The opening of London’s new line, the Elizabeth Line, has been postponed until the first half of 2022 and its cost continues to swell as the coronavirus pandemic has caused further delays, Crossrail, the company that carries the project.
The line was initially to be commissioned at the end of 2018 but its promoters have continued to announce delays long before the pandemic. They have so far planned to open in the summer of 2021.
The site, launched in 2009 and one of the largest in Europe, was suspended for a while during confinement and the resumption of work could only be done at a reduced pace due to the limited number of workers present. to respect physical distancing.
Some 2,000 people work across all sites, 50% less than before the pandemic.
Work on the stations and tunnels is also progressing less quickly than expected.
It will therefore be necessary to wait until the first half of 2022 at best for the opening of the first section of the Elizabeth Line, the central section which will link London from east to west between Abbey Wood and Paddington station.
The line should eventually make it possible to link Heathrow airport in the west of the capital to the eastern suburbs more quickly, via the City’s business district.
Its budget keeps growing, with an additional cost of £ 1.1bn due to the further delay, bringing the total bill to £ 18.9bn.
“The delivery of the Elizabeth line comes at a time of great uncertainty due to the risk and potential impact of new waves of Covid,” said Mark Wild, CEO of Crossrail.
Londoners are also in no hurry to resume public transport and still rely heavily on teleworking, especially in the business districts of the British capital.
These new habits could put a lasting strain on the activity of the London Underground.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was “deeply disappointed” by the new deadline to be addressed by the London Transport Authority (TfL) and the Department for Transport, according to a spokesperson.
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