With the project now 85% complete the stations visible are really starting to take shape. You can see the first section of the 120 metre-long canopy roof at Paddington, the black stone walls of Tottenham Court Road station’s western ticket hall, the striking ceilings of Farringdon station, the curved timber station building at Abbey Wood; just some of the bespoke station architecture now visible from the street.
The state of the art trains will slowly be replacing the existing fleet, at full length these trains can hold 1,500 people in nine carriages stretching 200 meters long.
During the excavation of the cross rail tunnelling three million tonnes of earth was used to help create a wildlife sanctuary at Wallasea Island in Essex. Two years after this new sanctuary was developed a record number of wildlife has been spotted. A diverse mix of 12,000 wintering birds was recorded by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. During the last stages of the project it will be clear the look of the new stations with world-renowned artists using their skills to ensure the stations display the surrounding areas heritage.
In September, a major milestone was reached as all the permanent track of the Elizabeth Line has been placed and is ready for trains once the line fully opens in 2019.
CROSSRAIL UPDATE
OCTOBER 2017 | MANE RAIL & INFRASTRUCTURE | 3