Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has with Transport for London on the timescale for when Crossrail will be fully operational; and what the status is of that project.

The Department has regular discussions with Transport for London, regarding the timescales for when Crossrail will be fully operational.

In January, Crossrail Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London, announced that it planned to open the central section of the railway in summer 2021 and the full Elizabeth line by mid-2022.

On March 24, Crossrail ceased all physical work at its construction sites, in line with TfL’s decision to pause work on project sites during the covid-19 pandemic.

Works have now restarted as part of Crossrail’s Recovery Plan, which will include an update of cost and schedule forecasts.