Network Rail is halfway through its £2.3bn (€3.28bn) investment programme to improve the existing railway on the Crossrail route, marking a major milestone for the £14.8bn (€21.1bn) Crossrail project.
The work being delivered by Network Rail is taking place on the existing rail network that runs for three quarters of the route, above ground, through outer London, Berkshire and Essex. It includes more than 40 km of new track, a series of station rebuilds, modernisation of signalling, and electrification of key parts of the railway to the west of London.
Of the 29 stations being upgraded by Network Rail, nine will be completely rebuilt with spacious new ticket halls, and 16 are having platforms extended to accommodate the longer trains.
The new track, a new flyover in Hillingdon, and a new dive-under tunnel beneath the railway at Acton, will all help to create extra capacity on the network.
Elsewhere, modernised signalling systems are being installed for more reliable train services, new sidings are being built to stable Crossrail trains at night, and the electrification of the Great Western Mainline in outer London and Berkshire will mean quieter, greener electric trains can be used.
”While much of the focus has been on the tunnels and new stations in central London, Network Rail has been working hard to make sure that the existing railway is ready for Crossrail. This crucial work on Crossrail’s surface section will deliver major benefits for passengers and help to transform many of the areas through which the route will run,” Andrew Wolstenholme, Crossrail chief executive said.
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