0:00:02 > 0:00:05After an extraordinary 100 million hours of labour...
0:00:05 > 0:00:08CHEERING
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Wecome to Farringdon!
0:00:11 > 0:00:14..it's finally possible to experience
0:00:14 > 0:00:18a driver's-eye view of the brand-new £15 billion railway
0:00:18 > 0:00:22being built directly beneath the heart of central London -
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Crossrail.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26Now it's a race to the finish line.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31Right now, the pressure is mounting on 10,000 workers
0:00:31 > 0:00:35to finish building this ambitious railway's stations...
0:00:35 > 0:00:37We're currently working 24/7.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39..platforms...
0:00:39 > 0:00:42If any one component is not finished, you have nothing at all.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44..and trains...
0:00:46 > 0:00:47It's a hell of a challenge.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50..so that passenger services can finally begin.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52It is vital that this is right.
0:00:52 > 0:00:53Heads up! Heads up!
0:00:53 > 0:00:56They face a constant battle to avoid snarling up the streets...
0:00:56 > 0:00:59It gets the nerves going, the adrenaline pumping.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01..or causing them to collapse.
0:01:01 > 0:01:02Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
0:01:02 > 0:01:03That's a problem.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06For the last three years, cameras have been following crews
0:01:06 > 0:01:08as they struggle to finish construction
0:01:08 > 0:01:11so that the first train can depart on time.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13It's all part of keeping London moving.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15The launch is in touching distance.
0:01:15 > 0:01:16Keep coming down.
0:01:16 > 0:01:17We're in the home straight now.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19We'll get cracking, then, yeah?
0:01:19 > 0:01:22This is the exclusive inside story
0:01:22 > 0:01:26of the race to complete London's new underground railway.
0:01:26 > 0:01:27It does keep me awake at night.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Time is money here.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31We knew it was always going to be tight.
0:01:31 > 0:01:32All stop there.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47Across the capital,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Crossrail's engineering teams are feeling the heat.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55After six years' work,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59the tunnels and platforms for the city's new 42km underground railway,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02the Elizabeth line, are almost complete.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Two notches up again!
0:02:07 > 0:02:09Now they face a race to build and fit out
0:02:09 > 0:02:11the railway's ten new stations,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13so the line can open on time.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16It's an epic endeavour.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Crossrail is a huge new railway for London.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24I don't think there's been anything in my lifetime
0:02:24 > 0:02:25as complex as Crossrail.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29The scale of it, the technical challenges that have been overcome
0:02:29 > 0:02:32and the really critical timescale to which we're delivering.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38We often talk about the current day as a sort of new golden era
0:02:38 > 0:02:40for infrastructure and engineering in Britain.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43And you've got to go back to the days of Brunel and the like
0:02:43 > 0:02:45to get something that's probably comparable.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51The new railway will pass right across London...
0:02:55 > 0:02:58..cutting the commute from Heathrow Airport in the west into the city
0:02:58 > 0:03:00to less than 30 minutes.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04It will connect key mainline train stations...
0:03:05 > 0:03:08..to London's West End,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10the historic Square Mile...
0:03:10 > 0:03:12and the new business district at Canary Wharf.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17With the first phase of the new railway soon set to open,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20there's one crucial component missing -
0:03:20 > 0:03:21the trains.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23We can build all the stations and track you like.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25But the trains have to be there, as well.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31After a two-year battle, waging off rival bids from Spain and Japan...
0:03:32 > 0:03:35..the £1 billion contract to design and build the rolling stock
0:03:35 > 0:03:39for the Elizabeth line landed here in Derby...
0:03:39 > 0:03:42supporting over 1,200 jobs.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47It's one of the biggest contracts on the entire Crossrail project.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53Workers have been building trains on this site for more than 140 years.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58OK, great.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01But constructing the Elizabeth line fleet
0:04:01 > 0:04:04will really test the mettle of these seasoned train builders.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10It's a massive challenge going from, effectively, a blank sheet of paper
0:04:10 > 0:04:13to ramping up to producing a whole fleet of trains.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15It's a huge task.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- And so you can see that there's a tiny gap there.- Yep.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23Martin has just 24 months to design, build, test and deliver
0:04:23 > 0:04:26594 train cars and carriages
0:04:26 > 0:04:28before passenger services begin.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Miss this deadline and they face heavy financial penalties.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38Are you ready? Faster.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Capable of travelling at speeds of up to 90mph,
0:04:45 > 0:04:49each Elizabeth line train will be over 200 metres long.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53The team is designing their floors, walls and roofs
0:04:53 > 0:04:55to be made from aluminium.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59They must be compact to squeeze through the tunnels,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03but big enough on the inside to accommodate up to 1,500 passengers.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07The trains need full air conditioning
0:05:07 > 0:05:09and live passenger information boards.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13The stakes are high.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18If we make mistakes in engineering that then go into production
0:05:18 > 0:05:20and are only found later on in the life of the train,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23they cost a large amount of money to put right.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26For us, we want to make sure it's right at the design phase.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33What time are the covers coming?
0:05:33 > 0:05:36It's down to 25-year-old Kane Jellyman
0:05:36 > 0:05:39to keep the £1 billion train build on track.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43These are the largest trains we've actually produced on the site
0:05:43 > 0:05:46and the largest trains you'll probably see
0:05:46 > 0:05:47on London Underground for a long while.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52The target is to build 66 trains, which is actually 594 carriages.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56That is a hell of a lot of trains.
0:05:56 > 0:05:57In order to do that,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00we've split the production line down into many key stages.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08There's five key steps into making, like, an actual train.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13The underframe comes in, which is like the floor.
0:06:18 > 0:06:19The roof is loaded into the jigs.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Followed by that, we bring the body sides in.
0:06:29 > 0:06:30It's called the tombing process,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33because this is where the shape of the vehicle actually comes together
0:06:33 > 0:06:35and it looks very much like a tomb.
0:06:39 > 0:06:40Through the years,
0:06:40 > 0:06:44generations of train-building families have worked at this plant.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47I get to see my dad every day at work.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51It wasn't really intended. It's kind of...
