0:00:11 > 0:00:14This is a drone's-eye view
0:00:14 > 0:00:17of an extraordinary endeavour
0:00:17 > 0:00:19almost entirely hidden from sight.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29While shoppers and city workers
0:00:29 > 0:00:32pound London's pavements above ground,
0:00:32 > 0:00:38this secret army of more than 10,000 workers is pulverising the rock and
0:00:38 > 0:00:40clay right beneath their feet.
0:00:41 > 0:00:42They're building Crossrail...
0:00:44 > 0:00:49..a brand-new underground railway costing almost £15 billion.
0:00:49 > 0:00:50All right, John!
0:00:53 > 0:00:56It's one of the most ambitious rail projects in Britain
0:00:56 > 0:00:57since the time of Brunel.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Ready!
0:01:00 > 0:01:02I don't think we've seen anything to the scale and complexity
0:01:02 > 0:01:06of Crossrail before. Certainly not in my lifetime.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09In the last series, we followed engineers burrowing the maze of
0:01:09 > 0:01:12subterranean tunnels for the trains to pass through.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Pinch up, nice and easy.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16You know what? This is real, it's coming,
0:01:16 > 0:01:17we've been working night and day.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20And now, for the second part of Crossrail.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Give us a shout if that's going to touch that handrail.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27Now, we follow workers as they embark on the crucial final phase.
0:01:27 > 0:01:28Full stop, there.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Engineers face the huge challenge of constructing the tracks...
0:01:37 > 0:01:38..trains...
0:01:40 > 0:01:41..platforms...
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Two notches up again!
0:01:43 > 0:01:44..and stations.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47Turn it a little bit so you face to me.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52It's a constant battle to avoid snarling up the streets...
0:01:52 > 0:01:55This is one of the busiest roads in London.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58You've got thousands of pedestrians walking past us.
0:01:58 > 0:01:59Pressure's on.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02..or causing them to cave in.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05The wall hasn't collapsed then yet, no?
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Great, big, megaproject all across London.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Every station is feeling the pressure and is feeling the heat.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14For the last three years, cameras have been following crews as they
0:02:14 > 0:02:16struggle to finish construction
0:02:16 > 0:02:19so that the first train can depart on time.
0:02:19 > 0:02:20It's tight.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25- They're coming that way, yeah? - They've got to be here before six.
0:02:25 > 0:02:26Before we open, there's lot to finish.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28All our reputations are at stake.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31We've got to get the track in, we got to get platforms, and then we've
0:02:31 > 0:02:35got to get out of the way, cos the trains are coming through.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39This is the exclusive inside story of the race to complete
0:02:39 > 0:02:41London's new underground railway.
0:03:00 > 0:03:035am, Farringdon,
0:03:03 > 0:03:05the heart of London and a historic hub for trade in the capital.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14As merchants at Smithfield Market set up their stalls...
0:03:18 > 0:03:19Uh-oh.
0:03:19 > 0:03:20All right, ready to go.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Down, down, down.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27It's not the eight levels going down, it's the coming back up.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Crossrail project manager Linda Miller is descending 30 metres
0:03:32 > 0:03:34down into the bowels of the earth.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38All right, so we're not too far to go.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Linda is joining workers to witness a critical milestone
0:03:45 > 0:03:47on the Crossrail project.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49The 18th and final tunnelling breakthrough.
0:03:53 > 0:03:54This marks a key moment.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59For the last three years, eight giant drilling machines like this
0:03:59 > 0:04:03have been excavating the earth to create the tunnels that Crossrail's
0:04:03 > 0:04:05trains will run through.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08So, there you are. You can see Whitechapel.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11This final slab of concrete is all that stands in the way
0:04:11 > 0:04:15of the tunnels connecting up so they run unimpeded
0:04:15 > 0:04:16from the east to the west.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Yeah, OK.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24It also marks the start of a new phase in this trailblazing project.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27Over the last three years,
0:04:27 > 0:04:32it has not been an easy dance by any stretch of the imagination.
0:04:32 > 0:04:38This is an incredibly, incredibly important moment in time.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41But this is also, for us, the starting gun of turning these
0:04:41 > 0:04:46great, big, cavernous concrete spaces into functioning,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49beautiful transportation systems for the next 120 years.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55All eyes and ears are on it coming through at the moment
0:04:55 > 0:05:00and it's a moment of tension, it's a moment of anticipation.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05CLAPS, WHISTLES AND CHEERS
0:05:05 > 0:05:06Oh!
0:05:15 > 0:05:18With one final push...
0:05:23 > 0:05:24APPLAUSE
0:05:25 > 0:05:28..tunnelling on Crossrail is complete.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Congratulations.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Congratulations, that's fantastic.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Welcome to Farringdon!
0:05:54 > 0:05:55Fantastic night.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Tonight's a night to be celebrated.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00It's a hard-fought success.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11As workers carefully dismantle this last tunnelling machine,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14a critical new chapter in this ambitious scheme kicks off.
0:06:15 > 0:06:21Crossrail is a story of huge, huge moments and giant accomplishments.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26I've got 100 great big things I've got to worry about every day.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30And going forward in the future, I have a million little things
0:06:30 > 0:06:32to worry about every day.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34Now, it's a race to the finish line.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Crossrail is a brand-new, east-west railway
0:06:41 > 0:06:44being built directly below the heart of London.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49This new line is designed to ease the strain on the existing
0:06:49 > 0:06:53150-year-old London Underground network that, today, struggles
0:06:53 > 0:06:55to cope with peak demand.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Crossrail is a huge new railway for London.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03So, it's going to be able to carry 200 million passengers a year,
0:07:03 > 0:07:07a 10% increase in capacity, at a stroke.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Crossrail will help to keep London moving
0:07:09 > 0:07:11for the next many, many years.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19The new line will run overground from Reading and Heathrow
0:07:19 > 0:07:21in the west...
0:07:22 > 0:07:24..straight underneath central London.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30It will plug directly into key mainline train stations,
0:07:30 > 0:07:34connecting the bustling West End to the historic Square Mile
0:07:34 > 0:07:37and the thriving East End,
0:07:37 > 0:07:41before terminating at Abbey Wood and Shenfield in Essex.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46120km of new railway will link to the rest of the Tube.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Heathrow Airport will be just 26 minutes
0:07:51 > 0:07:54from London's main shopping district, Oxford Street,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57a journey that currently takes almost an hour on the Tube.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02It's one of the biggest engineering projects in Europe.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06A big construction project is a little bit like an orchestra.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09You've got many players, lots of skills, different skills,
0:08:09 > 0:08:11and they've all got to be playing to the same tune.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16The complexity that goes along with scale is, of course, intense.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Railways are very difficult things to design and build.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26Construction work on Crossrail began in 2009.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30The first major challenge facing engineers was to dig out
0:08:30 > 0:08:3442km of train tunnels underneath central London.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Now, with tunnelling complete...
