Forensic focus needed to get Crossrail on track

TfL and the Mayor need a ‘Sherlock style forensic focus’ on attention to detail if Crossrail is going to deliver the Elizabeth line within its latest budget and in its latest timescale. That is according to a new report by the cross-party London Assembly Transport Committee published today.

The London Assembly report highlights that if the project is to be completed in the first half of 2022 despite COVID-19 disruption, TfL needs to clearly predict challenges through project management, staff supervision and financial forecasting. The Committee says that addressing these areas will serve to boost Crossrail’s delivery.

The report identifies five key areas that TfL and the Mayor need to focus on including:

• Refining Crossrail’s new leadership and governance structure
• The financial stability of TfL and Crossrail
• Staff wellbeing and proper staff deployment
• Evaluate lessons learned and develop better ways of working
• Clear timelines to include delays like COVID-19 impacts and extra costs

The Committee is also calling on TfL to set out learning from the past and how it plans to avoid repeating the same mistakes made earlier in the project.