0:06:51 > 0:06:52It's ended up this way, yeah.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55But, yeah, I'm the fourth generation here.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Believe it or not, it's four generations of Jellymans.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01My son, Kane, myself,
0:07:01 > 0:07:03my father, Maurice and my grandad, Frank,
0:07:03 > 0:07:07spanning over 128 years.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11I've always heard positive things about my grandad
0:07:11 > 0:07:12when he was down here.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16I know there's a certain standard that I have to uphold.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22Train production began on site here
0:07:22 > 0:07:24during the railway boom of the 1840s.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28By the early 20th century,
0:07:28 > 0:07:32the Derby train works were producing 40 steam trains a week.
0:07:34 > 0:07:35- REPORTER:- She's off.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39Another product of creative brain and deft fingers goes on its way,
0:07:39 > 0:07:40a monument to the men who made it.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48The workshop may look nice and clean now,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50but it's the same metalwork, the same bricks
0:07:50 > 0:07:52which were here over 100 years ago,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55which we're building these brand-new vehicles in.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01While Kane's team construct the shells of the train...
0:08:02 > 0:08:05So here we are, John, our mock-up.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Excellent.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09..John Hunter oversees the fit-out of their interiors.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12So tell me about these seats.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14John is in charge of all aspects
0:08:14 > 0:08:17of London Underground's Tube train design,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19from seat covers and signs
0:08:19 > 0:08:22to the iconic Tube map.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24This is the first time we'll see a physical mock-up.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26We see lots of things in the computer world.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29But seeing a train in reality, it's quite trepidatious
0:08:29 > 0:08:31about actually is it as good as we were hoping it will be?
0:08:31 > 0:08:33In terms of the form,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36these are representative of what Crossrail will look like.
0:08:36 > 0:08:37Handing over a design
0:08:37 > 0:08:39is like handing over your child or your baby
0:08:39 > 0:08:41to somebody else to look after.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43I'm very protective of the design.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46There's always the question with a mock-up is how real is the mock-up?
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Obviously, it needs to be
0:08:50 > 0:08:52a dull-polished stainless steel finish.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56The traditional LED bright spots, which I really detest.
0:08:56 > 0:09:02The thing that concerns me slightly at the moment is lacking handholds.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04If I'm here, I'm OK.
0:09:04 > 0:09:05Here.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Here, I'm fine.
0:09:07 > 0:09:08Over here...
0:09:10 > 0:09:12I think the problem is, if you're in the middle,
0:09:12 > 0:09:13I'll have nothing to hold.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15So I guess we'll need to work how we're going
0:09:15 > 0:09:18- to get a hand hold about here. - Right.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20I think the important thing is we don't end up with a jungle gym
0:09:20 > 0:09:21of grab holds everywhere.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25OK, arm positioning feels a bit low.
0:09:25 > 0:09:26And I know this sounds very anal,
0:09:26 > 0:09:30but this is the attention to detail that we have to swim in, I'm afraid.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35I'm about 75% happy with everything I'm seeing.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Our feet are definitely to the fire at the moment.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50Across the floor, Kane's team is working flat out
0:09:50 > 0:09:54to assemble the 125,000 components that make up each train.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01With the roof, floor and sides of this carriage in place...
0:10:02 > 0:10:04..it's time to attach the driver's cab.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08OK, it's on the way. Excellent.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16This cab unit weighs three tonnes
0:10:16 > 0:10:20and contains more than £250,000 worth of crucial electronics.
0:10:22 > 0:10:23The electronics control everything,
0:10:23 > 0:10:28from the train's speed and doors to its lighting and air conditioning.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33A dent or scratch could wreck its intricate parts
0:10:33 > 0:10:35and set the train building schedule back.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39Just the box behind you there.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41We don't have excess cabs in stock,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44so he needs to make sure he doesn't scratch it.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Do you want me to help you guide it in, Kells?
0:10:49 > 0:10:52I'm trying to let him concentrate so doesn't make any mistakes.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59Clear for east, Kells.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Keep it coming.
0:11:03 > 0:11:04Whoa!
0:11:04 > 0:11:07There's a lot of money being craned there,
0:11:07 > 0:11:09so God forbid if something did happen.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Yeah...
0:11:11 > 0:11:12A couple of clicks east.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Keep it going.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Nice landing.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23There are more than 93 miles of cables
0:11:23 > 0:11:27and 43,000 connectors in each train
0:11:27 > 0:11:29and it's crucial that they're watertight.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31We're starting the water test, Phil.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35The tiniest leak could short out a train's electronics
0:11:35 > 0:11:37and leave it stranded in a tunnel.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41The last thing we want is leaks on the vehicle.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46We don't want any water, when it's raining with this British weather,
0:11:46 > 0:11:47coming through the windows, doors.
0:11:49 > 0:11:50We've got a leak.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52Oh, have we got a leak?
0:11:53 > 0:11:56We've got a small leak here on this doorway.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58So we're going to have to rectify that
0:11:58 > 0:12:01before the vehicle can move on to the next stage.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02That's the reason we're doing the test,
0:12:02 > 0:12:04find the leaks now, rectify them.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Make sure we don't deliver the vehicles with any leaks.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09The leak is bad news
0:12:09 > 0:12:12and could hold up production of the entire train fleet.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14With it being a moving production line,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17if we don't eliminate the leaks as quick as possible,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19this will become a bottleneck stage
0:12:19 > 0:12:21and will stop the rest of the production line from moving.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24It's not a deadline that we can afford to miss.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32The deadline that everyone on the Crossrail project
0:12:32 > 0:12:34is working towards,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36from the train manufacturers in Derby
0:12:36 > 0:12:38to the station builders in central London,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40is now just 23 months away.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48In the first phase of Crossrail's launch,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51the new trains must be ready to start running overground
0:12:51 > 0:12:55from Liverpool Street to Shenfield in Essex.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00The fleet of trains and major engineering work
0:13:00 > 0:13:03need to be finished before this critical date
0:13:03 > 0:13:05for the railway to open on time.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18One of the most complex stations that must be completed
0:13:18 > 0:13:21will serve passengers travelling to Oxford Street,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24the shopping mecca that runs through the heart of central London
0:13:24 > 0:13:26between Marble Arch and Tottenham Court Road.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31This is the busiest shopping street in Europe.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35Half a million people visit the high-end stores here every day.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43It's beneath this iconic street that three years ago
0:13:43 > 0:13:46engineers had to guide their digging machines
0:13:46 > 0:13:49through the tightest point of the entire route,
0:13:49 > 0:13:50known as the Eye Of The Needle,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52to excavate the tunnels
0:13:52 > 0:13:55for Elizabeth line trains to run through.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57The tunnelling machine at the moment
0:13:57 > 0:14:00is quite literally above the tunnel crown.
