Advancing UK Crossrail stations
Advancing UK Crossrail stations April 2014
Mark Charles reporting for TunnelCast

Planning progress on Crossrail

As part of the overall 118km-long Crossrail project eight new underground stations are currently at varying stages of construction completion as part of a £1.5 billion investment in station infrastructure along the 32km section of alignment under London. Begun in 2009, the most advanced of these constructions is the open cut excavation at Canary Wharf, an enormous ‘train shaped’ structure where above a platform level measuring 240m long x 30m wide will sit four levels of retail space, explains Crossrail Chief Executive Andrew Wolstenholme . Innovative design is key to delivering a modern-looking face for Crossrail ahead of handover of the special purpose construction entity, Crossrail Ltd, to train operator Transport for London in 2018. “We are on time, we are on cost, and we are well set up to deliver the railway systems and the station fit-out phases for the second half of the programme,” said Wolstenholme.

Paddington Station excavations

TBM excavation on the £14.8 billion Crossrail project is 75% complete, while construction continues to take shape on the station boxes that, once fitted out, will serve the 32km of twin bore alignment under central London. At Paddington Station, availability of a large site allows for a unique and modern design featuring innovative use of natural light, explains Crossrail Project Manager Ben Hardy. Platform level will be 25m below the surface, and the road above is newly reinstated following two years of diaphragm wall installation and completion of excavations above the level of the tunnel crown. Focus now turns to the next construction phase of further staged excavations from the current depth of 250mm above the TBM driven tunnels below, down to platform level; and casting the slabs that will separate the different levels, ready for handover to the systems installation contractor in June 2015.

References
Crossrail Paddington award - TunnelTalk, July 2011
Crossrail station contracts - TunnelTalk, April 2011
Crossrail station contract awards - TunnelTalk, February 2013
Five breakthroughs in 14 days for Crossrail - TunnelTalk, February 2014
SCL to create Crossrail junction caverns - TunnelTalk, September 2013
Other TunnelTalk Crossrail content