Results tagged “Crossrail”

Crossrail has adopted a new approach to the restoration of the Connaught Tunnel under the Royal Docks which it says is safer and more efficient.

The dock will be drained after next year's London Boat Show to expose the top of the tunnel so enlargement work can be carried out using the "cut and cover" process.

By Giles Broadbent

Taciturn executive mayor Lutfur Rahman's unfortunate timing continues. Each time he was asked a question at last week's Tower Hamlets Borough Council meeting he had his mouth full of the jellied fruits he received from his aunt over Christmas (for that, surely, is the only reason for his studied reluctance to speak).

Crosssrail has unveiled the first of eight, 1,000 tonne tunnel boring machines that will construct the its tunnels under central London.

The 140m long machine is currently undergoing factory testing, but will soon be shipped to London where it will be re-assembled at Westbourne Park ahead of the start of tunnelling from Royal Oak in March.

Crossrail has called for expressions of interest for the £400million contract to fit-out its new tunnels.

Building work on the tunnels is scheduled to start next spring, with more than 21km of twin-bore tunnel due to be completed by late 2014.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has confirmed a seven per cent rise in fares across London transport from next January.

The rise, which comes into effect on January 2, will see average pay as you go Oyster fares in Zone 1 go up by 10p to £2, while bus fares rise to £1.40.

Crossrail is looking for expressions of interest to build the £50million tunnel portal at Victoria Dock.

It will be the last of five new tunnel portals to be built as part of the project, with work scheduled to start in autumn next year. The contract should be awarded next spring.

Two years ago it was just a muddy hole in the ground but now Canary Wharf's Crossrail station is nearly complete.

In May 2009 Mayor of London Boris Johnson set the construction ball rolling and now the £500m station, being built in West India Dock, is on schedule to be ready for the arrival of the tunnel boring machines next summer.

Crossrail has announced that Andrew Wolstenholme has been appointed as its new Chief Executive

He will succeed Rob Holden, who is stepping down in mid-July, and will take up the post in September. Mr Wolstenholme is currently a director of construction company Balfour Beatty.

When it comes to digging a tunnel, sometimes - perversely - heading into a blank wall of untouched earth is a lot simpler than re-working an existing hole.

Especially when that existing hole is somewhat battered about by time and bomb damage and its crown is unnervingly close to a vast expanse of water above, ready to exploit the smallest of cracks.

Legacy has been a much-overused word in recent years, particularly with large building projects like the Olympics.

So it comes as something of a surprise when one of the men in charge of the huge Crossrail project starts talking about its legacy, a full seven years before the first train is scheduled to run on its network.

The remaining Crossrail tunnelling contracts have been awarded.

The contracts, worth a combined total of £225million are for the Thames Tunnel, linking Plumstead to North Woolwich, and the Connaught Tunnel in the Royal Docks. Work on both tunnels will start early next year.

Crossrail aims to speed commuters from west to east in double quick time. Which is just as well as none of the trains will have toilets.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has confirmed the omission as the search begins to find a company that can meet a £1billion contract for 60 trains to operate on the 73-mile route.

The names of the top contenders to replace Rob Holden as chief executive at Crossrail have been revealed. According to a report in the Observer a source said potential replacements include Mark Bayley of London and Continental Railways; Tony Douglas, chief executive of Abu Dhabi Ports and former boss of Heathrow airport; Howard Shiplee, director of construction at the Olympic Delivery Authority; Ian Galloway, director at CLM, the Olympics delivery partner; and Ailie MacAdam, who is overseeing the central tunnelling and stations section at Crossrail.

The Duke of York did not hang about to pose for the pack of photographers outside 25 Bank Street on Monday.

The Royal who has been slashed across the front pages in recent weeks over allegations about his private life and dealings with controversial business figures, dodged press questions as he made a hasty entrance into the building.

Planned developments in the capital will be asked to pay money to Crossrail in proposals released by the London Mayor last week.

Called the Community Infrastructure Levy it will be brought in on all schemes of over 100sq m approved by planning committees from next spring.

The Crossrail project is still on track despite the announcement that chief executive Rob Holden is to step down.

Mr Holden, who has been in the role since April 2009, will leave later this year, and the search has begun to find his successor to lead the £15billion project.

"We're hitting our milestones and that's very pleasing. It shows what can be done when the private and public sectors work together on a common project."

Michael Bryant, operations executive for Canary Wharf Constructors, is quietly satisfied with the progress on the £500million Crossrail station being built in West India Dock.

Boris Johnson promised to take the pain out of Crossrail for Londoners as he unveiled the new designs for the projects key stations yesterday.

The Mayor pledged to make sure that Londoners will not be inconvenienced by extra roadworks as construction on the £15.9billion scheme gets into full swing.

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne made a surprise visit to Canary Wharf this afternoon to give a public show of support to the Crossrail project.

Mr Osborne was joined by Mayor of London Boris Johnson for the trip, with the pair being shown new images of what the interior of Canary Wharf station will look like.

News that Crossrail has been spared a substantial funding cut in the Government's spending review has been welcomed in Canary Wharf.

George Osborne confirmed to Parliament this afternoon that cash for the link, which will pass through the Wharf, has been ringfenced.