0:14:00 > 0:14:01It's tight.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Now, with the tunnels complete,
0:14:05 > 0:14:09David Crabtree leads a team of more than 200 workers,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12racing to build Tottenham Court Road's massive ticket halls
0:14:12 > 0:14:14in time for the trains to start rolling.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Fighting for space with shoppers, buses and taxis
0:14:20 > 0:14:23makes this deadline particularly challenging to meet.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27I've built railway stations.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31I've built roads, motorways, shops, offices, hospitals.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34But this is a construction project like no other.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Our station is about the size of an aircraft carrier.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42So if you consider constructing an aircraft carrier
0:14:42 > 0:14:46in the middle of London, underground,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48whilst keeping London going
0:14:48 > 0:14:50with all its myriad of people and vehicle movements
0:14:50 > 0:14:52all sloshing about,
0:14:52 > 0:14:54that's what we've got to do at Tottenham Court Road.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00For any engineer, this is a challenging and daunting project.
0:15:00 > 0:15:01And it does keep me awake at night.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Just ask my wife!
0:15:06 > 0:15:08To build the new station here,
0:15:08 > 0:15:13David's team has excavated two huge holes to create the ticket halls,
0:15:13 > 0:15:1730 metres deep and 400 metres apart,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20removing enough earth to fill 18 Olympic swimming pools.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25The ticket halls will plug directly into the train tunnels below
0:15:25 > 0:15:28and the existing London Underground Tube services.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34Digging vast holes like these in central London is no simple task.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39The earth around the edge of the holes is fragile and could fall in,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42causing the surrounding shops and buildings to collapse.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46So as the team dug down level by level,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49they installed 40 massive props
0:15:49 > 0:15:52to hold back the earth as they built the station's walls.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Now, with the walls in place,
0:15:55 > 0:15:59they face the nerve-racking task of dismantling and removing the props.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05This is bottom-up construction.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09As you can see here, it leaves us a nice, big, open space,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12and that's very useful because the majority of our tunnelling
0:16:12 > 0:16:15has been taking place from here,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18so we've had to put all these props in place.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20However, now we need to get them out,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22which is going to be an even bigger challenge.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25This is engineering on a very big scale.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32Each 35-metre-long prop holds back the weight of 1,500 tons of earth.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36As they remove the props,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38the walls should redistribute the pressure
0:16:38 > 0:16:41down through the station's floors.
0:16:41 > 0:16:42At least, that's the theory.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47We are about to start removing our first big prop.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50And this is one of the moments that we all hold our breath.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53We've done lots and lots and lots of calculations and assessments
0:16:53 > 0:16:57to make sure that, when we take our prop out, everything is done safely.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00But you don't actually know until you actually take it out
0:17:00 > 0:17:02what's going to happen.
0:17:02 > 0:17:03So we're a little bit nervous.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08David's team can't afford to take any risks,
0:17:08 > 0:17:12so have set up this special monitoring office
0:17:12 > 0:17:14with a bird's-eye view of the ticket hall hole.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21Computers here link up to 180 sensors around the props
0:17:21 > 0:17:24to alert the team to any potentially catastrophic movements.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30With support chains attached to the first prop...
0:17:31 > 0:17:33Come up a touch. Now, have a shackle ready.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36That's it. Lovely.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43..Edel Power leads the team making the first crucial incision.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45The very first cut is the most critical.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47So we've a lot of different types of instruments
0:17:47 > 0:17:50monitoring the movement of the props and the concrete wall
0:17:50 > 0:17:52as we are doing this works.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Raw data is downloaded every few minutes
0:17:54 > 0:17:56and relayed back to the office.
0:17:59 > 0:18:05They use a mix of oxygen and propane heated to 2,500 degrees Celsius
0:18:05 > 0:18:07to cut out small squares in the prop.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11They cut windows out of it, a section at a time,
0:18:11 > 0:18:13just to release the pressure.
0:18:14 > 0:18:15It's hot work.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18As you can see, my glasses are steaming up.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33- I'll give you a call just as soon as I get the reading.- All right.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38What I'm seeing on my screen is a graph of the current load
0:18:38 > 0:18:41shown in the props and the level above.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45The yellow line here is what we call an amber trigger level.
0:18:45 > 0:18:46If we hit that level,
0:18:46 > 0:18:50it isn't necessarily a stop work or anything like that,
0:18:50 > 0:18:52but it's something we would analyse.
0:18:52 > 0:18:53There's then the red trigger level,
0:18:53 > 0:18:57and we would stop work if we hit a red trigger level.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03The more holes they cut, the weaker this prop becomes.
0:19:06 > 0:19:07They hold their breath
0:19:07 > 0:19:10and hope that neither the prop nor walls buckle.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16The readings have just come in.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19There's tiny, tiny changes.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21- Hi, Tim.- Hi there, Edel.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24It is OK to continue with the cutting
0:19:24 > 0:19:26and I'll keep monitoring every 15 minutes.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28- Thanks very much.- Cheers.- Bye.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32We're just at the last stage
0:19:32 > 0:19:33of cutting the final piece now.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36You'll just see a slight bow in the steel,
0:19:36 > 0:19:37where all the pressure is on the smaller area.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40It's gradually gone from a straight edge to a bow out,
0:19:40 > 0:19:41which is what it's meant to do,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44it's meant to take the pressure out of it as we're cutting it.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51I was made to destroy metal.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54I am the master blaster!
