Crossrail progress revealed in new images

New images have been released revealing the progress being made on the delayed Crossrail project.

Escalators, ticket barriers and electronic signs are among the features fitted at some of the railway’s new central London stations.

Canary Wharf even has a departure board suggesting trains to Abbey Wood and Heathrow are minutes away from arriving, even though the railway will not open until autumn next year at the earliest.

The project was due to be completed in December last year, but has been delayed by a series of issues including problems with signalling systems and difficulties completing the stations.

The central section is due to open between October 2020 and March 2021, enabling trains to run between Paddington and Abbey Wood.

Crossrail Ltd – the Transport for London-owned firm building the railway – said last week it is on track to meet its revised timetable.

But it warned that 120 “key programme milestones” must be achieved before trials of running trains can be conducted in the central tunnels.

Crossrail Ltd chief executive Mark Wild said “good progress” is being made but the railway is in its “critical and most challenging final phase”.

Full services from Reading and Heathrow in the west to Abbey Wood and Shenfield in the east will commence “as soon as possible”.

The route will be known as the Elizabeth line once services begin.

A recent report by the Commons Public Accounts Committee said funding for the programme – which is being paid for by the Department for Transport and TfL – has reached £17.6 billion, which is an increase of around £2.8 billion on its original budget.