0:08:39 > 0:08:42..they face the Herculean feat of fitting out the platforms...
0:08:44 > 0:08:45..laying the tracks...
0:08:49 > 0:08:50..building a fleet of new trains...
0:08:52 > 0:08:55..and constructing ten cavernous new stations in central London.
0:08:57 > 0:08:58And hold it there, stop.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03With the first trains scheduled to run in less than three years...
0:09:04 > 0:09:05..the clock is ticking.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14The biggest station that needs building along the line
0:09:14 > 0:09:16will be at Farringdon.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Farringdon is home to Smithfield Market,
0:09:21 > 0:09:23the largest meat market in the country.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28And the city's world-famous diamond crafting quarter, Hatton Garden.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34Once complete, Farringdon will become one of Britain's
0:09:34 > 0:09:39busiest train stations, servicing 150,000 passengers a day.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Thank you.
0:09:42 > 0:09:43Oh, there you are.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Every day I bounce out of bed ready to come here,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49and to come to work and feeling great about it.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Linda Miller faces the mammoth task
0:09:51 > 0:09:54of making sure its gates open on time.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57This station is really going to be where the action starts
0:09:57 > 0:09:58when the railway opens.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00If you were to take the Shard,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02which is the tallest skyscraper in Europe right now,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06and lay it on its side, it would fit inside of my Farringdon station.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09We're enormous in scale.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13Our platforms are over 300 metres long.
0:10:13 > 0:10:14What that means in the future,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17if you're stepping off the trains at Farringdon you need to know which
0:10:17 > 0:10:21way you're going because if you walk in the wrong direction you're going
0:10:21 > 0:10:23to be half a kilometre from where you wished you were.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Linda is no stranger to challenges like this.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34A former US Army pilot and paratrooper,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Linda trained in engineering and helped build
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Nasa's launch complex at Cape Canaveral in Florida.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44She has spent the last four years rebuilding these Victorian train
0:10:44 > 0:10:46tunnels that will form part of the Crossrail line.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52But constructing Farringdon's £375-million station
0:10:52 > 0:10:54will be her biggest test to date.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Farringdon is the most expensive of the stations
0:10:58 > 0:10:59on the project.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Looks great.
0:11:01 > 0:11:02Afternoon, guys.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06We get every day that we're spending the taxpayers' money
0:11:06 > 0:11:08and we care about that because we're part of those people
0:11:08 > 0:11:09paying for this.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Linda's team's first task is to dig out
0:11:15 > 0:11:17two huge eight-storey-deep holes.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22These will form the ticket halls for Farringdon Station.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Underground they must widen the freshly dug tunnels
0:11:26 > 0:11:28to create its platforms.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Then dig out passageways and escalator shafts
0:11:32 > 0:11:35to link them to the ticket halls and entrances.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Excavating the earth to build the platforms could be treacherous.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Geological fault lines run right across the site
0:11:47 > 0:11:50and an ancient river once flowed through here,
0:11:50 > 0:11:55leaving the earth pitted with unstable pockets of sand and water.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59If the team hit these areas as they dig, the earth could cave in around
0:11:59 > 0:12:01them, so they must be on guard.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08While workers above ground dig out the huge holes
0:12:08 > 0:12:10in which they will build the station's ticket halls...
0:12:13 > 0:12:16..30 metres beneath the site, the sandy earth is making
0:12:16 > 0:12:18excavating the train platforms tough going.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21So, this is what we've got.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Here's a bird's-eye view looking down on the station.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27We're facing the most dangerous type of soil.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32There's not one but three different fault lines right through the middle
0:12:32 > 0:12:33of our work.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37Fault lines present a danger to the long-term durability of
0:12:37 > 0:12:39the railroad itself.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44The soil changes, slips quite literally three to five metres.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47It provides a pathway where you could have cracks,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50where you could have future flooding.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52They need to double the width of the train tunnels here
0:12:52 > 0:12:54to create the platforms.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03They use excavators to carefully claw into the unstable earth.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07'The team are digging out a mountain out from under London.'
0:13:10 > 0:13:14Simultaneously with the dragging away of that soil is the spraying of
0:13:14 > 0:13:19concrete on that face so that the face doesn't fall in on you.
0:13:19 > 0:13:20All right, Jez!
0:13:24 > 0:13:27As it flies towards the wall under pressure
0:13:27 > 0:13:31it's dry, just barely smack at the time it hits the wall.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42The mining is going well, but we're never complacent.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45We never say, "Oh, yeah, we're all that good,"
0:13:45 > 0:13:47because that's the day it goes wrong.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55Once dry, they line the platform walls with a plastic membrane.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02The membrane is fully waterproof, tough,
0:14:02 > 0:14:07durable and is going to form a seal around our entire tunnel.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09We are going to be wrapped like a Christmas present.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15It takes five-and-a-half football pitches' worth of the membrane to
0:14:15 > 0:14:17protect the platform and escalator passages
0:14:17 > 0:14:19that lead up to the ticket halls.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28See, doesn't that look so astonishing?
0:14:30 > 0:14:33For a while it's going to be orange world around here.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Two stops east lies the vibrant community of Whitechapel.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50Home to the foundry that cast the Big Ben bell
0:14:50 > 0:14:52and famous for its bustling market,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55which has been the heart of the community for more than 300 years.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03One of Crossrail's ten central London stations
0:15:03 > 0:15:04will sit in this district.
0:15:06 > 0:15:07The station here won't be completely new.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14Instead, engineers are undertaking a £111-million overhaul of
0:15:14 > 0:15:19Whitechapel's existing Tube station, built in 1876.
0:15:24 > 0:15:25Their aim is to create a modern,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28open-plan station to plug Crossrail trains
0:15:28 > 0:15:31directly into the existing Tube and overground services
0:15:31 > 0:15:32that stop here.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41While workers complete Whitechapel's train platforms below ground...
0:15:42 > 0:15:44It's all right, I'm out, mate.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49..proud Yorkshireman Jim Forrest leads the team
0:15:49 > 0:15:51gearing up to build the new station above.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56It will be one of Jim's toughest jobs in
0:15:56 > 0:15:58a career of trailblazing projects.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04I've worked in construction since 1960.