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Guiding the pieces of the prop up out of the hole
0:19:58 > 0:20:02through this maze of metal will be like a high-stakes game of Kerplunk.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Knocking another prop out of place
0:20:05 > 0:20:09would put even greater pressure on the ones left holding the hole up.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13It can't be lifted directly up from the position it's currently in.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16So what we'll do is move the prop sideways
0:20:16 > 0:20:19until it's clear of any overhead obstruction
0:20:19 > 0:20:22and then the crane will lift it out of the basement for us.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Nice and easy now. Nice and easy.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Hold it there one second. Hold it there.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31Just up on your hoist now. Up on your hoist.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36And now all clear up. Keep it up.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Keep hoisting up.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45It takes a painstaking six hours to remove the first prop.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51With 39 more to go, this team have their work cut out.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59There's now just eight months to go
0:20:59 > 0:21:01until phase one of Crossrail launches
0:21:01 > 0:21:04with the first trains departing Liverpool Street.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Yeah, these are all really impactful, the colours.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10John Hunter has come to the London Transport archives for inspiration,
0:21:10 > 0:21:15to help him squeeze the Elizabeth line onto the iconic Tube map,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18so that passengers know where to board and disembark.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21We know the challenges of putting Crossrail on the map.
0:21:21 > 0:21:22It's already quite busy.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26So it's always good to return to the roots, back to the original.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31The famous London Underground map was designed by Harry Beck
0:21:31 > 0:21:33back in 1931.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37He used to work in the signal engineering office
0:21:37 > 0:21:42- as a draughtsman...- Right.- ..and during a spell of redundancy in '31,
0:21:42 > 0:21:44he started working on this map.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50The designs of early London Underground maps
0:21:50 > 0:21:54were based on street layouts and geographical locations.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57As a result, they were cluttered and spaghetti-like.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00More confusing than helpful.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Inspired by the layout of electrical circuit boards,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09Beck reorganised the Tube lines vertically,
0:22:09 > 0:22:13horizontally and at 45-degree angles.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17The map also featured the River Thames.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19His striking but simple design
0:22:19 > 0:22:22would go on to influence transport maps around the world.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29This was really, really radical at the time because, before that,
0:22:29 > 0:22:31we had geographic-style maps.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34They would have green spaces on there, parks,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37and local attractions like museums.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39But what Beck did, by moving away from the geographic style,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42he could then create this diagrammatic map
0:22:42 > 0:22:45- and give everything breathing space.- Mm.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48It conveys information really efficiently.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51The balance on the typography is outstanding.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53The regularity of the spacing,
0:22:53 > 0:22:57- to be that bold in those times, it's quite remarkable.- Yeah.
0:22:57 > 0:22:58Some of the challenges we have today,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01particularly around the National Rail interchanges,
0:23:01 > 0:23:02were definitely present here.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06This problem here, for example, around Euston
0:23:06 > 0:23:07is always an issue for me.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09I don't know if this reassures you at all,
0:23:09 > 0:23:12but Beck found Euston an issue, as well.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16He worked on it from 1931 to '59, so...
0:23:16 > 0:23:19- Right.- Quite a few decades trying to work on that issue.
0:23:19 > 0:23:20- So I've got 28 years.- Yes!
0:23:20 > 0:23:24As we're going wider, particularly with the Elizabeth line,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26we're having to shrink everything down
0:23:26 > 0:23:28to fit the same physical product.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31So that's going to be a real pressure on the map.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34My challenge is to do as equally good a job as Beck did,
0:23:34 > 0:23:38but put the Crossrail right at the heart of the Tube map.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49In West London, with Crossrail's opening edging closer,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51engineers are hard at work
0:23:51 > 0:23:54constructing another of the line's ambitious new stations.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00It will allow the Elizabeth line trains to plug directly
0:24:00 > 0:24:02into one of the world's most famous train stations -
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Paddington.
0:24:05 > 0:24:10This iconic Victorian station was built over 160 years ago
0:24:10 > 0:24:12by one of Britain's greatest engineers -
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20100,000 people use this crucial hub every day.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25It connects to underground and mainline trains.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36Building a new station here, without disrupting passengers or services,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39creates unique challenges for site manager David Shepard.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Paddington is very important. It's a gateway from the West.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47The new station will be a major transport focal point
0:24:47 > 0:24:50and I'm sure it'll be very busy when it becomes operational.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53We have a finishing date.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56We do everything we can to make sure that we finish on that date.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58But it's quite a challenge.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05To build the Elizabeth line's new station at Paddington,
0:25:05 > 0:25:09David's team is digging out a vast ticket hall
0:25:09 > 0:25:11260 metres long
0:25:11 > 0:25:12by 25 metres wide...
0:25:14 > 0:25:18..excavating enough earth to fill 44 Olympic-size swimming pools.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24This hall will connect to the completed train tunnels...
0:25:27 > 0:25:29..and platforms below ground.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34They must install huge sections of brick cladding
0:25:34 > 0:25:36to fit out the ticket hall...
0:25:37 > 0:25:41..and a spectacular ten-metre-tall steel canopy on top.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Bespoke glass panels will allow light to flow straight down
0:25:47 > 0:25:49to platform level.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01This is our site here.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05We're right in the middle of an urban area that's very busy
0:26:05 > 0:26:07and you can see the traffic around us here,
0:26:07 > 0:26:09it's nonstop all day long.
0:26:11 > 0:26:12Time is money here.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15We have to make sure that work stays on schedule.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21The construction work and traffic has closed crucial roads
0:26:21 > 0:26:24used to deliver supplies to Paddington's businesses.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30David's team has no option but to lend a hand
0:26:30 > 0:26:32to help keep the station's services running,
0:26:32 > 0:26:34adding to the pressure.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39We've cut off the short route to the pub,
0:26:39 > 0:26:40where we're building the new station
0:26:40 > 0:26:46so we need to ensure that they get their barrels in a timely manner.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Punters waiting for their trains would not be happy
0:26:49 > 0:26:52if we were unable to make that delivery.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55I couldn't imagine how long it'd take if we never had help.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Three hours, three and a half hours.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03We get one delivery a week.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06And we do need the next week's delivery to replenish that,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09because the store's almost empty by the end of the week.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13If there are no products, we cannot serve our customers.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19The idea is to really keep the station flowing,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21keeping the passengers moving.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26As David's team fight for both space and time
0:27:26 > 0:27:27to dig out the ticket hall...
0:27:27 > 0:27:28Whoa!
