With delivery of the Elizabeth Line in the final stages, Crossrail governance has now been handed over to Transport for London (TfL) as the operator and maintainer of the railway.
Crossrail Ltd is working to complete the outstanding infrastructure, after which trial operations can begin, hopefully ‘at the earliest opportunity in 2021’. This is the transition point from construction to operational railway.
For this next phase, the governance of Crossrail will be directly with TfL. Both TfL and the DfT, the joint sponsors of Crossrail, have worked closely with Crossrail Ltd to decide upon a transition plan.
The transition will make responsibilities simpler with a single Elizabeth Line Delivery Group, comprising senior members of TfL, London Underground and Crossrail Ltd, under Transport Commissioner Andy Byford as its chair.
The CEO of Crossrail Ltd, Mark Wild, will report directly to Andy Byford.
A Special Purpose Committee of the TfL Board, which will be known as the Elizabeth Line Committee, will provide high-level oversight. The committee will meet in public every eight weeks. It will have members of the TfL Board and a special representative of the Department for Transport will attend.
“I would like to thank Crossrail Chair Tony Meggs and the Crossrail Board who have led the delivery of this vital project through the remaining construction and systems testing to a point where increased testing of trains in the central tunnels will begin shortly.
“As it gets closer to becoming an operational railway the time is right for the responsibility for Crossrail to transfer to TfL and the people who will run it. Mark Wild and his team will now work with me to safely achieve the earliest possible opening date for what will be a magnificent addition to London's transport network.”
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