COMPLETING ELIZABETH LINE THE ELIZABETH LINE

Trial Running Update TRIAL RUNNING

Plumstead Sidings

PROJECT UPDATE WHAT IS TRIAL RUNNING?

Delivery of the Elizabeth line is now in its Throughout the Trial Running programme will Trial Running marks the point at which the Railways and complex final stages. Crossrail and Transport steadily increase the numbers of trains running in the tunnels. Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006 This will then be further increased and will allow the railway (ROGS) apply for the first time in the Central Operating for London (TfL) are working to ensure the and the supporting systems to be operated as close as Section. Crossrail transitions from following the construction earliest possible opening for the Elizabeth line. possible to an operational timetable. regulations to following Rail regulations.

The project is nearing the next important milestone and There is important work to be done but we will take the time Following a readiness review, we will sign over control of the expects to commence extensive commissioning of the railway needed to get it right. Our top priority is a safe railway which central operating section to TfL as infrastructure manager as in spring 2021. This is a crucial moment in the project with the London and the UK can rely on. we transition to ROGS and operate under the Railway Rule railway on track to open in the first half of 2022. Book. From that moment forward, TfL’s service and The progress we have seen over recent months highlights the infrastructure managers will be accountable for the safety, The next phase, Trial Running, involves integrated trials of clear path we have towards completing the Elizabeth line and operation and maintenance of the railway, and the Trial the railway to demonstrate that the Elizabeth line is safe and commencing passenger services in the first half of 2022. Running phase can formally start. TfL will take over lead reliable, and that it meets the capacity and performance maintenance of 400,000 infrastructure assets, looking after requirements needed to move to the final commissioning the safety of the railway to make sure trains run reliably. stage. This final stage before the Elizabeth line opens to passengers, known as Trial Operations, involves a wide The move into ROGS is perhaps the biggest step in the range of trials and exercises such as evacuations of trains delivery of the Elizabeth line so far. The benefits are and stations. Trial Operations will commence later this year. significant, not least from gaining experience of using the new Railway Rule Book, but also the opportunity for our Trial Running marks the programme’s key transition from operational and maintenance staff to manage a ‘live railway’. construction to an operational railway overseen and maintained by TfL and is a vital step to unlocking the pathway We plan a controlled start to the Trial Running phase to passenger service. Throughout Trial Running, we will be following the entry into ROGS, allowing the operations running more trains than ever before in the 42km of tunnels and maintenance teams to mobilise and transition in a we have built beneath London and along the Great Western seamless manner. We will then commence train operations Main Line and Great Eastern Main Line to demonstrate how starting with a 4 trains per hour initial service which will the infrastructure and operating software performs. then steadily increase.