0:16:04 > 0:16:05I worked on the Humber Bridge,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07I worked on 1,000-foot concrete chimneys,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09nuclear power stations, coal power stations.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13You name it. This is the highlight, what I'm doing now.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17I did retire in 2003 for a fortnight and then came back.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22When I realised it wasn't a holiday I was on,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24I thought I'd better look for something to do.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Depends what comes up.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29But it would be a good project for a swansong, really.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Whitechapel is one of the most confined and most complex
0:16:36 > 0:16:39construction sites along the entire Crossrail line.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45Market stalls, roads, and residential buildings
0:16:45 > 0:16:47hem the site in.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Whitechapel Station is one of the most logistically complex projects
0:16:50 > 0:16:52I've ever worked on.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57We've got very little space to work, above and around a live station.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01We've got schools and public and sports centres.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07I think the station layout is not very good for modern day.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09The passenger flow is very poor.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11There's no step-free access
0:17:11 > 0:17:14and it looks as though it's just been thrown together.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17What we've got now is not fit for purpose
0:17:17 > 0:17:18so we've got to change it.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22The layout of the existing Whitechapel Station
0:17:22 > 0:17:24is so haphazard that it's the only place
0:17:24 > 0:17:27where London Underground Tube trains pass right over
0:17:27 > 0:17:29the mainline overground trains.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Squeezing a conventional station
0:17:34 > 0:17:36into such a chaotic space is impossible.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40So engineers must build the new ticket hall
0:17:40 > 0:17:43inside a unique 180-metre-long
0:17:43 > 0:17:46floating bridge that passes right over the site.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51This station bridge will run north to south connecting down to
0:17:51 > 0:17:55the Crossrail tunnels channelling passengers to existing train lines.
0:17:57 > 0:18:02A skeleton of 6,500 pieces of steel will form its frame.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05This will allow the station bridge
0:18:05 > 0:18:08to hang from the surrounding Victorian infrastructure,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11giving the impression that it floats above Whitechapel.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18352 panes of glass will allow light to stream through the structure.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Special aluminium roof cladding will absorb train noise,
0:18:23 > 0:18:28while carbon-cleaning sedum plants will top out the elevated concourse
0:18:28 > 0:18:32giving this 19th-century station a 21st-century makeover.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36If I was given a choice I would maybe say, yes,
0:18:36 > 0:18:38we should flatten this and build a...
0:18:38 > 0:18:42But then it wouldn't fit in, it would be like a carbuncle in amongst the rest of it.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44So you've got to be respectful of what other people want.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Keeping the existing station operational
0:18:48 > 0:18:50while they build the new one
0:18:50 > 0:18:53above it makes this project even more difficult
0:18:53 > 0:18:55for Jim and unpopular with commuters.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Whitechapel is open but this particular entrance is going to be
0:19:00 > 0:19:01out of service until about 2018
0:19:01 > 0:19:04while it's being refurbished, Crossrail is being introduced.
0:19:10 > 0:19:11It's... There is now...
0:19:11 > 0:19:14There's a new pedestrian crossing right opposite the exit
0:19:14 > 0:19:16to the station, though, so you just carry on.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18It's the same distance.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24I've been hit by the station closure this morning.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Had to go from one station to another
0:19:26 > 0:19:29and didn't really know my way there.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32There's always work going on and it's not just here
0:19:32 > 0:19:33but it's all over London.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44I'm going to have this cup of Yorkshire Tea
0:19:44 > 0:19:46and then I'm ready for the day.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52Two lorries. Are they coming that way, yeah?
0:19:52 > 0:19:54Yeah, they are coming that way.
0:19:54 > 0:19:555am.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59Jim's waiting for the steel pieces of the station bridge,
0:19:59 > 0:20:03that have been prefabricated in the Netherlands, to arrive.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Once they've squeezed onto site
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Jim's team must assemble them into much
0:20:08 > 0:20:11larger sections and then use cranes to lower them
0:20:11 > 0:20:13into position over the train lines.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17They've got to be here before six, so there are two en route,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20one imminent, and the other one not far behind it.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22We've got to get them off the road by six
0:20:22 > 0:20:26because that's when the traffic order is timed out.
0:20:30 > 0:20:3220 minutes now. OK.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45- HORN BEEPS - Here we are.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48The loads are here now.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51There's traffic marshals going down to block the traffic down that end.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54We've also got traffic marshals down that end to stop the traffic there.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01These lads are controlling the rear axle steering so it helps them get
0:21:01 > 0:21:02round a very tight radius.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07You can see how much there is,
0:21:07 > 0:21:09at least a metre hanging over either side.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13We don't have a lot of clearance on the street furniture.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16The loads look big.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18The shape of them makes life difficult for them.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Here we are.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28The road is now open. And it's open with seven minutes to spare.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35Now we need to take this down to the crane to allow the other three
0:21:35 > 0:21:38lorries to drop back to make sure the front lorry isn't blocking
0:21:38 > 0:21:40the pedestrian way when the market opens.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46With 6,500 pieces of steel to guide in and assemble over the next few
0:21:46 > 0:21:49months, Jim's team has their work cut out.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55Another one bites the dust, eh?
0:21:55 > 0:21:56Yeah!
0:21:59 > 0:22:04The markets here are at the heart of community life.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07But some traders have been forced to move their pitch while
0:22:07 > 0:22:08Whitechapel Station is rebuilt.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14My shop was in front of that station, OK?
0:22:14 > 0:22:19So customers basically used to come in the street.
0:22:19 > 0:22:20But now it's a little bit further.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22But basically it's only for two years,
0:22:22 > 0:22:24so after two years more customers
0:22:24 > 0:22:26will come because of the Crossrail and other stuff.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28So it should be better.
0:22:35 > 0:22:36Two stops west...
