Crossrail Sustainability Report 2014

A new sustainable railway for London and the South East
Crossrail is one of the most ambitious transport construction projects undertaken in a generation.

As Europe’s largest construction project, Crossrail’s legacy will be more than just the delivery of a world-class railway; sustainability has been at the heart of the project since its inception.

From Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, the Crossrail route covers over 110km of track. It includes 21km of new twin-bore tunnels, 10 new stations and will serve a total of 40 stations. Crossrail will, for the first time, deliver a direct connection between all of London’s biggest employment centres linking Heathrow with the West End, the City and Canary Wharf.

The new railway will increase rail capacity in London by 10%, reduce journey times, ease congestion and improve connections. Services start running in the central, tunnelled section in 2018 and Crossrail will be fully operational in 2019.

The principal reason for building the railway is to secure London’s competitiveness as a world city.

This requires an efficient and reliable transport system that keeps people moving and supports the future population and economic growth.

The challenge is to achieve this responsibly and sustainably, with the minimum environmental impact.

A total of £14.8bn of funding is available for the delivery of Crossrail. The new railway will support regeneration across the capital and benefits the UK as a whole. Crossrail is estimated to generate at least £42bn for the UK economy.

Crossrail’s intention is to lead the way in constructing and delivering a sustainable and energy efficient railway fit for the future. Crossrail will have a long-lasting impact on how people travel around London and the South East.