Crossrail flags more worries over contractors’ productivity

The board of Crossrail has again raised concerns about contractors’ productivity on the project.

The issue has been a running sore at the railway for some time now with Crossrail chief executive Mark Wild previously saying the project was in need of a “breakthrough” to improve it.

In March, he complained there was “a fundamental issue with our productivity” but six months on Transport for London board minutes reveal the problem has not gone away.

Minutes for its September board meeting said: “The [TfL] board questioned whether the day-to-day decisions on site with regard to obtaining the necessary resources to increase productivity were being made quickly.”

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Last month, Wild was forced to concede that Crossrail will not open at all next year and promised an update on when it would early next year.

Under its previous opening schedule, the railway was due to open some time between October 2020 and March 2021.

Wild also said the scheme would cost an extra £400m to £650m taking its overall cost beyond £18bn.