0:22:41 > 0:22:44..Linda's 500-strong team has run into problems
0:22:44 > 0:22:47building the new station at Farringdon.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51The track teams, they're like a juggernaut,
0:22:51 > 0:22:53so we've got to get out of the way.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57This is one of the busiest sites in the entire project,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00and, in fact, the busiest I've ever been on in my career.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04But there's a new problem to solve and this is a really tough one.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07The team has dug out the eight-storey-deep holes
0:23:07 > 0:23:10that will form the ticket halls for the station
0:23:10 > 0:23:13and are now building its walls and floors.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15We've had three pieces arrive on site on Friday
0:23:15 > 0:23:17that we couldn't get in over the weekend.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19That is going to be the hardest of them all.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Underground there's a battle for space.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29As the walls of the platforms close in, it's become almost impossible to
0:23:29 > 0:23:31shuttle crucial materials and equipment
0:23:31 > 0:23:33down to this crammed subterranean site.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37This jam could hold up the track-laying team
0:23:37 > 0:23:40that is fast approaching this stop.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Right on the tail of our tunnelling operations,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46the track laying has begun
0:23:46 > 0:23:49out in East London and is heading towards us.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51So, the track layers need safe,
0:23:51 > 0:23:56clear access from street level down into the tunnels
0:23:56 > 0:23:57that is not through the stations.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01We lower the unit down through these first two vents and
0:24:01 > 0:24:03then we would just remove the jacks.
0:24:03 > 0:24:04One thing about being an engineer,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06especially in the construction industry,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08is you're always having to think on your feet.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11To get equipment down underground faster
0:24:11 > 0:24:15Linda's team hatches a plan to dig out an emergency 30-metre-deep
0:24:15 > 0:24:16vertical shaft.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22This will plug into the tunnels below to give workers direct access.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Building this shaft won't be easy.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Above ground, the site is crowded.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33The only available space to dig down is on the neighbouring Tube line
0:24:33 > 0:24:35platform at Barbican Station.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40The shaft will sit less than two metres away from live Tube tracks.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43The team digging it must remain focused
0:24:43 > 0:24:45or they could miss their target.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51Or delay the Tube trains that need to pass through this station.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Sometimes you need a plan B.
0:24:55 > 0:24:56Sometimes a plan C,
0:24:56 > 0:25:00a plan D and E, until you get it right and get what you need.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04The pressure is on Steve Parker to construct the shaft fast.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07- We'll sign in and have a look here. - Yeah, no problem.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09- We're all right going in, though? - Yeah, yeah, you're all right.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13'We're currently working 24/7 at Farringdon.'
0:25:13 > 0:25:17The pressure's always on to get the job completed
0:25:17 > 0:25:18and it's a big motivator.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20It's a big motivator.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Ideally, you'd be building this sort of shaft in the middle of
0:25:23 > 0:25:25a green field impacting no-one.
0:25:27 > 0:25:28It's a five-metre diameter shaft.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31It's sunk by basically,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33there's a steel cutting edge on the bottom ring
0:25:33 > 0:25:35and once we've got enough
0:25:35 > 0:25:37rock excavated we basically can shove the ring down.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Steve's team must excavate more than 1,000 tonnes of clay
0:25:41 > 0:25:43to create the shaft.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48As they dig down they must line its walls with concrete panels.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52The panels lock together to form a ring that stops the earth caving in.
0:25:57 > 0:25:58Hydraulic jacks thrust the rings
0:25:58 > 0:26:00down into the ground as they dig deeper.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08They must work day and night to complete the 30-metre-deep shaft,
0:26:08 > 0:26:10with trains passing right alongside.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12It doesn't always run super-smooth.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15You're working with quite large sections of concrete,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17they're quite big, and you're lifting them into position
0:26:17 > 0:26:18with a crane.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22There is a bit of sort of jiggling about that you need to do
0:26:22 > 0:26:23to get the ring built.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28They've got to try and keep the shape of the ring,
0:26:28 > 0:26:29so when they shove it
0:26:29 > 0:26:31it goes down plumb and level,
0:26:31 > 0:26:35so it's very important that you need to keep the diameter right,
0:26:35 > 0:26:37so they're constantly measuring.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40After each plate is positioned, they measure it to make sure it's at
0:26:40 > 0:26:41the right dimension.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Yo. Whoa, whoa, whoa.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Final segment's going in.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52It's what's known as keying up the ring.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55This is probably the trickiest part of the ring-building process.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12So, the thing is built. 15 left to do.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Steve's team must keep up the pace
0:27:17 > 0:27:20so the track layers can pass through Farringdon on time.
0:27:26 > 0:27:27In the city's business district...
0:27:34 > 0:27:37..engineers are hard at work building another brand-new station
0:27:37 > 0:27:39for Crossrail trains at Liverpool Street.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45Digging out the massive 23,500-square-metre hole
0:27:45 > 0:27:47for this particular ticket hall
0:27:47 > 0:27:50creates a unique portal into the past for Crossrail's
0:27:50 > 0:27:53lead archaeologist, Jay Carver.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57You don't really get the opportunity to dig large holes deep into the
0:27:57 > 0:28:00ground and get that full sequence of London's history
0:28:00 > 0:28:02that spans back 2,000 years.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Crossrail's been really interesting for archaeologists because of its
0:28:07 > 0:28:12scale. The route east to west across London has provided this kind of
0:28:12 > 0:28:14unique slice across the city.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20Over the past five years, Jay's team has unearthed over 10,000
0:28:20 > 0:28:24extraordinary finds at more than 40 different sites.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30From prehistoric bison bones found in West London,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33to 25 skeleton victims of the Black Death found in the east.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Every site has a significance,
0:28:38 > 0:28:40hence why we are carefully revealing the remains and recording it
0:28:40 > 0:28:42before it's gone.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46Crossrail station at Liverpool Street
0:28:46 > 0:28:48will be the deepest along the line.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52We've got as many names for mud as Eskimos have names for snow.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56And the deeper they dig, the further back in time Jay's team can
0:28:56 > 0:28:57investigate the city's history.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01We're actually standing in the excavation for the new ticket hall
0:29:01 > 0:29:03at Liverpool Street for Crossrail.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06And we're looking for a feature, and that's a Roman road.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09So, Rob, let's take a look at this map that we've got.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14A road has been postulated outside the city walls
0:29:14 > 0:29:15for a number of years.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17A part of it was found in Eldon Street,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20which is one block over that way, during the '90s.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28The Roman city of London, Londoninium,
0:29:28 > 0:29:31was founded nearly 2,000 years ago.
0:29:33 > 0:29:34Its two-mile long defensive wall
0:29:34 > 0:29:37protected a complex network of roads.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41Many of these formed the basis of London's modern streets.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48At its peak, Londinium was home to 60,000 citizens,
0:29:48 > 0:29:51making this small settlement tough to travel across without delays.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56Jay and his team are hunting for evidence
0:29:56 > 0:29:59of a Roman North Circular Road that, like Crossrail,
0:29:59 > 0:30:01ran east to west around the walled city,
0:30:01 > 0:30:04cutting travel time through early London.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09We know a lot about the central and western areas of the city, don't we?
