UK Inquiry Tracker

Crossrail: A progress update

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry

Opened: 9 Jun 2021 Closed: 16 Nov 2021 Parliament page

Crossrail is a large, complex programme to run a new direct rail line across London, known as the Elizabeth line and part of Transport for London’s rail and underground network. The Elizabeth line is now in its final stages. It became clear in 2018 that the original schedule and cost … Read more

1 Recommendation

23 Conclusions

1 Report

1 Oral session

3 Letters

1 Event

Activity timeline 7 events

21 Jan
2022

Report published

Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Twenty Fourth report from Session 2021-22

29 Oct
2021

Report published

Twenty-Fourth - Crossrail: A progress update

10 Sep
2021

Correspondence

Correspondence from Bernadette Kelly CB, Permanent Secretary, Transport for London, re Crossrail: A progress update, dated 4 August 2021

20 Jul
2021

Correspondence

Correspondence from Bernadette Kelly CB, Permanent Secretary and Andy Byford Commissioner, TfL, re Crossrail Update, 14 July 2021

19 Jul
2021

Oral evidence

Crossrail: A progress update

19 Jul
2021

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Crossrail: A progress update

29 Jun
2021

Correspondence

Correspondence from Mark Wild, CEO, Crossrail Ltd, re Crossrail progress update: Spring 2021, dated 22 June 2021,

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

19 Jul 2021

View on parliament.uk

Crossrail: A progress update

Andy Byford · Transport for London Bernadette Kelly CB · Department for Transport Mark Wild · HS2 Ltd Matt Lodge · Department for Transport

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
Twenty-Fourth - Crossrail: A progress update	HC 184	29 Oct 2021	24	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

24 results

2 Conclusion

Twenty-Fourth - Crossrail: A progr…

The collapse in passenger numbers owing to the pandemic, and subsequent bailout to TfL, has...

The collapse in passenger numbers owing to the pandemic, and subsequent bailout to TfL, has complicated how and when TfL and the Greater London Authority will be able to repay the taxpayer loans for Crossrail. To date, the taxpayer has … Read more The collapse in passenger numbers owing to the pandemic, and subsequent bailout to TfL, has complicated how and when TfL and the Greater London Authority will be able to repay the taxpayer loans for Crossrail. To date, the taxpayer has provided nearly £2.9 billion in loans to TfL and the Greater London Authority (GLA) to fund Crossrail Ltd’s costs on the programme: £750 million to TfL in December 2018; £1,300 million to the GLA in December 2018; and an additional £825 million to the GLA in December 2020. However, this funding may still not be enough, with Crossrail Ltd’s middle estimate cost of the programme in July 2021 (£15,940) coming in £150 million above its current available funding, thus potentially creating a shortfall. The Department expects the £750 million loan to TfL for Crossrail to be financed and repaid from TfL’s own revenues. This loan is separate from over £4 billion of loans from government to support TfL during COVID. Fare revenue is critical to TfL’s finances. Prior to the pandemic, TfL said it received 72% of its income from fares however passenger numbers were plateauing before the pandemic, and have since collapsed. There may be long-term changes to travel patterns, with TfL estimating an 18% drop in demand for rail by 2031 compared with what was expected before the pandemic. Government lending to TfL during the pandemic includes a target to become financially self-sufficient within two years, meaning TfL must identify new revenue streams. The GLA loans are expected to be paid back via London’s Business Rate Supplement (BRS) and Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy (MCIL), with the Commissioner telling us it could take up to 2043 for full repayment. 6 Crossrail: A progress update Recommendation: The Department and TfL should write to the Committee by the end of November setting out TfL’s revenue forecast scenarios, and what they mean for whether the loans for Crossrail will be fully repaid and when. Show less

Government Response

agree with the Committee’s conclusion. The department assesses the value for money of all its investments. Value for money is evidenced and scrutinised at key approvals and assurance milestones and … Read more

HM Treasury

Crossrail: A progress update

Activity timeline 7 events

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Recommendations & Conclusions

The collapse in passenger numbers owing to the pandemic, and subsequent bailout to TfL, has...

It is not clear to passengers and businesses when the Elizabeth line will open or...

We are concerned that TfL and the Department do not have a plan to maximise...

The Department has still not demonstrated that it is embedding lessons learned into its major...

On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence...

A significant software update is needed to begin Trial Operations, which will allow up to...

Crossrail Ltd is constructing stations along the central section which are then handed over to...

The estimated cost of Crossrail has increased by £1.9 billion since we last reported and...

The £1.9 billion estimated cost increase consisted of £1,510 million of Crossrail Ltd costs, and...

At May 2021, Crossrail Ltd estimated that its cost to complete the programme would be...

TfL told us that further funding may not be needed if the railway is opened...

In August 2020, Crossrail Ltd announced that up to £1.1 billion of further funding would...

TfL told us that it is over-reliant on income through the farebox which accounts for...

The Elizabeth line services will open in stages as different part of the line are...

Once the central section opens, commuters must still change to other Elizabeth line services to...

In April 2019 we reported that the Department, TfL and the previous Crossrail Ltd management...

Construction work on the programme started in 2009 and tunnelling began in 2012.47 The majority...

The Department and TfL told us that, when the Elizabeth line opens, they expect it...

The Department and Crossrail Ltd told us about the benefits Crossrail has achieved during construction.

The Department told us that Crossrail had completed a property and regeneration study looking at...

The NAO report sets out what it would expect to see in place to achieve...

We have examined many major transport programmes over the years, including modernising the Great Western...

We have asked the Department for the lessons it has learned from these experiences on...

The Department also referred to the lessons it and HS2 Ltd have learnt from the...

Correspondence 3 letters