29 September 2015

The Costain Skanska joint venture team (C360) working for Crossrail to construct shafts and head houses recently took part in Open House London Weekend, giving the general public a rare look at one of the shafts and tunnels at Mile End that make up Europe’s biggest infrastructure project.

The team welcomed 45 people to the event, including one visitor who flew in from New York just for the visit.

The visitors received a presentation from Alice Crane, a Graduate Engineer, who gave an update on the works to date, including before and after photographs showing where progress has been made.

After a safety briefing from Apprentice Ben Cox, the visitors took a tour of the Head House and the various levels, which involved walking down 124 steps to the tunnels and adits – horizontal tunnels that will connect from the shaft to the Crossrail eastbound and westbound rail tunnels under London.

Crossrail is delivering a new railway for the London and the South East. The Crossrail route covers 118km, including 42km of new twin-bore tunnels, 10 new stations and improving 30 more.

The finished railway will be an accessible route of 40 stations from Reading and Heathrow in the west, through central London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. Crossrail will change the way people travel - it will add 10% to central London’s rail capacity, reduce journey times and increase choice.

Eleanor Street and Mile End Shafts will house ventilation and emergency exit facilities between Stratford and Liverpool Street stations, each extending around 30 metres below ground.

At the Mile End shaft, works also included the relocation of a coach park and all-weather football pitch within the grounds of a park. Both were rebuilt and made operational to ensure continued access by the local community.

After the tour visitors had the opportunity to ask any questions, provide feedback, and were given a Crossrail ‘Breakthrough’ pin badge commemorating the breakthrough of Tunnel Boring Machine Victoria into Farringdon station, completing the Crossrail tunnels in June 2015.

“Everyone working on C360 is extremely proud to be associated with such an amazing project, and that enthusiasm was communicated to the people on the tour because the feedback was superb,” said Martin Griffiths, Community Relations Manager.

 

Ends

 

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