0:27:28 > 0:27:30..they make a unique discovery.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36Along this line here, as we go west,
0:27:36 > 0:27:40we've uncovered a roadway
0:27:40 > 0:27:44constructed of wooden blocks, almost cube-like blocks.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51This is one of the wooden blocks,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53you can see here.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56They've actually been soaked in preservative.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Almost brick shaped, actually.
0:27:58 > 0:27:59Another one here.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04These are very significant historically.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06From the Brunel era. Over 150 years old.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08And when the station was fully operational,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11it would have been a busy area, as well. Just as it is now.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18After constructing his masterpiece in 1857,
0:28:18 > 0:28:23Brunel laid this innovative wooden road leading into the station
0:28:23 > 0:28:26to absorb the clatter of goods arriving during the night,
0:28:26 > 0:28:28so neighbours weren't disturbed.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32Very exciting to actually see and handle
0:28:32 > 0:28:35these Brunel-era wooden blocks.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37See it, feel it, taste it.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40As the ticket hall takes shape,
0:28:40 > 0:28:44David's team need an idea as inspiring as Brunel's
0:28:44 > 0:28:47to help them complete its walls.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51Yeah, yeah. We're taking a lot of time. It's a big job, isn't it?
0:28:51 > 0:28:55It's a bit of a headache trying to work out how to put these things in.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02They must install 103 panels of brick cladding
0:29:02 > 0:29:04to face the station's walls.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08Each panel weighs up to ten tonnes.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13But parts of the wall are undercover
0:29:13 > 0:29:16and out of reach for the crane's hook.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20Their solution is ingenious.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26The team will construct a unique rail system on the walls.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30This should allow operators to crane each panel
0:29:30 > 0:29:33into the open-top section of the station...
0:29:34 > 0:29:36..and then skate it across the wall into position.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42The team has a razor-thin window of just seven hours every night
0:29:42 > 0:29:44to position their crane on the road...
0:29:46 > 0:29:47..so they must remain focused.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57We've got Paul on the task and he'll be working the night shift.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59He's young and he's talented. It'll be a big test for him.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04Fresh out of university, 23-year-old Paul Chambers
0:30:04 > 0:30:08is keen to make a name for himself in construction.
0:30:08 > 0:30:13Projects like this only come along every 10 or 20 years.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17Crossrail seems to be a bit like Top Trumps for construction projects.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20Everything's Europe's largest or world's first.
0:30:20 > 0:30:21It makes it quite difficult.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27The guys have come up with a pretty innovative solution
0:30:27 > 0:30:28to installing the panels.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31Basically, we're building a railway on its side.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35So the panels get dropped in and then skated across the wall
0:30:35 > 0:30:38into their final position.
0:30:38 > 0:30:39Good.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46I can't build this wall unless I close this road.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48This is a very busy bit of London
0:30:48 > 0:30:54so the logistics for a job like this can be a bit of a nightmare.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56You're trying to squeeze a very big train station
0:30:56 > 0:30:58into a very small place.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01Come back up and I'll get the crane in then.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03Spot on.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05The crane's on its way down now.
0:31:09 > 0:31:10We'll get it set up.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14If it's a tug-of-war between you and the crane,
0:31:14 > 0:31:16I know who's going to win.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20We're now ready to lift the first panel.
0:31:20 > 0:31:21The weight's coming on now.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37Bring it down now for me, please. Sean, bring it down, please.
0:31:38 > 0:31:39Keep it coming.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43A little touch more.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47Keep it coming, buddy.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Keep it coming.
0:31:50 > 0:31:51Looking good, mate.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54About a foot to go, Sean.
0:31:54 > 0:31:55Keep coming.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58A touch more, Sean. That's it.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00That'll do, mate. Beautiful.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04That is the first panel down on the corbel.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06The panel's basically a big J,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09so it hooks on to this sort of shelf
0:32:09 > 0:32:12and then we can skate it along.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15Yeah, I think we'll have a bit of a sweat on by the end of it.
0:32:22 > 0:32:23OK.
0:32:25 > 0:32:26It's right across now.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32The clever rail system gets them out of a tight spot.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36This is kind of like a very expensive version of Tetris
0:32:36 > 0:32:38or one of those games you have
0:32:38 > 0:32:40where you have to get the blocks to line up on your phone.
0:32:40 > 0:32:45It's just a bit more complicated cos everything weighs ten tonnes.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48Winch it up, Sean, please. Take the slack up.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52Squeezing the final piece into position will be the trickiest part.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55Come round to the right again for me.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58Using panels of bricks prefabricated off-site
0:32:58 > 0:33:00makes it faster to build this wall
0:33:00 > 0:33:03than cementing the bricks in place one by one
0:33:03 > 0:33:05and creates a higher-quality finish.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09There's going to be about one centimetre either side of the panel.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13But the slightest knock could cause the delicate brick sheet
0:33:13 > 0:33:15to crack or shatter.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20If you rush it, you'll take corners off every panel near it.
0:33:21 > 0:33:22And hold it there.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25It looks properly tight.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28It'll be a long night getting this last piece into place.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30Oh, not fun.
0:33:30 > 0:33:31Just one bit in now.
0:33:40 > 0:33:41In Derby...
0:33:44 > 0:33:47We need to get this door watertight.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49The leak's all sorted, Phil.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51Spot on.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53Kane's team has solved the problem of the leaking train.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00We've just ran the water test again. Everything's fine, all passed.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02So it's on to the next stage.
0:34:02 > 0:34:03All clear.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09Bombardier's production line is now working round the clock
0:34:09 > 0:34:12to deliver the 594 carriages
0:34:12 > 0:34:14that will make up 66 Elizabeth line trains.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19Time is running out.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26There's less than four months to go
0:34:26 > 0:34:29until phase one of Crossrail launches,
0:34:29 > 0:34:31with the first train due to depart from Liverpool Street.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37They cannot afford to miss this crucial deadline.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41The first train must be ready on time.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48It's the moment of truth for John.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50Does his design measure up?