0:30:09 > 0:30:11But this is a really great opportunity
0:30:11 > 0:30:14to really try and understand this part of the Roman city
0:30:14 > 0:30:16and what's going on outside the city wall.
0:30:18 > 0:30:2260 archaeologists are working around the clock to excavate this huge pit.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27But no-one knows for sure if they will find the lost Roman highway.
0:30:30 > 0:30:31One stop west at Farringdon...
0:30:37 > 0:30:40..it's taken Linda and Steve's team
0:30:40 > 0:30:42eight weeks to excavate the emergency shaft
0:30:42 > 0:30:46beneath Barbican Station, giving access to the tunnels below.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50Now the shaft is built, the materials are moving.
0:30:50 > 0:30:55They're able to move as fast as they can, 24 hours round-the-clock,
0:30:55 > 0:30:58doing what they need to do to pick up the speed
0:30:58 > 0:30:59to deliver their part of the job.
0:30:59 > 0:31:04With 15 months to go until Crossrail trains start to run,
0:31:04 > 0:31:07workers race to shuttle the vital materials they need
0:31:07 > 0:31:10underground to complete the platforms and lay the rails.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14Gregg Purcell is responsible for installing
0:31:14 > 0:31:16this section of the railway under Farringdon.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20It's not often you get to work on a project of this magnitude.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23It is something that is maybe a once-in-a-generation thing.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29It's amongst the most logistically complicated programmes of work
0:31:29 > 0:31:31I've ever been on in my career.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33If one part of the production line fails
0:31:33 > 0:31:34the whole production line fails.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38Gregg's team need ingenious machinery
0:31:38 > 0:31:40to help them lay 50km of track in time
0:31:40 > 0:31:42for the trains to roll.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44Track installation in the modern era
0:31:44 > 0:31:47is a completely different animal than it was maybe 100 years ago.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53In 1863, track-laying gangs of up to 25 men
0:31:53 > 0:31:56completed work on London's very first underground Tube,
0:31:56 > 0:31:58the Metropolitan Line.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05Working in shifts they could lay up to 150 metres of sleepers and rail
0:32:05 > 0:32:06in a day.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11Today, these machines can lay over four times that.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16On Crossrail, we've got a fleet of hi-tech vehicles.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20We've got a 465-metre-long concreting train.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24We have a multipurpose vehicle to work in tunnels.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27This machine is called the multipurpose gantry.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29There's four of these on Crossrail.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31And they're worth about £1 million each.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34It looks like a Transformer and it can change its shape
0:32:34 > 0:32:36depending on what conditions it's working in,
0:32:36 > 0:32:37whether it's lifting rails,
0:32:37 > 0:32:39lifting bits of reinforcement.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41The whole machine can take 15 tonnes in load.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49This mechanical monster can lay up to 600 metres of sleepers a day.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53Multipurpose gantries are a godsend
0:32:53 > 0:32:55and I would struggle to understand how
0:32:55 > 0:32:58we'd build a project like this without that sort of kit.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04Once the trains start running, these tunnels will become noisy.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07But right here Gregg faces a challenge like no other.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12He needs this section of the tracks to make almost no sound at all.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15Here, we are directly beneath the Barbican.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19Right directly beneath.
0:33:24 > 0:33:29Opened in 1982, the Barbican Centre is a hub for arts and culture.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36The centre's most prestigious performance space, Concert Hall One,
0:33:36 > 0:33:38sits two storeys below ground.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43The Barbican Centre's the home of the London Symphony Orchestra,
0:33:43 > 0:33:46presents regular seasons from the Royal Shakespeare Company.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49It really is one of the truly great artistic centres in the UK.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54A lot of music is about exploring the relationship
0:33:54 > 0:33:57between the very quietest sounds and silence.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01And, therefore, a lot of performances really focus
0:34:01 > 0:34:03on that magical area of audibility.
0:34:06 > 0:34:07And there's the rub.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10The Barbican's Concert Hall One sits
0:34:10 > 0:34:14just 17 metres above Crossrail's tunnels.
0:34:14 > 0:34:15Noise or vibrations from trains
0:34:15 > 0:34:18could travel through the earth and
0:34:18 > 0:34:20into the concert hall, disturbing performances.
0:34:26 > 0:34:27To guard against this,
0:34:27 > 0:34:31Crossrail engineers have developed ingenious floating tracks.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34Unique concrete slabs of rail and sleepers
0:34:34 > 0:34:36that sit on special springs.
0:34:38 > 0:34:43When a train passes over the springs they should absorb all of the energy
0:34:43 > 0:34:45and noise before it reaches the concert hall.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Floating track slab allows that noise to be brought down even lower.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57On the surface you won't hear anything
0:34:57 > 0:34:59when you're watching Hamlet.
0:34:59 > 0:35:04It takes over 150 tonnes of concrete reinforced with steel bars to form
0:35:04 > 0:35:07each 30-metre-long floating track slab.
0:35:09 > 0:35:10So what you can see behind you now
0:35:10 > 0:35:14is all the guys assembling the track.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17We've got all the reinforcements complete.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19The spring housings are all installed.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21We've got all the rail.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24And this slab is being set up to cast the concrete on top.
0:35:28 > 0:35:29Ready to go.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33The concrete that we pour here is called MagnaDense.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37A very expensive mix of concrete.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40We pay around £1,000 a cubic metre for it.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44Traditional concrete costs may be a tenth of that.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46The reason it's so expensive
0:35:46 > 0:35:50is because it's upwards of 40% heavier than normal concrete.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53That in turn will then result in very,
0:35:53 > 0:35:57very low to the point of hardly any vibration in the Barbican Theatre.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00We treat it a little bit like gold on the project,
0:36:00 > 0:36:04so we had to keep the waste concrete to an absolute bare minimum.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12Are we there, Stu?
0:36:17 > 0:36:19There we go.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21That's the liquid gold coming out there.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25They flush foam balls down the pipe
0:36:25 > 0:36:28to eke out every last drop of MagnaDense.
0:36:33 > 0:36:34Very impressive.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44Once set, they screw the springs into place
0:36:44 > 0:36:45on the underside of the slab
0:36:45 > 0:36:47and raise it to its final height.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51So this is a section of the floating track slab that we've cast.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53We're going to be putting the springs in there
0:36:53 > 0:36:54and we will then jack up the slab.
