Crossrail: The Whole Story

The story of a marvel of -21st-century engineering - and how it went over budget and off the rails. In the spring of 2022, the cross-London railway first conceived in the era of Attlee and Churchill finally came to fruition. From Reading and Heathrow in the west, the Elizabeth line extends to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, including 42km of new tunnels dug under central London. Originally scheduled to open in December 2018, just six months before, its managers stated confidently that it was on time and that the project's cost overrun would be minimal. In this revised and expanded edition Christian Wolmar has two fascinating and revelatory tales to tell: firstly, of the planning and construction of a new railway that required feats of technological wizardry to cut safely through a subterranean world of rock and mud; secondly, the equally astounding story of the collective failures of management and communication that led to a three-year delay in completion and an epic overspend.