Crossrail handover to TfL underway
1 October 2020Crossrail has announced that the Elizabeth Line, now in its final stages, is about to be transferred to Transport for London (TfL). When the handover process is completed, TfL will become the operator and maintainer of the railway.
With construction of the line largely complete, Crossrail is currently focused on finishing the remaining construction and systems’ integration to be followed by intensive operational testing, known as ‘trial running’ as early as possible in 2021. This will mark the project’s key transition from construction to operational railway for handover to TfL.
Crossrail Ltd recently stated: “To align with this next phase of the programme the responsibility for the governance of the Crossrail programme will move to sit directly with TfL.
“TfL and the Department for Transport (DfT), joint sponsors of Crossrail, have worked closely with Crossrail to agree the transition plan to move the project to TfL. This will ensure that decision-making between Crossrail Ltd and TfL is seamless and fully aligned during the critical final phases of the programme as the operational testing is undertaken and the remaining parts of the railway are completed and transferred to TfL.”
Recent progress on the line includes the completion and handover to TfL of eight of ten shafts and portals; handover of the first central-section station, Custom House, and the introduction of the first full-length Class 345 train in passenger service between Paddington and Heathrow.
In the statement, Crossrail added: “Transport for London, the GLA and government continue to have constructive discussions around the additional funding needed to complete the Crossrail project.”