0:34:50 > 0:34:53We're here to look at the 345.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55If there's any mistakes, I'll be making them clear.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58- Hey, John.- Hi, Kane, how are you doing?- Not bad. Yourself?- Very good.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00Good to see the train.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04A problem at this stage could spell disaster for the team
0:35:04 > 0:35:07and delay the start of passenger services.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10- Welcome aboard. - Thank you very much.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14I notice there's a mismatch on the colour here.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16Yeah, we've got a slight paint mismatch here
0:35:16 > 0:35:18which we're just going to sort.
0:35:18 > 0:35:19This rubber, as well,
0:35:19 > 0:35:22I notice you've got to trim that off at the end.
0:35:22 > 0:35:23Yeah, just the final finishing,
0:35:23 > 0:35:25just letting the rubber settle before it's cut.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28Let's check these armrests. You've got your armrests to the back.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31I've got mine to the front. That's working quite well.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33Nice bit of undercut, as well,
0:35:33 > 0:35:37which is really useful to avoid too much of the man spreading.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40Yeah, no glare in the eyes.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43We're going to have a race.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52This has come out well.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54The important thing for me is, when you look down,
0:35:54 > 0:35:57- you haven't got this constant feel of almost like a cage.- Yeah.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04Looking really, really good, Kane. Really, really happy. Impressed.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06A few less sleepless nights now, I think, to be honest.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09- That's good to hear. - A fantastic job.
0:36:12 > 0:36:13John seemed really happy,
0:36:13 > 0:36:17so I'll report that back to the assembly line.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19And we've set the benchmark now, at the end of the day.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22So we need to make sure we achieve that every single time,
0:36:22 > 0:36:24every single vehicle.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31After thousands of hours of design and construction work,
0:36:31 > 0:36:34this is what the finished Elizabeth line trains will look like.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39But before going into operation,
0:36:39 > 0:36:42each train must pass a series of rigorous trials.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46Engineers freeze them at minus 25 degrees
0:36:46 > 0:36:48to check their resilience to winter weather...
0:36:49 > 0:36:52..and race them at top speeds to test their handling.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01We can't be complacent. This is just the start.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03We've got over 500 cars left to deliver.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07So the guys just need to keep working hard
0:37:07 > 0:37:09and carry on delivering.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21100 miles south,
0:37:21 > 0:37:24in the heart of London's West End shopping district,
0:37:24 > 0:37:27the clock is also ticking for David Crabtree's team
0:37:27 > 0:37:30to finish building Crossrail's new station
0:37:30 > 0:37:34at Tottenham Court Road before train services can begin.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38It's taken over 26 weeks' work to cut and remove the 40 props
0:37:38 > 0:37:40supporting the station's walls.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42Pull it back a touch.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44Now with the props out
0:37:44 > 0:37:47and work below ground on the platforms,
0:37:47 > 0:37:51escalator shafts and walkways almost complete,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54David's team must build the ticket hall's roof on top.
0:37:56 > 0:37:57This won't be easy.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59There are still
0:37:59 > 0:38:02in excess of 200 people working behind me.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05We've got to turn what is essentially an empty structure
0:38:05 > 0:38:07into a fully-functioning station.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13When Tottenham Court Road station is complete,
0:38:13 > 0:38:16developers plan to build seven storeys of shopping and living space
0:38:16 > 0:38:18on top of the station roof.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23The top of the structure must be robust enough
0:38:23 > 0:38:25to support this additional weight...
0:38:28 > 0:38:31..so Crossrail engineers have had to design a super-strong roof.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37They will reinforce it with bundles of cable called tendons,
0:38:37 > 0:38:42that will crisscross the roof from east to west and north to south.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47Workers will encase these tendons in special tubes,
0:38:47 > 0:38:51cover them in reinforcement bars, then pour concrete on top.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55Once dry, they will tighten the tendons
0:38:55 > 0:38:59to make the roof stronger so it can hold up the extra weight.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06The vision is to have this big open-plan ticket hall.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09But if you want open plan, then you can't have columns in it.
0:39:09 > 0:39:14Our problem is that we have a heavy building going on top of it.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18So if we can't put columns in, then we need to have a very strong roof.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23It takes an army of workers ten weeks
0:39:23 > 0:39:27to weave the 150 tonnes of steel tendons into place across the roof.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31Now comes the hard part.
0:39:31 > 0:39:36They must entomb the steelwork in 250 cubic metres of concrete.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38That's 33 lorries' worth.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42They need to lay the concrete nonstop,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45to avoid leaving joins that could crack and weaken the roof.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50Guiding the constant stream of concrete lorries
0:39:50 > 0:39:54through Oxford Street's shoppers and traffic will be a relentless battle.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58OK, guys, we know the main activity is pouring that slip.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00Any hold-up could wreck the £10 million roof
0:40:00 > 0:40:03and delay the launch of passenger services.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05Sukhi will be on gate one.
0:40:05 > 0:40:06Yeah.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08Gary will be on gate two.
0:40:09 > 0:40:1330-year-old Marijan Harris is in charge of this crucial stage.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17This is my first big concrete site that I've took the lead on.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19So it's a little bit nerve-racking.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21This will be one of the biggest pours to date that we've done.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23It's a huge challenge.
0:40:23 > 0:40:24Due to the nature of the pour,
0:40:24 > 0:40:27we have to keep delivering concrete efficiently and fast.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29Once we start, we can't stop.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33The pressure is on Marijan to feed these pumps
0:40:33 > 0:40:37with eight lorries of freshly-mixed concrete an hour.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39We're going to use two mobile concrete pumps,
0:40:39 > 0:40:42which will be set up one on Dean Street and one on Chapel Street.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46They are currently getting set up as we speak.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49The rest of the people stay behind the barriers, please.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52One little slip and something can go wrong
0:40:52 > 0:40:55and then it can be going from a good exercise to something very bad.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02Each lorry needs to travel two miles from the concrete plant
0:41:02 > 0:41:04to reach the site.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06We're expecting concrete any minute now,
0:41:06 > 0:41:08so I'm just giving you a heads-up.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10All right, thank you, cheers.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16We've got concrete arrived
0:41:16 > 0:41:19and, within five minutes, we're going to get a lorry on the pump.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24All right, the first lorry is here. Let's bring it in.
