LONDON (Reuters) – The opening of the central section of Londons new Crossrail train service has been delayed by nearly a year as more time is needed to complete testing.
FILE PHOTO: Crossrail employees walk in the new Farringdon underground station of the Elizabeth line which was due to open in December 2018, in London, Britain, June 15, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo
When fully open, the Elizabeth line, as it is officially known, will connect destinations such as Heathrow Airport in west London to areas such as the Canary Wharf financial district in the east of the capital.
The central section was meant to open in December this year but it has now been delayed until the autumn, Crossrail said.
“The original programme for testing has been compressed by more time being needed by contractors to complete fit-out activity in the central tunnels and the development of railway systems software,” Crossrail said in a statement.
“Testing has started but further time is required to complete the full range of integrated tests.”
Reporting by Costas Pitas
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