Difference the Elizabeth line is going to make
The Elizabeth line is set to increase London’s rail capacity by 10%, reduce journey times across the capital and put an additional 1.5m people within 45 minutes of London.
This increased capacity should also help support economic growth and encourage urban regeneration along the whole length of the line.
How the tunnels were dug and infrastructure placed
The project dug out 42km of new tunnels under London using eight 1,000 tonnes boring machines. This part of the work took 3 years and used over 200,000 concrete segments to create the new 7m diameter tunnels.
The route for the tunnels was a major challenge for project engineers. They had to weave their way through existing underground railways, cable ducts and gas pipes. In some areas, they were less than half a metre from working tube lines.
Engineers also had to be very careful not to disturb the foundations of historical buildings along the planned route.
The project created 14km of new station concourses, underground caverns and shafts using sprayed concrete lining. Some of these are the largest excavated spaces ever built.
The new railway is designed to be future-proof. The stations are large with platforms 250m long, and there is capacity for more space so that trains can be extended when it’s needed.