Elizabeth Line (CrossRail) opened 24th May 2022

Crossrail chiefs are due next month to reveal a “window” of dates for the central stretch to open, and to give an estimate of the final cost.

Report summary

The Crossrail programme aims to deliver a new east-west railway through central London, providing passengers with new train services to improve connections on the existing transport network, reduce journey times and ease congestion. It was supposed to set the standard for delivery of transport programmes, where the skills and knowledge gained from the programme could be exported around the world. Instead, yet again, costs have escalated and delivery dates have turned out to be over-optimistic. New train services were due to start in December 2018 but have been badly delayed. Until a revised opening schedule has been agreed, we are not convinced that new services will start to run in 2020 as now hoped, nor that the additional £2.8 billion of funding provided will be enough.

The Department for Transport and Crossrail Limited are unable to fully explain how the programme has been allowed to unravel. Crossrail Limited failed to properly report the position of the programme and risks. Key warning signs were missed or ignored, and Parliament and potential new passengers still do not know the root causes of the delays and significant cost overruns. As the programme progressed, the Department, as a joint sponsor of the programme with Transport for London, failed to ensure that the governance arrangements it had put in place were robust. We are becoming increasingly alarmed at the continual shortcomings our work has highlighted in the Department’s project management and oversight of the railways and we will continue to look closely at progress with this programme. We are also concerned about the clarity of message we have received from the Department throughout the programme.

We have, previously, questioned the Department on the additional funding announced in July 2018 to cope with cost increases, only for further cost escalation and more funding to be agreed at a later date. This is symptomatic of how the costs of this project have been allowed to spiral out of control whilst question marks remain around its completion and when new train services will start to run.

Chair's comments
“Passengers were led to believe they would be able use new Crossrail services through central London from the end of last year. Instead, they have been badly let down by significant delays and cost overruns.

“It is clear that the delivery deadline of December 2018 had been unrealistic for some time. But the Department for Transport, Transport for London and Crossrail Limited continued to put a positive face on the programme long after mounting evidence should have prompted changes.

“Wishful thinking is no basis for spending public money and there remain serious risks to delivering this programme, with a revised schedule and costings for completing the work still to be agreed. Some £2.8 billion of extra funding has been provided for Crossrail but even that may not be enough.

“It is unacceptable that Parliament and the public still do not know the root causes of the failures that beset this project. Nor will we accept the Department and Crossrail Limited’s description of these serious problems as ‘systems failures’.

“Accountability in the use of public money is of fundamental importance. The Department should write to us urgently to explain what it, Transport for London and Crossrail Limited are responsible and accountable for on this programme, and set out clearly what consequences there have been for well-rewarded officials whose costly failures are paid for by taxpayers.”