North-east section
Network Rail is responsible for delivering the Crossrail works on the National Rail network. Stations will be upgraded to requirements set by the Department for Transport and Transport for London and overseen by Crossrail.
Responsible for the design, development and delivery of the parts of Crossrail that are on the existing network, its work will integrate Crossrail with the national rail network, delivering faster, more frequent trains into central London from the east and west.
Network Rail has awarded a major contract to Atkins Ltd to design the majority of works planned on the north-east section of the Crossrail route, between Stratford in east London and Shenfield in Essex.
The contract includes the design of station improvements along the 25km (15.5 mile) route at Romford, Ilford, Goodmayes, Forest Gate, Harold Wood, Gidea Park, Chadwell Heath, Brentwood and Shenfield. Platform extensions will allow longer, higher capacity trains to run and step-free access will be provided at the majority of the stations on the route. Other works will include infrastructure improvements, such as extra train stabling capacity and turnback facilities that will improve the reliability of passenger services.
Crossrail will improve Great Eastern Line services by offering:
- new and more frequent trains;
- journeys to parts of the City, West End and west London without the need to change trains
- improved links to Heathrow Airport; and
- additional capacity and reduced overcrowding
The existing "Metro" services, currently operated by National Express East Anglia, will be completely replaced by Crossrail services. However, the Crossrail project does not involve any changes to the fast services into Liverpool Street from Southend, Southminster, Chelmsford and beyond, some of which call at Shenfield.
At peak times Crossrail will run 12 trains per hour between Shenfield and central London, calling at all stations, and an additional service of 6 trains per hour between Gidea Park and the existing Liverpool Street terminus station. At off peak times all services on the north eastern section of Crossrail will run through to central London.
Crossrail services will reduce crowding on the London Underground Central and District lines, and relieve platform capacity at Liverpool Street.
The detailed timetable will be determined nearer to when Crossrail services begin.