0:37:09 > 0:37:10OK!
0:37:11 > 0:37:14When you're in the Barbican Theatre, watching whatever show
0:37:14 > 0:37:16you're watching, you won't hear a thing.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21With the slabs cushioned by the springs
0:37:21 > 0:37:22they can set the rails on top.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27But they'll only know for sure if their silent track system works
0:37:27 > 0:37:29when the trains start to roll.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33With this crucial section of the railway in place
0:37:33 > 0:37:36the team can pick up the pace through the rest of the tunnels.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41Two stops east in Whitechapel...
0:37:51 > 0:37:55..Jim's team is fitting together the huge pieces of steel that will form
0:37:55 > 0:37:57the area's new floating bridge station.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02Can we make sure them flanges don't bite into the tarmac?
0:38:04 > 0:38:07Space here is so tight that they have no option
0:38:07 > 0:38:08but to assemble the bridge
0:38:08 > 0:38:10sections in a neighbouring school.
0:38:10 > 0:38:11Yeah, that's enough on that one.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15Luckily, school's out today. It's Sunday.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18These elements are all fastened together by hand.
0:38:18 > 0:38:23This is probably similar to putting together a flat-pack wardrobe and
0:38:23 > 0:38:25you just hope that at the end of the day
0:38:25 > 0:38:27you haven't got two or three nuts and bolts left.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30Just move around to your left for me as you're going.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33We're putting the big pieces of steel together.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36Once they are together they will both be lifted simultaneously over
0:38:36 > 0:38:38onto the rail line.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42We connect big blocks to big blocks to make a mega block.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48Once assembled, Jim's team must use cranes to swing each section into
0:38:48 > 0:38:51position over Whitechapel's mainline train tracks.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55The line is closed for today's operation,
0:38:55 > 0:38:57but must reopen in less than 48 hours
0:38:57 > 0:39:00ready for Monday morning's rush hour.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06He needs everything to run like clockwork to avoid chaos.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10Come down on that one. Come down on that one.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14The first big section of bridge is ready to lift.
0:39:15 > 0:39:16But there's a problem.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20Bad weather threatens to shut down the entire operation
0:39:20 > 0:39:22and could delay the project.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Down to your left for me as you're going.
0:39:24 > 0:39:25We're taking our time.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28This is a difficult operation to carry out
0:39:28 > 0:39:31because the alignment has got to be precise.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36One of our main concerns is monitoring the wind.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41It does make the loads unstable.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45We obviously have to keep an eye on it all the time.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51Tall buildings hem this site in.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57They channel the wind into a strong tunnel of air.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04If the wind gets up during the big lift,
0:40:04 > 0:40:07there's a risk it could blow the bridge sections off course
0:40:07 > 0:40:09into the residential buildings next door.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25I can hear the tension coming into the slings and shackles now.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27CREAKING
0:40:31 > 0:40:33The load is now being lifted.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37See the steady movement of the crane lifting it up.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45It takes great skill to carefully manoeuvre
0:40:45 > 0:40:47this 40-tonne chunk of steel
0:40:47 > 0:40:50away from the buildings and down towards the railway tracks.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54- OVER COMMS:- 'Another little flick to your left for me.'
0:40:56 > 0:40:58'That's nice like that.'
0:40:58 > 0:40:59So far, so good.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03The section must slot into this 25-metre-long gap
0:41:03 > 0:41:07that stretches between this handrail and this crossbeam.
0:41:09 > 0:41:10It's going to be tight.
0:41:11 > 0:41:12'Go to your left a bit more, mate.'
0:41:15 > 0:41:16'Keep it coming down.'
0:41:20 > 0:41:21ALARM SOUNDS
0:41:22 > 0:41:25'All stop there for me a minute. All stop there.'
0:41:25 > 0:41:28Just as they near the drop zone, they hit another glitch.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34What do you need to do? Take a foot out of it?
0:41:36 > 0:41:37OK.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41Such a tight fit with the handrails that to get the unit in they've
0:41:41 > 0:41:43got to cut a small gap in the handrail.
0:41:45 > 0:41:46They must act fast.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48A hold-up here could stop trains
0:41:48 > 0:41:51running tomorrow and result in Crossrail bosses
0:41:51 > 0:41:53being fined over £100,000.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57If they cut the top one off they may well have to cut the second one off.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05Are you ready with your Podger, mate, yeah?
0:42:05 > 0:42:08- Have you put your Podger in?- Yeah.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10Right, how is that looking on that handrail now?
0:42:10 > 0:42:13- That looks pretty sweet.- Right, we happy to come down, yeah?
0:42:13 > 0:42:15I'm ready. You ready, Adam, you all right?
0:42:15 > 0:42:18- Are you ready?- 'Yes, start bringing it down slowly, then.'
0:42:22 > 0:42:24OK, Dave, nice and steady, mate.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27A few inches to go, lower off.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29Give us a shout if that's going to touch that handrail.
0:42:31 > 0:42:32Just keep lowering, Dave.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36You might need to get a bolt in, mate,
0:42:36 > 0:42:39because that one's now slightly out of line now.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41All right, Dave, inch to go.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46Right, that's us in.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52You're looking at a very happy chappie.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54Yeah, it's gone really well, that.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58But with more than 6,000 pieces of bridge yet to assemble
0:42:58 > 0:43:01there's still a huge amount of work for Jim's team to do.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09One stop west at Liverpool Street...
0:43:13 > 0:43:17..Jay Carver's team of archaeologists have hit pay dirt.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19It's quite extraordinary, really.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22We're several metres down from the Liverpool Street pavement.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26Right below here we have the surface of a Roman road that would have seen
0:43:26 > 0:43:31the feet, the hoofs, the wheels of Roman carts and traffic.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35What we've found so far is there's actually
0:43:35 > 0:43:37a really well-constructed road,
0:43:37 > 0:43:40perhaps seven or eight metres wide in its early phases
0:43:40 > 0:43:43and then expanded to about 11 metres wide.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45Now, that's quite a major highway.
0:43:46 > 0:43:49This Roman highway, wider than a dual carriageway,
0:43:49 > 0:43:52would have helped people take a short cut across the busy city,
0:43:52 > 0:43:54just like Crossrail's train line today.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00The road is literally heading kind of diagonally across our site
0:44:00 > 0:44:03like that. Generally east-west.
0:44:03 > 0:44:07It's quite likely this road is part of a network
0:44:07 > 0:44:09of external roads around the city of Londinium.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12Possibly we're talking here about a ring road.
