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Select committee inquiry

Crossrail

Closed

Public Accounts Committee · Opened 5 February 2014 · Closed 14 May 2015

Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

What the inquiry looked at

“Background Crossrail is a new suburban rail service for London and the South-East. It will run from Maidenhead and Heathrow (though not Terminal 5) in the West through the West End, the City of London, and Canary Wharf to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the East. The central section between Paddington and Canary Wharf is a new section of underground railway. The sections to the west and east run on existing track which Network Rail is developing as part of the programme. Crossrail is currently the biggest construction project in Europe, with a total funding package of £14.8 billion, provided or underwritten by the Department for Transport (which provides £4.8 billion and underwrites private funding of £0.5m), Network Rail (£2.3 billion), Transport for London (£1.9 billion) and private sector contributions (£5.3bn). Tunnelling was 50 per cent complete in January 2014; in February 2014 the rolling stock contract was awarded to Bombardier and a Crossrail operator will be appointed later this year. The railway is due to open fully in 2019, when there will be 24 trains an hour running on the central section at peak times. This inquiry will examine the Department for Transport’s assurance over its investment in Crossrail, looking at its financial exposure, its role as a joint sponsor (with Transport for London) and current forecasts of the programme’s delivery against schedule and budget. Relevant information National Audit Office report: Crossrail”

The committee's words, from the inquiry page on parliament.uk ↗.

What it found

In the committee's words, from the summary of 8th Report - Crossrail ↗

The Crossrail programme is proceeding well and is on course to deliver value for money to the taxpayer. The joint sponsors of the Crossrail programme, the Department for Transport (the Department) and Transport for London, are working well with the delivery organisation, Crossrail Limited, to deliver the programme, which at present is broadly on schedule and being delivered within budget. The programme provides an opportunity for the Department and the rest of government to learn valuable lessons about delivering major projects, such as the importance of careful early preparation. However, construction is not yet complete, and considerable risks remain in delivering the programme by 2019, particularly managing the transition from building the railway to operating it, and delivering the Crossrail trains. This project also raises questions about how government compares different transport projects when making its investment decisions.

What the government said

The government responded on 15 December 2014.

Crossrail: Government response to the Committee's Eighth Report of Session 2014-15

Crossrail: Government response to the Committee's Eighth Report of Session 2014-15, 13 January 2015.

Crossrail: Government response to the Committee's Eighth Report of Session 2014-15

Crossrail: Government response to the Committee's Eighth Report of Session 2014-15, 15 December 2014.

Read the government's response: Crossrail: Government response to the C… ↗Read the government's response: Crossrail: Government response to the C… ↗ Read the report ↗ Report an error

How the inquiry ran

Each dot is a dated item listed on this page, from the inquiry's opening on 5 February 2014 to its close on 14 May 2015.

  1. Oral evidence 9 Apr 2014
  2. Report 23 Jul 2014
  3. Government response 2 responses

What it recommended

The committee's recommendations are not listed here yet. Read them in 8th Report - Crossrail ↗ on parliament.uk.

Evidence

Oral evidence sessions 1