Contractors lay final piece of Crossrail track

Crossrail and its contractors have completed the permanent track installation work on the £14.8bn Elizabeth Line.

A workforce of more than 1,000 has installed the 63,000 sleepers, 51.4km of rail and more than 800 sections of long-welded rail. More than 13,500 m3 of concrete was poured by the concreting train as part of the track installation.

Crossrail chairman Sir Terry Morgan said: “The completion of the permanent track brings us another crucial step closer to the Elizabeth line opening in December 2018. We’re delighted to be officially marking this important milestone as it also signifies a great achievement for all the dedicated men and women who are working on the project.

Howard Smith, Transport for London’s Elizabeth line operations director, said: “It’s a huge moment in the project, turning it from a construction project into a railway, with around 15 months until our customers ride the first trains beneath the streets of London.

“Crossrail will continue working hard to fit-out the line and stations ahead of TfL preparing to run and maintain the Elizabeth line from next year.”