黑洞社区

More than half of the complex fit-out work on Crossrail鈥檚 central London stations such as M&E is still not finished, the boss of Crossrail has admitted.

In a letter updating the chair of the London Assembly鈥檚 transport committee on the scheme鈥檚 progress, the railway鈥檚 chief executive Mark Wild (pictured) told Caroline Pidgeon more than half of the systems work at the stations still needed to be completed.

The news will heap further pressure on the 拢17.6bn scheme about when its previous bosses should have admitted the project would miss its December 2018 opening date.

Yesterday, a senior project source told 黑洞社区 that Crossrail should have known months before it was officially confirmed that the scheme was way behind schedule.

Wild, who replaced Simon Wright in the top job back in November, is conducting a forensic review of the project ahead of coming up with a new opening date.

He has already admitted he still doesn鈥檛 know when the line will open and said the ongoing problems have meant staff morale on the job has collapsed.

In his letter to Pidgeon, dated 8 February, Wild said: 鈥淎t this time less than 50% of stations systems installation is completed and we are focused on improving productivity at each site.

鈥淭he current rate of static testing in stations remains behind plan and is a significant focus of the new programme and technical leadership on the project.鈥�

Systems within Crossrail鈥檚 central section include CCTV and public address systems, customer information displays, radio systems, data networks that carry information to and from the route control centre, signalling and train software, tunnel ventilation and fire safety, low and high voltage power and platform screen doors.

Finishing off the nine central stations, which include Farringdon and Bond Street, is eating up 拢30m a week and Wild told 黑洞社区: 鈥淐rossrail needs construction activity to come to an end and for Tier 1 contractors to demobilise their delivery teams so that we can move ahead with integrating the nine new stations with the rest of the railway.鈥�

His letter to Pidgeon, , revealed that the programme鈥檚 new delivery schedule included staged completion and handover dates for Tier 1 contractors working on stations, shafts and portal called 鈥渟ubstantial demobilisation dates鈥� (TOSD).

Wild said: 鈥淲e are making good progress with a total of eleven (of 22) TOSDs for stations, shafts and portals now achieved. Further work has been undertaken to gain clarity on completion dates on stations, shafts and portals.鈥�

He said substantial Tier 1 demobilisation had been achieved at Whitechapel鈥檚 Crossrail areas and the Plumstead Portal last month.

Addressing the London Assembly earlier this year Wild revealed there was 鈥渢housands of hours of work鈥� still to do on the project and that none of the stations would have been ready to open by the December deadline.