0:41:24 > 0:41:25There's no second chances.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27So it gets the nerves going, the adrenaline pumping.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30Let's get ready to get him out.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35So there'll be one there.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38He'll be manning the hose. So he'll control where the concrete goes.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41The other two there, they hold a poker,
0:41:41 > 0:41:43and that ensures an even spread.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45How's the concrete?
0:41:45 > 0:41:47Good? Nice and wet?
0:41:51 > 0:41:54The concrete has a lifespan of just two hours
0:41:54 > 0:41:58from leaving the plant before it goes off.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02This gives Marijan's team a razor-tight window
0:42:02 > 0:42:04to lay each load when it arrives.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07Traffic hold-ups make time even tighter.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14Traffic marshal, go to gate two, please.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19Within one hour, we've got seven loads already gone in
0:42:19 > 0:42:21and the eighth one is waiting outside here.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Evening commuters make the fight for space tighter still.
0:42:28 > 0:42:29There's a clock ticking.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32We've got three lorries waiting in the lorry holding area.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35So a little bit of a backlog.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41The team up on the roof has their work cut out.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43They must make sure
0:42:43 > 0:42:46that the concrete pours into every nook and crevice.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49Any gaps or bubbles could weaken the finish.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53- HE BLOWS WHISTLE - Can you hold on a second, please?
0:42:53 > 0:42:54Thank you. Cheers.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57That's the 17th truck that's come in now.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59We're halfway through the pour.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01To make sure the top of the slab is the right level,
0:43:01 > 0:43:04we need to check it with a laser.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06- BEEPING - Very good.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10Rush hour gives way to revellers
0:43:10 > 0:43:13and Marijan's team fight traffic through the night.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15Look, they're causing disruption. Look.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22Go on!
0:43:22 > 0:43:23Bye, guys!
0:43:41 > 0:43:42It takes six days
0:43:42 > 0:43:45for Tottenham Court Road's super roof to set.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47But is it flawless?
0:43:47 > 0:43:49The pour's looking really great.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52There's no cracking and a good finish on the concrete,
0:43:52 > 0:43:54which is a good result.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58To complete their work here,
0:43:58 > 0:44:00Marijan's team tighten the steel tendons
0:44:00 > 0:44:03that crisscross the roof to double its strength.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07- Is that level?- Yeah.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13OK, drop it back down now to ten.
0:44:14 > 0:44:16- Good, yeah?- Yeah.- Cool.
0:44:17 > 0:44:19After five years,
0:44:19 > 0:44:22the major engineering work on Tottenham Court Road station
0:44:22 > 0:44:24is almost complete
0:44:24 > 0:44:25and it will not be long
0:44:25 > 0:44:29till this stop is transformed into a super hub,
0:44:29 > 0:44:33shuffling 200,000 commuters through its passageways each day,
0:44:33 > 0:44:37plugging directly into the Tube's busy Northern and Central lines.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41Crossrail's engineers have adeptly woven its train tunnels
0:44:41 > 0:44:45between the dense network of buried utility lines and sewers
0:44:45 > 0:44:47that keep London functioning.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51The completed station, the size of an aircraft carrier,
0:44:51 > 0:44:55sits stealthily anchored 30 metres beneath London's busiest street.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00A startling black and gold complex
0:45:00 > 0:45:04will eventually sit on top of this gateway down to the underworld.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07We've got nice apartment blocks, we've got retail units,
0:45:07 > 0:45:10we've got offices, we've got a theatre.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13All of that should improve the street scene in this area.
0:45:13 > 0:45:17So as well as creating a new railway station,
0:45:17 > 0:45:19we're also creating a new community.
0:45:22 > 0:45:24East to west across its route...
0:45:26 > 0:45:29..Crossrail has triggered a wave of regeneration.
0:45:32 > 0:45:36The price of homes and office space near the new Elizabeth line stations
0:45:36 > 0:45:40has risen by nearly 50% in some areas since work began.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46But not everyone wants the kind of new community
0:45:46 > 0:45:48that is arriving with the new railway.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52The Soho district,
0:45:52 > 0:45:53close to Tottenham Court Road
0:45:53 > 0:45:55and historically London's entertainment hub,
0:45:55 > 0:45:58home to hundreds of restaurants, clubs and theatres,
0:45:58 > 0:46:00is evolving dramatically.
0:46:02 > 0:46:06Dusty O rose to become one of Soho's most sought-after drag performers,
0:46:06 > 0:46:08starting out here in the 1980s.
0:46:10 > 0:46:17Soho was a very bohemian, very unique, very individualistic area.
0:46:17 > 0:46:19There was a sense of community...
0:46:19 > 0:46:21and it's just been ripped out.
0:46:21 > 0:46:26Since 2007, more than a third of Soho's venues have shut down,
0:46:26 > 0:46:28with more closures threatened.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32Crossrail set the ball rolling.
0:46:32 > 0:46:36I think the developers saw an opportunity and took it.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39Started putting the prices up almost immediately,
0:46:39 > 0:46:41squeezing people out.
0:46:41 > 0:46:43And there was lots of shops like this,
0:46:43 > 0:46:47the small independent retailers, fashion boutiques.
0:46:47 > 0:46:53Businesses that made the area unique and special and gave it its flavour.
0:46:53 > 0:46:55I would say 90% of them have gone now.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59Before, it was the heart of something.
0:46:59 > 0:47:01Now, it doesn't feel any different
0:47:01 > 0:47:03to any other place in London, really.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19At London Underground headquarters in St James's Park,
0:47:19 > 0:47:21ahead of Crossrail's launch,
0:47:21 > 0:47:25John's team is finalising the updated Tube map design,
0:47:25 > 0:47:27squeezing in the new 96km Elizabeth line.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31As you can see, we've got the Elizabeth line added to the map.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33Initially, everyone, I think, felt
0:47:33 > 0:47:35that it should run in a straight line across.
0:47:35 > 0:47:36But that was impossible.
0:47:36 > 0:47:41So what I've done is change the shape of the Central line
0:47:41 > 0:47:45and just added a curve at that end, which I think works really well.
0:47:45 > 0:47:48We still have the other lines running where they always have.
