13. Crossrail Ltd currently estimates that the central section of the railway will open between October 2020 and March 2021, a delay of around two years. It added that Crossrail Ltd had taken advice from the Department's lessons learned exercise and had specified an opening window, rather than a firm date.23 Crossrail Ltd told us that it will deliver all of the planned scope of the programme but admitted that when the central section first opens there will be some elements of the programme missing?24 For example, services will not stop at Bond Street, because completion of the station is still between 18 months and two years away.25 It told us that there was also substantial work to complete at at least eight stations on the existing network to the east and west of London, including Ealing Broadway, Acton Main Line, Romford and Ilford. Network Rail, which is responsible for enhancement work on the existing network, estimated that this work will be complete by 2020. In the meantime, Network Rail planned to manage the work in order that the stations can remain open, but there is a risk that some stations will not have step free access when new Elizabeth line services begin.26 Crossrail Ltd also told us that it planned not to install all the non-critical digital systems required to operate the railway initially, to reduce both complexity and the risks involved in getting the stations open. These systems will be replaced by additional operational staff, which will increase the cost of the programme.27
14. The National Audit Office found that it is still unclear when a full 24 trains an hour service between Heathrow and Reading in the west and Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east will commence.28 Crossrail Ltd currently estimates that this may not happen until twelve months after the central section is complete, which could be as late as spring 2022.29 Crossrail Ltd originally planned for the full railway to open in December 2019.30 The Elizabeth line, as the new railway will be known, will be an important source of income for TfL. TfL had estimated that the delay to opening would cost it £600 million in lost revenue from 2019-20 to 2023-24. TfL's fare revenue will not increase significantly until the full railway opens because it is at this point that the full high frequency services through central London will begin. Crossrail Ltd asserted that it was focused on achieving this as soon as possible.31
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23 Q 214-216
24 Qq 219-226
25 Qq 113, 221
26 Qq 222-224; Letter from Tony Meggs to PAC Chair, 28 May; C&AG's report, para 2.4
27 Qq 225-228
28 C&AG's report, para 3.5
29 Qq 217-219
30 C&AG's report, figure 3
31 Q 227; C&AG's report, paras 3.14-3.18