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

[Nicks]

I suspect it will be 3rd June for obvious reasons with the first real passenger being HM Queen.

 

[JonathanH]

I suspect it will be 3rd June for obvious reasons with the first real passenger being HM Queen.

Do you not think that the monarch might have better things to do on that date? There is already concern about too many things being planned for a 96 year old lady to attend for that weekend.

It wouldn't surprise me if her son opens the line in any case, just because of the physical aspects of getting to a suitable place to do so - eg where is there easy short distance level access from her car to a class 345?

However, this isn't really what this thread is about, just that an opening date of 3 June isn't obvious.

 

[kevin_roche]

I’ll reiterate what I said upthread on the supposed “failure” of the test running:-

I wouldn’t read one pixel into timing data for a rail line that is still in the trial phases; there is no way for a lay outsider to discern what is unintended unreliability and what is scenarios being played out as part of these trials.

You are right. The western side transitions were successful at the start and I think the day was disrupted by unrelated issues on the main line. The tests to simulate 24tph (of 18 trains in 45 mins) wasn't completed. But in both cases, enough may have been learned to say the test was successful.

 

[hwl]

You are right. The western side transitions were successful at the start and I think the day was disrupted by unrelated issues on the main line. The tests to simulate 24tph (of 18 trains in 45 mins) wasn't completed. But in both cases, enough may have been learned to say the test was successful.

Or enough learnt to make for changes before beign able to repeat successfully next time.

 

[matt_world2004]

I suspect it will be 3rd June for obvious reasons with the first real passenger being HM Queen.

They won't open on 3rd June they will want a quiet day to start service . Not one where a special event is happening in London. Imagine the upset there would be if thousands of passengers are stranded due to a crossrail failure and miss the jubilee.

 

[Acton1991]

21st April - Her Majesty's birthday?

 

[InOban]

Ultimately it's down to the ORR when it is allowed to open, but the quoted piece in Ianvisits says that the completion of the mountains of paperwork is well advanced, so there shouldn't be much delay from them.

 

[matt_world2004]

If your toc gets tfl rail closures information. There is an interesting entry in April that is not on the public facing document which might give a clue as to when the Elizabeth line opens.

 

[345 050]

Noticed that some of the hoarding has been taken down at Paddington Bakerloo line, you can now see lift/passage to Elizabeth Line.

 

[Class 170101]

I have seen a source (unconfirmed) from somebody that claims to be internal that 27th March will be the start of service at around 0700 from Paddington - Abbey Wood. Any truth to this?

Not expecting it to open until Timetable Change to be honest.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Not expecting it to open until Timetable Change to be honest.

The initial service is self contained on TfL infrastructure so don't need to be bound to a TT change date.

 

[dmncf]

There was a simulated emergency exercise at the Elizabeth Line's Paddington Station today:

https://twitter.com/BTPLondon/status/1490378898219184136

https://twitter.com/danielelkeles/status/1490404040710103043

https://twitter.com/LFBWestminster/status/1490439268195573764

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

There was a simulated emergency exercise at the Elizabeth Line's Paddington Station today:

https://twitter.com/BTPLondon/status/1490378898219184136

https://twitter.com/danielelkeles/status/1490404040710103043

https://twitter.com/LFBWestminster/status/1490439268195573764

Goodness me, I imagine some of the nearby public were rather alarmed to see such a sight. Emergency service vehicles everywhere!

 

[Jimini]

I'm doing the passenger evacuation exercise at Farringdon on the 19th

 

[Skie]

I'm doing the passenger evacuation exercise at Farringdon on the 19th

Do they really need the toilets testing by outsiders?

 

[PG]

If you’re late into the turnbacks and your departure time is imminent, the train will start on its journey to Paddington without the driver in the leading cab, so long as the road is given. The doors will not release at Paddington until the driver keys-on.

Hopefully the following scenario isn't possible :

Train arrives at turnback, driver (for whatever reason) disembarks, road given, train departs to Paddington without driver, job stops...​

 

[iphone76]

Hopefully the following scenario isn't possible :

Train arrives at turnback, driver (for whatever reason) disembarks, road given, train departs to Paddington without driver, job stops...​

Not possible as we are not allowed to leave the train at the sidings.

