stations reconstruction thread is now closed but there’s a big new sign at Ealing Broadway with the Elizabeth Line roundel clearly displayed.

Is the area in front of the main entrance at Ealing Broadway finished yet? I see the metal fences are still there.

 

[kevin_roche]

Is the area in front of the main entrance at Ealing Broadway finished yet? I see the metal fences are still there.

I saw a presentation on Monday which said it was finished but a contract to fix a problem with the old roof will begin work soon.

 

[Non Multi]

I saw a presentation on Monday which said it was finished but a contract to fix a problem with the old roof will begin work soon.

Thanks.

 

[ijmad]

I wonder if they will move to an 'all stations to XXX' message outside of the core, or continue to announce every station stop? There's also inconsistencies with dot matrix at the moment (different screen types, formats etc) - I wonder if the plan is to get these to a consistent place, and have the wait time shown in minutes vs time of departure.

Thameslink announces every single station even on the long southerly routes, and it's quite ridiculous honestly! I hope the Elizabeth Line will come up with something more sensible.

 

[Horizon22]

I wonder if they will move to an 'all stations to XXX' message outside of the core, or continue to announce every station stop? There's also inconsistencies with dot matrix at the moment (different screen types, formats etc) - I wonder if the plan is to get these to a consistent place, and have the wait time shown in minutes vs time of departure.

They don't announce every stop currently? It's normally "This is the TfL Rail service to XXX. The next station is YYY".

 

[AlbertBeale]

Thameslink announces every single station even on the long southerly routes, and it's quite ridiculous honestly!

Yet they don't bother to give any actually useful interchange information! It's all just "This is X, change here for other National Rail destinations". Err - Brighton, Birmingham, Bradford?? What on earth use is that? It could at least say "trains towards Y/Z" or whatever, so that people with a bit of geography have at least an idea of what options there are. As it is, they might as well not mention interchanges at all if they give zero information about them.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I think there’s been a mix up.

This

I wonder if they will move to an 'all stations to XXX' message outside of the core, or continue to announce every station stop? There's also inconsistencies with dot matrix at the moment (different screen types, formats etc) - I wonder if the plan is to get these to a consistent place, and have the wait time shown in minutes vs time of departure.

was regarding platform announcements.

Thameslink announces every single station even on the long southerly routes, and it's quite ridiculous honestly! I hope the Elizabeth Line will come up with something more sensible.

I assume this means on the train. That is ridiculous at every stop, but on the platform I’d say it’s rather useful on Thameslink where calling patterns are irregular.

They don't announce every stop currently? It's normally "This is the TfL Rail service to XXX. The next station is YYY".

Again I think it was regarding platform announcements. My initial post about Emma being used and not Anne certainly was.