0:44:12 > 0:44:17It's absolutely chock full of debris and rubble,
0:44:17 > 0:44:20no doubt brought in from other places in the city.
0:44:20 > 0:44:25We can see lots of Roman tile, lots of pottery, lots of animal bone,
0:44:25 > 0:44:27the occasional human bone as well.
0:44:27 > 0:44:31It's been incorporated into this cemented surface.
0:44:31 > 0:44:35It takes us back to a time 2,000 years ago when transport was just
0:44:35 > 0:44:37as important to people living in London
0:44:37 > 0:44:39and a road like this probably did
0:44:39 > 0:44:42reduce congestion in the city itself.
0:44:44 > 0:44:48The digging will soon be over here, but Jay's work won't be done.
0:44:51 > 0:44:55His team will analyse all of the discoveries made at Crossrail sites
0:44:55 > 0:44:57in more detail to slowly piece together
0:44:57 > 0:44:59the secrets of London's lost past.
0:45:06 > 0:45:07In Farringdon...
0:45:14 > 0:45:16..Linda's team has finished work
0:45:16 > 0:45:18on the station's new underground platforms...
0:45:19 > 0:45:21..and the tracks are down.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25Looks great. Afternoon, guys.
0:45:25 > 0:45:29Above ground, the walls and floors of the ticket halls are in place.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35Now Linda faces a race to complete Farringdon Station's grand entrance.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39It must plug directly into the Thameslink station next door.
0:45:41 > 0:45:43In the future you will come into the doors,
0:45:43 > 0:45:46you'll be able to continue to walk straight to get on the Network Rail
0:45:46 > 0:45:48trains, or you'll be able to turn
0:45:48 > 0:45:50and go down into the Crossrail station.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56Commuters will pass beneath a cavernous diamond-patterned ceiling
0:45:56 > 0:45:58to enter the station.
0:46:01 > 0:46:05To build it, Linda's team must piece together
0:46:05 > 0:46:07105 bespoke concrete segments.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13This will be like assembling a giant jigsaw.
0:46:16 > 0:46:2042 concrete-coated steel beams will form the diamond-shaped frames.
0:46:22 > 0:46:2463 concrete panels will sit inside.
0:46:27 > 0:46:31Craning these awkward-shaped pieces into position without crashing into
0:46:31 > 0:46:35the busy Thameslink station next door will test the team's mettle.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41Plugging in to a live railway station
0:46:41 > 0:46:44has its whole set of new challenges.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48This is the last big part of the build and it's going to be tough.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53Andy Scholes is working with Linda on this stage of the build.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56This is our main feature of Farringdon Station.
0:46:56 > 0:47:0090% of what we've constructed here on site is buried.
0:47:00 > 0:47:02It's not just a ceiling.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04This is a statement piece.
0:47:04 > 0:47:05This is what everyone will see
0:47:05 > 0:47:09over the next 120 years when they enter Farringdon Station.
0:47:09 > 0:47:13The pressure's on in order to get this right first time.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20First task, erect a network of steel supports
0:47:20 > 0:47:23to prop up the heavy ceiling as they lock it together.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27It's looking really good at the minute.
0:47:31 > 0:47:35With the supports in place, Andy's team can start work on the ceiling.
0:47:35 > 0:47:39It's a diamond shape and it's in keeping with the local area
0:47:39 > 0:47:44and it gives a huge visual, striking welcome mat.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50The ceiling's diamond design is inspired by the area's history.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54The nearby Hatton Garden jewellery quarter
0:47:54 > 0:47:58has produced and sold diamonds for over 150 years.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03- ARCHIVE:- Here's a street which if it isn't actually paved with gold is
0:48:03 > 0:48:05still the richest highway in the world.
0:48:05 > 0:48:10Since the 1930s, this area of London has been responsible for 90% of
0:48:10 > 0:48:12the world's diamond distribution.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16Diamonds, the world's most precious commodity.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19But then, there's nothing too good for a woman, now, is there?
0:48:26 > 0:48:29Sections of Farringdon Station's diamond-inspired ceiling
0:48:29 > 0:48:32are being made by hand at this factory in Derbyshire.
0:48:34 > 0:48:38Each concrete segment is cast in a bespoke mould and takes two weeks to
0:48:38 > 0:48:40create and cure.
0:48:43 > 0:48:48Once set and polished, workers need to drive each of the 105 pieces
0:48:48 > 0:48:50130 miles into central London,
0:48:50 > 0:48:54where they must fight for space to get onto Andy's cramped site.
0:48:56 > 0:48:58This is one of the busiest roads in London.
0:48:58 > 0:49:02You've got thousands of pedestrians walking past the site watching and
0:49:02 > 0:49:03seeing what we're doing.
0:49:04 > 0:49:08It's quite important that we don't block up the traffic so we need to
0:49:08 > 0:49:10keep a through flow of traffic coming past the site.
0:49:15 > 0:49:16We've now got a delivery coming in.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19What they're going to do is they're going to hold the traffic and we'll
0:49:19 > 0:49:21hold the public back to keep them safe.
0:49:25 > 0:49:26HORN HONKS
0:49:44 > 0:49:47The wagon's now on site and this will allow us
0:49:47 > 0:49:50to check each individual piece to make sure
0:49:50 > 0:49:52that they haven't been damaged in transit.
0:49:54 > 0:49:59We don't want any chips or bashes or any chunks taken out of the beams.
0:50:05 > 0:50:06Marvellous.
0:50:11 > 0:50:13In the East End...
0:50:18 > 0:50:19..Jim's team is making headway
0:50:19 > 0:50:22building Crossrail's floating bridge station
0:50:22 > 0:50:24across the mainline railway at Whitechapel.
0:50:24 > 0:50:28This is what we've been building up to for the last year, 18 months.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32And this is the culmination of a lot of effort.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35They've had to shut down the tracks
0:50:35 > 0:50:39for 40 days over a two-year period to assemble the base of the bridge.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47But once down, Jim's crew pick up the pace,
0:50:47 > 0:50:50erecting its walls,
0:50:50 > 0:50:52curved canopy roof...
0:50:54 > 0:50:58..and walkways, with fewer disruptions to passengers.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00You've got to very gingerly stack them all in the right order.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02If you put them in the right order
0:51:02 > 0:51:04and secure them firmly you'll get the pyramid made.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15All right? You all right?
