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The exact opening date for the Crossrail tunnels beneath central London is a secret that TfL has been keeping tight to its chest for some time. Well, now that date has been announced — and not by TfL.
Westminster City Council let slip online that the central section of Crossrail is scheduled to open on 9 December. The announcement was put out in the follow-up to the council's heavily criticised decision to reject the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street.
The update reads:
In addition to this work, the council is also looking closely at what pedestrian safety measures may be required in advance of the opening of the Elizabeth Line stations at Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street, currently scheduled for 9 December 2018.
9 December also marks the day the UK's railway timetable changes, which hopes to fix the failures of the recent changes. This has the potential to be like a birthday and Christmas all at once for rail enthusiasts... although it also has the potential to go very wrong.
This December date doesn't mark Crossrail's completion, this is merely the implementation of stage three of five. The entire line aims to be complete by December 2019, when trains should run from Reading through to Shenfield and Abbey Wood.
See also: Everything you need to know about Crossrail
