Rob Holden is to leave his post as Chief Executive of Crossrail Limited, the organisation charged with delivering the new railway project under London. After nearly two years in the job, Holden said that "Crossrail needs a Chief Executive who can commit to lead [it] right through to opening in 2018". He will be leaving during the course of 2011 to explore new opportunities.
Terry Morgan, Crossrail Chairman, said in the statement: "We regret Rob's decision to step down but respect it. He leaves the project in great shape and we are on firm foundations to maintain our momentum to deliver this critically important project for the UK, on time and within budget."
Holden joined Crossrail from London & Continental Railways in April 2009, having overseen the successful delivery of the new High Speed 1 railway between St Pancras International and the Channel Tunnel.
Holden said: "I am proud to have led the Crossrail team over the past two years, and to have seen the project receive an unequivocal green light from Government in the recent Comprehensive Spending Review. With the project moving into its construction phase, I leave Crossrail confident that, with its funding firmly in place, a robust delivery plan, clear governance and a strong delivery team, it is now well set to move forward to a successful launch."
"Rob came on board soon after we secured Royal Assent to the Crossrail Act," said Morgan. "He has taken Crossrail from the drawing board, through the detailed design process, above all through very effective and successful negotiation with Government to secure a green light for Crossrail under the Comprehensive Spending Review, to the award of the main tunnel contracts late last year and the start of full construction. In the process he has achieved savings of over £1 billion in the programme, while preserving the project's original scope."
While Crossrail now begins the process of identifying a suitable successor, the team pushes forward with the works already started, those recently awarded and the still monumental program of works yet to be awarded and progressed.
Route of the Crossrail underground alignment
Table 1. Main underground and tunnelling contract awards
C300
Running Tunnels West - Royal Oak to Farringdon
BAM Nuttall/Ferrovial/Kier
C410
Bond Street and Tottenham Court Road SCL stations tunnels and early access shafts
BAM Nuttall/Ferrovial/Kier
C305
Running Tunnels East - Limmo Peninsula to Farringdon; Limmo Peninsula to Victoria Dock; Stepney Green to Pudding Mill Lane
Dragados/John Sisk
C510
Whitechapel and Liverpool Street SCL station tunnels and early access shafts
Alpine BeMo/Balfour Beatty/Morgan Sindall/VINCI
C330
Royal Oak Portal
Costain/Skanska
C248
Pudding Mill Lane Portal TBM reception chamber
Costain/Skanska
Canary Wharf station delivery by sub-partner Canary Wharf Group
Laing O'Rourke
Table 2. Major tunnelling and underground contracts yet to bid
C310
Thames Tunnel
C315
Connaught Tunnel Rehabilitation
C350
Pudding Mill Lane Portal
C405
Paddington Station main works
C435
Farringdon Station main works
Main works for Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Liverpool Street and Whitechapel stations
Up to 14,000 people will be employed at the peak of construction in 2013/2015, with an estimated further 7,000 jobs created indirectly. Crossrail Limited (CRL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London. Crossrail is jointly sponsored by the Department for Transport and Transport for London.
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Major engineering and contracting companies engaged on the Crossrail project to December 2010