0:51:16 > 0:51:19With 6,500 steel components assembled,
0:51:19 > 0:51:21the skeleton of the bridge is complete.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26This is looking quite spectacular now that it's all coming to shape.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32Yeah, it's looking really good.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34Coming out the ticket hall you think,
0:51:34 > 0:51:37"Wow, didn't there's so much space in Whitechapel!"
0:51:37 > 0:51:41It must be the most spacious place going, is this now.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45This is the concourse area.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50This area through here is where the passengers will come up from
0:51:50 > 0:51:51the London Underground lines.
0:51:53 > 0:51:55It just shows you what is achievable.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00It took a bit of Yorkshire grit to get to where we are now, yes.
0:52:03 > 0:52:08Over the next few months, Jim's team will fit out the ticket hall
0:52:08 > 0:52:12and top out the canopy with its glass panes and sedum plants,
0:52:12 > 0:52:15completing Whitechapel's upgrade ready for Crossrail trains
0:52:15 > 0:52:16to stop here.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26Two stops west in Farringdon...
0:52:35 > 0:52:39..Andy's team is gearing up to assemble the diamond-shaped sections
0:52:39 > 0:52:41of Farringdon Station's vast ceiling.
0:52:44 > 0:52:48To get all the pieces of this puzzle in the right place,
0:52:48 > 0:52:50Andy needs to stick to his Bible.
0:52:50 > 0:52:54What we have here is the plan of the ceiling itself.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58Each piece is individually named and numbered so when they arrive on site
0:52:58 > 0:53:00we know where we're going to lift them to.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04If we lose the drawing then we're stuffed, basically.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06It would be a really difficult jigsaw to do.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10Pinch up, nice and easy.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19The beams that make up the diamond-shaped frames
0:53:19 > 0:53:21weigh up to ten tonnes.
0:53:23 > 0:53:24'All clear.'
0:53:24 > 0:53:27Lowering them into position,
0:53:27 > 0:53:30right next to the operational Thameslink station,
0:53:30 > 0:53:32takes a delicate touch.
0:53:33 > 0:53:34Keep coming down.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37This is one of the trickier lifts that we've got to do.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39That's the ticket hall level.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41If you listen out you can probably hear the announcements
0:53:41 > 0:53:42from the train station.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44INDISTINCT TANNOY ANNOUNCEMENTS
0:53:48 > 0:53:50Yeah, very close.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56We're moving it now millimetre by millimetre to get it into position.
0:53:57 > 0:54:00Because we haven't got a lot to play with
0:54:00 > 0:54:01next to the Thameslink station.
0:54:08 > 0:54:09Yeah, down on that.
0:54:14 > 0:54:15Touch down.
0:54:17 > 0:54:19So they've got the beam touched down
0:54:19 > 0:54:22but they just need to move it into the exact location.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24It's a couple of mil off at the bottom
0:54:24 > 0:54:28so they're working out how best to move it without damaging it.
0:54:28 > 0:54:31So, as you can see, next to the Thameslink station
0:54:31 > 0:54:34we're about probably 200 mil off.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44They slowly slide the beam into position.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47With the ceiling's frame in place
0:54:47 > 0:54:49they can slot in the diamond-shaped panels.
0:54:49 > 0:54:51Pinch up, nice and easy.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01This is like a big jigsaw puzzle.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03Luckily, you won't lose any of these pieces under your sofa.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07That's it, mate, all clear.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15Afternoon, friends.
0:55:15 > 0:55:17Afternoon.
0:55:17 > 0:55:18After eight years' work,
0:55:18 > 0:55:21Farringdon Station is almost complete
0:55:21 > 0:55:24and Linda gets her first glimpse of its grand entrance.
0:55:24 > 0:55:26Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow!
0:55:32 > 0:55:34That looks fantastic.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44It's like when you walk into a cathedral.
0:55:44 > 0:55:48It is a relief to finish the last of the big builds on site.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50I suppose it's a little sad, too,
0:55:50 > 0:55:55as it is whenever you accomplish something that feels great.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58Say diamonds are forever,
0:55:58 > 0:56:02but these diamonds are meant for 120 years at least.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08With Farringdon's monumental entrance complete...
0:56:11 > 0:56:14..the track team belowground head west towards Oxford Street
0:56:14 > 0:56:15and Paddington.
0:56:21 > 0:56:25As they put the finishing touches to the platforms and tunnels,
0:56:25 > 0:56:28workers at Crossrail's Bond Street Station
0:56:28 > 0:56:31prepare to welcome a very special visitor.
0:56:33 > 0:56:35I'm down in the eastbound tunnel now at the far end.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39Just checked the other boxes. Everything seems to be OK.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44Today they're announcing the new name for the railway line
0:56:44 > 0:56:46and are hoping for a royal seal of approval.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51The Queen visiting the project
0:56:51 > 0:56:54certainly starts to make the whole project seem that much more real.
0:56:58 > 0:57:02It's just an honour, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
0:57:02 > 0:57:03I did my curtsy, yeah.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10It's quite surreal to see her actually down in the tunnels,
0:57:10 > 0:57:12but I feel it's a momentous occasion.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15I couldn't be happier we're going to be the Elizabeth Line.
0:57:18 > 0:57:21We're seeing that end in sight and it's created a whole new wave
0:57:21 > 0:57:22of excitement from the team.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30With Elizabeth Line trains due to start running from this station
0:57:30 > 0:57:32in less than 18 months' time,
0:57:32 > 0:57:35the pressure is now on to complete the rest of the railway.
0:57:40 > 0:57:41Next time...
0:57:42 > 0:57:44..we follow the race to the finishing line...
0:57:44 > 0:57:46There's no second chances.
0:57:46 > 0:57:48It gets the nerves going and adrenaline pumping.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50Weight's coming on now.
0:57:50 > 0:57:53..as workers battle to remodel Brunel's masterpiece,
0:57:53 > 0:57:54Paddington Station.
0:57:54 > 0:57:56Time is money here.
0:57:56 > 0:57:58We have to stay on schedule.
0:57:58 > 0:57:59And build the rolling stock.
0:58:01 > 0:58:03It's a hell of a challenge.
0:58:03 > 0:58:06Will they make it so that the first trains depart on time?
0:58:07 > 0:58:09Oh, not fun.
0:58:09 > 0:58:10I just want it to end now.
0:58:11 > 0:58:14To find out more about urban infrastructures
0:58:14 > 0:58:15and how cities are made,
0:58:15 > 0:58:18order this free poster produced by the Open University.
0:58:25 > 0:58:28Follow the links to the Open University.