Station work is also nearing completion, such that the central section remains on course to be substantially complete by the end of March.
However, there is still at least a year of testing to be done, so the full Elizabeth Line service, which was supposed to have opened in December 2018, will still not open before 2021.
Mark Wild, chief executive of Crossrail Ltd, said: “The Crossrail project has made significant progress during 2019 with many of the stations now nearing completion and fit-out of the tunnels almost complete. We know we have much to do to win back the trust of Londoners but all our focus is on ensuring we deliver a railway that is safe, reliable and exceptional. I hope it will give the reassurance needed that this railway is now firmly back on track and will open as soon as practically possible in 2021.
“We have a robust plan to complete the Elizabeth line and the milestones we need to hit including the completion of software development, safety assurance and the testing of the signalling and train systems. Much progress has been made during 2019 thanks to the improved collaboration with the supply chain and contractors on the project and increased contractor productivity. There are no short cuts to completing this railway, we must do a proper job and complete the Elizabeth line to the highest standards of safety and reliability.”
He said that good progress was being made at Whitechapel and Bond Street stations, with Whitechapel now meeting the requirements for trial running next year, while Farringdon station had reached such a sufficient level of completion that personal protective clothing was no longer required in most of the site.
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