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Source · National Audit Office

Completing Crossrail

This report examines the causes of the cost increases and delays to the Crossrail programme.

Published: 3 May 2019 Recommendations: 5 Type: Value for Money NAO confirmed: 5 Department: Department for Transport
Dept: Department for Transport Topics: Commercial and financial managementCommercial and regulationProcurement and contract managementTransport nao.org.uk →

Recommendations

5 items
5 accepted 5 implemented

Recommendation 1

Addressee: Crossrail Ltd · Source location: Page 9, point a

For the Crossrail programme:
a) Crossrail Ltd should continue to refine its plan to complete the programme, establish a realistic cost estimate, and resist external attempts to influence timetable and cost.

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: Implemented · 08/2020 · Confirmed by NAO

Recommendation 2

Addressee: Crossrail Ltd · Source location: Page 9, point b

b) Crossrail Ltd, working with sponsors, should establish a range of scenarios that set out the potential future impacts on the taxpayer, passengers and businesses and develop plans for how further cost increases or delays in collecting revenue will be financed.

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: Implemented · 12/2020 · Confirmed by NAO

Recommendation 3

Addressee: Crossrail Ltd · Source location: Page 9, point c

c) Crossrail Ltd should rebuild its capacity and capability to complete the programme in a timely and cost-effective way.

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: Implemented · 08/2020 · Confirmed by NAO

Recommendation 4

Addressee: Department for Transport · Source location: Page 9, point d

For the Department’s other current and future major programmes:
d) We note that the Department has completed a lessons learned exercise and we would encourage it to also apply the lessons to other major projects including High Speed 2.

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: Implemented · 04/2019 · Confirmed by NAO

Recommendation 5

Addressee: Rail for London Infrastructure · Source location: Page 12, point e

RfLi should set out a plan to realise and monitor the benefits of running a fully digital railway.

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: Implemented · 07/2023 · Confirmed by NAO

Public Accounts Committee follow-up

2 reports

The Public Accounts Committee examined this NAO report and published its own recommendations. The government responds to PAC recommendations via Treasury Minutes.