By It has been announced by Crossrail that the Elizabeth Line which is currently in its final stages, is about to be transferred to Transport for London (TfL). Once the handover process is completed, TfL will become the maintainer and operator of the railway.
With having construction of the line largely completed, at the present, Crossrail is focused on finishing the remaining construction and systems’ integration to be followed by severe operational testing, known as ‘trial running’ as soon as possible in 2021. This will indicate the project’s essential transition from construction to operational railway for handover to TfL.
Lately, Crossrail Ltd mentioned: “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.”
It has also stated that “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.”
Current progress on the line comprises the completion and handover to TfL of eight out of ten portals and shafts; handover of the first central-section station, Custom House, and the introduction of the first full-length Class 345 train in passenger service between Heathrow and Paddington.
Crossrail asserted: “Transport for London, the GLA and government continue to have constructive discussions around the additional funding needed to complete the Crossrail project.”
