Crossrail delayed until autumn 2019

The new underground line through central London, the Elizabeth Line, will be delayed by nine months, Transport for London stated to allow more time for testing.

The Crossrail route, which has been constructed to ease London’s congestion problems, as well as connecting key landmarks such as Bond Street, Heathrow Airport and Canary Wharf, had been due to open this December.

Commenting on the delays Simon Wright, Crossrail chief executive said in a press statement: “The Elizabeth Line is one of the most complex and challenging infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the UK and is now in its final stages. We have made huge progress with the delivery of this incredible project, but we need further time to complete the testing of the new railway.

“We are working around the clock with our supply chain and Transport for London to complete and commission the Elizabeth Line.”

Currently Europe's biggest infrastructure project, the Crossrail, which will connect Paddington to Canary Wharf in just 17 minutes, is running almost 600 million pounds over budget, up from 14.8 billion pounds to 15.4 billion pounds. When fully operational, trains will run from Reading in the west through to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.

Crossrail is predicting that more than two hundred million passengers will use the new line each year, and for retailers along the line, especially in the West End, they are expected to receive a 2.5 billion boost once the line is opened, according to research by the New West End Company.