Construction work at Crossrail’s Farringdon station has come to an end.
The station becomes the first central London station along the new line to reach the T-12 landmark; this means the station is substantially complete and it is now considered to be 12 weeks away from handover to Transport for London (TfL).
Work at the station will now focus on the extensive testing and commissioning of systems ahead of the Elizabeth line opening.
Farringdon Elizabeth line station has been built by the Bam, Ferrovial and Kier Joint Venture (BFK JV).
The station will have two main entrances, both with ticket halls, one at the Barbican and the other at the existing Farringdon Underground and Thameslink station.
Reaching this important milestone allows the contractor to start demobilising from the site and enables Crossrail to commence the process of handing the station over to TfL.
Crossrail chief executive Mark Wild said: “This is an incredibly important landmark for both the team at Farringdon station and for the Crossrail project as a whole.
“We have now reached the end of the construction phase at the first of our central London stations and the start of the testing and safety assurance journey which will enable us to hand over the station to Transport for London and open the Elizabeth line to passengers.
“I am proud of everyone who has worked so hard to get this magnificent new railway station over the line and I know that when it is open to passengers it will become an important and much-loved addition to London’s transport network.”
BFK JV project director Jose Antonio Pariente added: “Being the first of the central London Elizabeth line stations to attain this status is a source of immense pride for the BFK team.
“In addition, having worked on Europe’s largest infrastructure scheme, with all the complexity involved and seeing the positive changes to the industry, as a result of the extraordinary work completed by the integrated delivery team, has been key for all concerned.
“The positive legacy of the Elizabeth line’s construction phase and its benefits will be felt by generations to come. I want to take this opportunity to thank all those involved across Crossrail, BFK and in our supply chain, who have shown great strength, commitment and passion at every stage.”
Paddington is expected to be the next station where construction activity will complete and will then be followed by a number of the central London station sites over the coming months.
Transport for London (TfL) board agenda notes from October reveal that a new way of measuring performance has been rolled out across all of Crossrail's remaining station projects.
Paddington and Farringdon were the first two sites to move towards the new monitoring system.
The new system is similar to the process implemented throughout Crossrail's six-week blockade during the summer, which resulted in 1,235 of a total 1,286 milestones being completed.
London Underground head of station integration Kim Kapur said: “In just a matter of weeks the London Underground team will take responsibility for the Farringdon Elizabeth line station. This is an exciting time and an important milestone for the Elizabeth line as we begin the process of training and familiarisation at one of the new stations.”
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