Crossrail pipedream edging towards reality

Preparations for the milestone have been ongoing at West India Dock for several months.
Crossrail's director of land and property Keith Berryman told The Wharf in March that silt removal was ongoing and that piling rigs had been brought in from Japan to undertake the necessary work.

Canary Wharf Group brought in Laing O'Rourke last week to handle enabling and civil engineering works at the Isle of Dogs station, which will see its first trains in 2017.

The Upper Bank Street bridge will also close for a year on Monday (May 18) due to piling works in the area, and may be replaced entirely in future.

Chief Executive George Iacobescu said: "It is exciting to see the much anticipated Crossrail project pick up speed.

"Canary Wharf and London's transport infrastructure needs to keep pace with future growth, especially if we are to retain our position as a global commercial centre in the face of competition from developing cities around the world."

With Canary Wharf set to attract another 100,000 workers over the next two decades, the estate landlords are keen to reap the benefits of a rail link that could reach Liverpool Street in seven minutes and Heathrow in 44 minutes.

CWG took on the delivery of the station last year in a £500million deal with the Secretary of State for Transport, Crossrail and Transport for London, and expects to finish the box itself by summer 2012.

In giving his approval to the Isle of Dogs station project last year, Mayor Boris Johnson praised the "exceptional design quality" of architect Foster and Partners' vision for the upper levels, which will combine drinking, dining, 100 square feet of retail and a park under a latticed roof.

The start of the five-year construction process will also require the closure of the CWG-owned Upper Bank Street bridge, which links Aspen Way to the estate.

Pedestrians travelling to and from Poplar DLR station are advised to pass through West India Quay, while traffic should use Trafalgar Way to the east or Westferry Road to the west.

While the bridge will initially only close for a year while piling works are underway, CWG is considering removing and replacing the bridge in the long term. Any new bridge would provide better access to pick-up and drop-off points outside the new station.

The project's funding deal was arranged in principle in late 2007, and Royal Assent for the Crossrail Bill came in July last year. The route to construction, however, has continued to dig up debate.

An additional business rate levy of up to 2p in the pound is expected to raise £3.5billion towards the scheme. However, businesses could be allowed to vote on whether they wish to contribute if their share rises to more than a third of the total project cost.

City Hall argues no ballot should be needed, due to the "decades of scrutiny that this project and its financing have been through".

A spokesman said: "On this basis, there should not be a ballot. "However, the BRS Bill as currently drafted would add the financing costs on the BRS contribution, which would potentially trigger a ballot. Therefore there needs to be a change to the Bill or a regulation.
"This is a technical issue, which the government is well aware needs to be resolved."

With money becoming a more pressing issue in this recession, some papers have also suggested that the Conservatives might consider putting the project on hold if elected.

The accusation rankled with shadow minister for local government Bob Neill, who said: "The real threat to Crossrail is not an incoming Conservative government but the current Labour government coming up with the money.

"We can never say anything about the state of the books until we see them, but we're fully committed to Crossrail."