Operations and maintenance staff will play an integral role in the project from this point with the Route Control Centre fully staffed, trains will be signalled on the route, and maintenance teams will be available to make any modifications to keep the railway running, as well as responding to any real operational incidents across the network. WHAT HAPPENS DURING STATION PROGRESS TRIAL RUNNING? During Trial Running, we will still be Tottenham Court Road and Paddington busy finishing off our stations before stations are both less than 12 weeks handing each of them over to TfL. away from being handed over to TfL, with Tottenham Court Road expected With the project now entering the final to be handed over in early May. This countdown for entry into Trial Running, follows both stations achieving their progress is being made to complete the T-12 landmark in February. As a result, outstanding works. The handover and works at the stations are now primarily integration of nine major stations is focussed on the extensive testing and critical to the delivery of the Elizabeth commissioning of systems ahead of the line. All central section stations now Elizabeth line opening. Reaching this have their assets assured and certified important milestone allows the as ready to support Trial Running. contractor to commence demobilisation across the site and enables Crossrail On 5 March 2021, to start the process of handing the became the second of the new Elizabeth station over to TfL. line stations to be handed over to TfL, The Trial Running phase will and the first to as ’s major upgrade works be our main focus from spring infrastructure manager, following the to surface stations on the western and successful completion of testing and eastern section of the railway continue into summer. integration work. Working with the to progress, with step-free access being station’s completion team, the prioritised where possible. Acton Main Trial Running is critical to increasing There will also be four train and experience and knowledge gained during Line recently became step-free and will train mileage in the central section and signalling software upgrades during the process will be implemented and be followed by West Ealing this spring supporting the reliability growth of the Trial Running and time has been applied to the remaining stations. and Ealing Broadway, Southall, Hayes railway in order to demonstrate that the allocated in the Trial Running Custom House was the first Elizabeth & Harlington, West Drayton, and Elizabeth line can run at performance programme for each to be tested as line station to be handed over to Romford at intervals over the levels necessary to move into the next appropriate and deployed. A three-week TfL last year. next 12 months. phase of the programme. blockade has been planned for summer 2021 to allow the software upgrades to During Trial Running, we will run the be undertaken, whilst the final works WHAT IS TRIAL RUNNING? system under timetable conditions to to the stations are completed. flush out any remaining software bugs Trial Running marks a key point in the Elizabeth line’s transition from construction to an operational railway or issues. This is so that we can fix them Outstanding works have been and is a critical step forward into passenger services. The railway is still on track to open in the first half of 2022. and demonstrate increasing reliability scheduled into the programme and will whilst running an increasing number of take place during the Trial Running trains in the central operating section. period. These works include a combination of project maintenance, Multiple trains will operate in the central tunnels, and along The initial phase of Trial Running will snagging and enhancements and some the and Great Eastern Main Line. see 4 trains per hour in operation in the testing and commissioning activity. central operating section to allow TfL as infrastructure manager to undertake a The length of time required for number of activities to achieve full Trial Running is dependent on readiness. The number of trains will meeting the performance requirements, steadily increase to 8 trains per hour demonstrating growth in system It will fully test the timetable and build the and then 12 trains per hour. This will reliability and achieving the train railway up to passenger requirements. then be further increased to simulate a mileage-related reliability growth. 24 train per hour service and will allow the railway and the supporting systems to be operated as close as possible to an operational timetable. It involves testing of each system on the new Elizabeth line and the number of trains operating will be steadily increased to provide data on reliability.

Different operational scenarios, replicating real world operating challenges, will be run. MAKING PROGRESS ACROSS THE PROGRAMME NEXT STEPS

As we progress through Trial Running, These exercises will include a number Reliability continues to be built and cannot be incorporated into future was launched in February with the aim we will also be preparing for entry into of large scale events to validate the mileage accumulated through System software updates, however, it is only of briefing every person involved on the next phase, Trial Operations. emergency evacuation processes in our Integration Dynamic Testing (SIDT) in in Trial Running that the system will what they need to know for their roles trains, tunnels, shafts and stations. the central operating section, which be tested with a full-service frequency and responsibilities at the transition Trial Operations will involve This provides an opportunity for the commenced on 3 December 2020. running in the central section. to ROGS and the start of the Trial exercises to confirm that the railway railway operators and emergency SIDT is enabling our operational Running phase. is passenger ready. It will comprise services to hone their responses to colleagues to continue to gain There has been a huge focus and effort staff and volunteer exercises to make scenarios resulting in major service experience managing the train across the programme to progress the sure that all systems and procedures disruption or incidents, such as loss of operations from the Romford Route necessary assurance documentation work effectively. Completion of Trial signalling and power or passenger Control Centre as part of the ongoing and to close out the outstanding Operations will mark the final step evacuations. Plans are being developed preparations for ROGS and the start of assurance work required for entry into before passenger services can to ensure that all relevant scenarios the Trial Running phase. Since the start the Trial Running phase. This effort commence in the first half of 2022. can be run while coronavirus pandemic of SIDT, we have seen the cumulative culminated in the acceptance of the mitigation measures continue to be train testing mileage in the central main Safety Justification case on 18 Trial Operations will involve over implemented. section reach over 150,000 miles. March, which is a key step in handing 150 scenarios to ensure the safe, over the routeway assets to TfL when appropriate and effective response of The upgraded signalling and train the railway transitions to an operational the infrastructure and maintenance software, which will be used for environment governed by ROGS. teams along with key partners, in Trial Running, has been uploaded and particular London Underground, the is currently in use. No significant issues In support of these changes, an operator MTR Elizabeth line and have been identified during testing that extensive Health and Safety campaign Network Rail.

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