Summary
Crossrail, the new Elizabeth Line railway project, is currently the largest infrastructure project under construction in Europe. Due it its size, cost, and complexity it can be categorized as a megaproject. The £16 billion ($21 billion) new railway line will increase the rail capacity of London by 10%, significantly improving the environmental performance of the whole city. Regarding sustainability, this is the “right project.” Nevertheless, in terms of sustainability in a megaproject it is also challenging to “do the project right,” since managers and stakeholders of megaprojects are traditionally reluctant to adopt new approaches. They prefer tried and tested methods in order to avoid risk. Contrary to that perspective, the Crossrail management team pursued innovation and set a precedent in sustainability for a project of this size. Although the project currently (December 2018) faces delays due to the integration of rail signaling systems, Crossrail’s construction process and its innovation and sustainability strategy have established a legacy of good practices and lessons learnt.
Research director
Prof. Spiro Pollalis
Research core team
Dimosthenis Lappas, Research Associate
Case study written by
Dimosthenis Lappas, Research Associate
