15 Billion Pound Railway - Crossrail

I too thought it was an amazing programme showing just about every engineering and planning skill, done brilliantly by so many people. I don't expect Londoners have felt the same with all the disruption but it was really impressive! One of those uplifting programmes which show what can be done by talented teams of all ages, men and women together.

Just shows what can be done with a limitless budget.

see here not limitless but nearly 15 billion... The channel tunnel cost the equivalent of 12 billion... (I've never used it but I've hear a few on here have. )

I worked as a cost consultant for Railtrack (now Network Rail). Some of the things I saw there shocked me.

Budgets for projects were always kept way above what would be considered 'normal'.

Budgets and programmes were continuously revised (increased) throughout the life of projects......so that their management could always claim at the end "on time and within budget".

This was a time when NR were receiving massive taxpayer funding to improve stations and the network on behalf of the private companies running the trains (and making massive profits). 

When we pointed out the massive overspending to NR management, we were told 'We don't care - we have to spend £xxxx million per month and we don't care whether we are getting good value'.

So when I see a project like this, I can admire the engineering, but frankly anyone can deliver big projects when money is no object.

One of the other benefits was the creation of the Wallasea Island reserve.  This in itself is a great achievement.

Excavated material from Crossrail’s tunnels and stations being used to create RSPB nature reserve at Wallasea Island, Essex
1528 shipments have delivered 3 million tonnes of excavated material
Nearly 80% of material transported by rail and water, removing approximately 150,000 lorries from London.