Abbey Wood continues apace as Crossrail unveils Environment Report

As Abbey Wood station hurtles towards practical completion, Crossrail has released brand new images demonstrating progress to date. The reveal coincided with an Environment Report, commissioned by Crossrail to give greater insight into the railway’s environmental credentials.

Abbey Wood will open to passengers along existing Southeastern routes later on in the year and serve Crossrail’s Elizabeth line from December 2018 onwards.

Over a four year period, Network Rail has brought Abbey Wood to bear, building station infrastructure and expanding the existing railway line from two tracks to four. Two new platforms have been built to accommodate those tracks, while overhead equipment is being installed in preparation for the Elizabeth line.

Crucially, the images give a solid indication of what the finished article will look like. By far the station’s most striking aspect is its arching timber roof structure which resembles a manta ray from above, or so I’m told. This has required 31 tonnes worth of steel beam, while the four largest timber beams stretch some 45 metres long.

“Network Rail is extremely proud to play such a major role in helping to build the fantastic new station at Abbey Wood which will deliver a vastly improved passenger experience,” said Peter Hulme, Network Rail’s Senior Programme Manager at Abbey Wood. “The completed station will open to passengers using existing Southeastern services later this year.”

 

Meanwhile, Crossrail has outlined some of the key environmental initiatives implemented during the final construction stages of the Elizabeth line. According to the report:

1. Crossrail has improved overall air quality by upping the proportion of construction machinery fitted with diesel particulate filters or cleaner engines.
2. The organisation remains on target to reduce energy consumption during construction by 15%, surpassing the original target of 8%.
3. To date, 97% of demolition and construction waste has been diverted from landfill.
4. A record number of birds are visiting Jubilee Marsh on Wallasea Island – a RSPB wildlife reserve in Essex, created using more than three million tonnes of excavated material. In fact, 98% of material excavated has been beneficially reused.
5. Tens of thousands of artifacts and items have been unearthed by Crossrail’s archaeology programme and deposited within the Museum of London Archaeology Archive.

“As the Crossrail programme passes 85% completion, the project is focused on reducing the impact of the railway’s construction on the environment,” said Andrew Wolstenholme, Chief Executive at Crossrail. “From increasing the proportion of machinery fitted with emission controls to reducing our energy consumption, Crossrail remains on track to meet its sustainability targets.”

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