 

[Roast Veg]

I'm doing the passenger evacuation exercise at Farringdon on the 19th

As am I.

 

[matt_world2004]

I've seen paid advertising at farringdon crossrails entrance behind the lattice gates.surely if advertising is being introduced its not far off.

 

[JonathanH]

I've seen paid advertising at farringdon crossrails entrance behind the lattice gates.surely if advertising is being introduced its not far off.

Perhaps they are hoping the construction staff will notice it. They are consumers just as much as other people.

 

[fat_boy_pete]

Nice write up in the Guardian following yesterday's press day.

"It has to be flawless". Hostage to fortune?

‘It has to be flawless’: long wait for London’s Elizabeth line is nearly over

Our reporter rides the smooth new trains – but transport chief says line will open only when he is certain about reliability

www.theguardian.com

The Elizabeth line must be “flawless” before it can officially launch this year, London’s transport chief told a press tour on Monday, amid speculation that the £18.9bn Crossrail project’s opening could be moved to the spring – before the Queen’s jubilee celebrations.

The project is in its final trial operations phase, when volunteers are encouraged to dawdle, block the doors and get in the way, to see how it stands up to routine use. Bigger exercises with 1,000 people are due to be carried out...

 

[Nunners]

I'm doing the passenger evacuation exercise at Farringdon on the 19th

I assume it's still just TfL / railway staff only?

 

[Dstock7080]

I assume it's still just TfL / railway staff only?

A DfT/TfL public event was advertised for Sunday 27 February at Canary Wharf station

 

[matt_world2004]

Not expecting it to open until Timetable Change to be honest.

There is no need to wait until the timetable changes. Except when running 24tph tests crossrail is already running a full timetable for the next stage of opening through the core. Just there is no passengers on board.

I have noticed that crossrail trains from the core appear to get priority over trains originating from paddington. A few times this week my train has been held at a red signal as a crossrail train overtakes it from the core .

My question is with trains going west every five minutes how are they going to deal with minor delays without trains running out of order. When intermingling with paddington mainline services/freight from Acton yard. I'm sure passengers on a Didcot parkway train are not going to be happy if they get stuck behind a all stations crossrail train to Heathrow. But at the same time it wouldn't be possible to hold a Heathrow train at westbourne park for a significant amount of time due to the congestion it would cause in the core.

 

[Bald Rick]

My question is with trains going west every five minutes how are they going to deal with minor delays without trains running out of order. When intermingling with paddington mainline services/freight from Acton yard. I'm sure passengers on a Didcot parkway train are not going to be happy if they get stuck behind a all stations crossrail train to Heathrow. But at the same time it wouldn't be possible to hold a Heathrow train at westbourne park for a significant amount of time due to the congestion it would cause in the core.

The answer to that is there won’t be a train every five minutes west from Paddington, at least not for a while. And when there is, there won’t be anything else on the relief lines to Acton.

 

[matt_world2004]

The answer to that is there won’t be a train every five minutes west from Paddington, at least not for a while. And when there is, there won’t be anything else on the relief lines to Acton.

its 12 tph Peak and 10 tph off peak when the full service opens in 2023 iirc

 

[Bald Rick]

its 12 tph Peak and 10 tph off peak when the full service opens in 2023 iirc

yep, hence the ‘not for a while’ comment, and note the other bit that I wrote!

 

[matt_world2004]

yep, hence the ‘not for a while’ comment, and note the other bit that I wrote!

there will still be services on the reliefs in 2023 the didcot stoppers and freight. infact as a result of the didcot stoppers Hayes will get a higher frequency off peak than it will peak!

 

[Bald Rick]

there will still be services on the reliefs in 2023 the didcot stoppers and freight. infact as a result of the didcot stoppers Hayes will get a higher frequency off peak than it will peak!

We’ll see.

 

[hwl]

We’ll see.

Exactly. Running a few services to get a share of the revenue isn't part of the thinking in the new order.