When the Crossrail Act went through Parliament in July 2008, it was the culmination of years of work to make the economic case for a new rail system that will increase London’s transport capacity by ten per cent.
Crossrail, scheduled to open in 2017, is the largest single project in Transport for London’s investment programme. It will provide high-frequency rail access into and across London and will run 118 km from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west, through central London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. This will bring an additional 1.5 million people within 60 minutes' commuting distance of London’s key business districts.
How the Crossrail panel works
The Crossrail panel will assess the designs for the exterior of station buildings, entrances and ticket halls, as well for other parts of the development requiring consent from the relevant planning authority. This includes what will be built above and alongside the stations.
It will look at issues such as aesthetic quality, how the proposed buildings relate to their surroundings, quality of materials, clarity of passenger access, inclusiveness, and accessibility. Designs will be reviewed at early stages, allowing time for the panel’s advice to be taken on board.
The design review process for Crossrail follows our existing procedures. We publish Crossrail reviews if a scheme is the subject of a planning application. All other reviews are confidential.
Crossrail panel members include 12 built environment professionals with transport infrastructure expertise. The panel is chaired by Les Sparks.