In 2018, a new high speed rail link will cross London, easing pressure on the London Underground lines that pass through the centre of the city, specifically the Central line, and the District and Circle lines. The hope is that Crossrail will allow for a new, high speed connection from Berkshire to Essex, via Central London. And whilst, when it is finished, many Londoners will see it as just an extension of the city’s ever growing transport network, it is in fact one of the most ambitious engineering projects ever attempted, as tunneling underneath busy streets and making changes to the Underground’s already existing infrastructure, is no easy task.

Challenges

Tunnelling under an existing capital city such as London is no easy task, and presents civil engineering firms with challenges, as there are existing tunnels and sewers to think about, along with the foundations of already existing buildings. The London clay through which the Underground was tunneled meant that the London Underground was able to be built with relative ease. However, engineers have had to proceed with caution, as over 4,500 buildings (some of them listed) sit above their heads. Recent news from the Crossrail website suggests that the construction of the new line is proceeding at an efficient pace, with the completion of the tunnels under Whitechapel in the beginning of April this year marking the point at which Crossrail was 75% complete, with over 19 miles of tunnelling completed, with recent confirmation coming from both the Department for Transport and Transport for London,

In addition, a project such as Crossrail has to be environmentally sustainable, and the project has been tasked with reducing its carbon footprint by 8%, recycling and re-using construction waste, as promoting environmental awareness amongst employees.

Benefits from construction

Civil engineering companies and the construction industry are understandably thriving from the opportunities that Crossrail are bringing; a new generation of apprentices and school leavers are being offered roles within the construction of Crossrail, with 198 apprentices currently working on the project. 97% of the contracts and civil engineering offered through Crossrail have been offered to UK companies, a much needed boost to the industry and job prospects, and over 400 apprentices are estimated to be working on the project during its lifetime.

The project is about half-way through its construction cycle, and there is already talk of Crossrail 2, a similar project which will cross London from Surrey to Hertfordshire, and further easing commuter pressures on Central London. There are also hopes that the two routes could hypothetically connect to the UK government’s controversial High Speed 2 rail link. Companies such as SB Civils are already benefiting from being Crossrail contractors, and the project promises to be an exciting chapter in the renewal of UK’s construction industry, not to mention its transport network.