0:47:48 > 0:47:49This is just shifted slightly.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52There's a few other changes, but they're so minimal
0:47:52 > 0:47:54that it's not affected the overall read of the map,
0:47:54 > 0:47:55which is really important.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58I think Beck would be proud of the way you've done this, actually,
0:47:58 > 0:48:00cos you followed his principles really nicely
0:48:00 > 0:48:02through the way you've run that line through.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06Doing a mirror image of the Central line seemed to work
0:48:06 > 0:48:09and it gave us symmetry across the map.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11I think it's looking good.
0:48:11 > 0:48:12There's been a fair bit of manipulation there
0:48:12 > 0:48:13to make that work.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16It is such a complex network, this map.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18Everything is connected here.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20The smallest change has the biggest impact.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22But generally, most people wouldn't spot
0:48:22 > 0:48:24you've done these differences, to be honest.
0:48:24 > 0:48:28Now, I might notice, if I really look, that you've changed this.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31- But it still functions perfectly well.- Good.
0:48:31 > 0:48:32Fantastic.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43In Paddington...
0:48:44 > 0:48:45Pull it.
0:48:45 > 0:48:47Keep pulling.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49Just a touch.
0:48:49 > 0:48:51Is that it in, Lee?
0:48:51 > 0:48:52Yes!
0:48:53 > 0:48:55Brilliant. Well done.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58After five continuous weeks of night shifts,
0:48:58 > 0:49:01David and Paul's team has finished cladding the walls
0:49:01 > 0:49:03of Crossrail's new station here.
0:49:03 > 0:49:07I've seen this project when it was a mound of clay in the ground.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10Now I'm seeing the shiny bits going in the wall. That's really cool.
0:49:10 > 0:49:14It's a proper privilege to be able to see this come to life.
0:49:14 > 0:49:18But it keeps on going until we've finally delivered the stations.
0:49:21 > 0:49:22I think it's a grand job.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25I think Brunel would be very proud of it, yes. Yeah.
0:49:25 > 0:49:27I'll just get a photo there.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31Now, before Crossrail trains launch,
0:49:31 > 0:49:34they must top this station off with an ambitious canopy roof.
0:49:35 > 0:49:37Paddington station's design is unique.
0:49:37 > 0:49:39It's different from some of the other stations.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41It'll be a glass canopy
0:49:41 > 0:49:45over about 50% of the area of the actual station itself
0:49:45 > 0:49:47letting in daylight.
0:49:51 > 0:49:56Paddington's new great glass canopy will stretch 120 metres long...
0:49:59 > 0:50:00..and 18 metres wide.
0:50:04 > 0:50:09340 tonnes of prefabricated steel will make up its frame.
0:50:13 > 0:50:17220 panes of triple-glazed glass will slot inside...
0:50:20 > 0:50:23..allowing light to flow through right down to the platform levels.
0:50:26 > 0:50:30Creating these bespoke glass panels is a unique challenge.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41You know, that can just be...
0:50:41 > 0:50:44That whole area can just be selected.
0:50:45 > 0:50:49Artist Spencer Finch and architect Richard Brown
0:50:49 > 0:50:50are designing a vast artwork
0:50:50 > 0:50:53that will be embedded into the glass itself.
0:50:53 > 0:50:57The piece is a concept which is based on clouds.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00Many different cloud types, that will be stitched together
0:51:00 > 0:51:04to create a cloudscape over the station.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06I'm interested in different technologies,
0:51:06 > 0:51:09different ways of making images, different ways of making pictures.
0:51:09 > 0:51:11And I think the glass,
0:51:11 > 0:51:15because of it's inherent transparency and translucency,
0:51:15 > 0:51:18is really a great medium for doing something about clouds.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30The only factory capable of manufacturing such a large quantity
0:51:30 > 0:51:34of intricate glass is in Wernberg, Germany.
0:51:35 > 0:51:40The Flachglas factory produces up to 10,000 square metres of glass a day.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49He's measuring out in the parking lot
0:51:49 > 0:51:52to see exactly how big the canopy will be in reality.
0:51:52 > 0:51:5530, 30... That's 90.
0:51:55 > 0:51:57That can't be right.
0:51:57 > 0:51:59It is. That's 90 metres.
0:52:00 > 0:52:02From me to the truck...
0:52:02 > 0:52:03Wow!
0:52:05 > 0:52:07I can't see you, Spencer!
0:52:11 > 0:52:15It's, er...shockingly big. It's really very large.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19It's good to get the sense of scale here,
0:52:19 > 0:52:20in relation to the sense of scale
0:52:20 > 0:52:22of the single panels that we're looking at.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25So it's useful, in terms of understanding,
0:52:25 > 0:52:28really, the enormity of the composition.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30We've pre-programmed some images,
0:52:30 > 0:52:33which are printed on glass ready for us to look at.
0:52:33 > 0:52:37They're going to be hoisted up on a crane against the sky,
0:52:37 > 0:52:40so that we can visualise how it will look.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46If we don't come to a conclusion that everybody's happy with,
0:52:46 > 0:52:48that then delays getting the information
0:52:48 > 0:52:50to the manufacturers here.
0:52:50 > 0:52:52That's when the serious money comes in.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54And, basically, we can't afford to do that.
0:53:00 > 0:53:02We're taking it up to ten metres now.
0:53:02 > 0:53:06And if ten metres is where one comes out of Paddington station
0:53:06 > 0:53:09and walks under the canopy, that's the height you'll perceive it at.
0:53:12 > 0:53:16So those cloud images have to be sufficiently definitive enough
0:53:16 > 0:53:18that one can perceive there's something there.
0:53:18 > 0:53:20Left of 4 and 13.
0:53:20 > 0:53:25So that's 50% contrast, versus 75% contrast.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29He's wanting this variation in opacity and translucency.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32That's the change in the grayscale that I'm most interested in.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35The density of 14 is maybe OK.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:53:37 > 0:53:3914, yeah, it is.
0:53:41 > 0:53:45If you imagine this cloud in the sky looking like that,
0:53:45 > 0:53:46to me, it looks too big here.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49That's like a cloud coming to attack you.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51Mm... Yeah. Yeah.
0:53:52 > 0:53:54What do you think, Spencer?
0:53:55 > 0:53:57Number four seems to be about right,
0:53:57 > 0:54:00in terms of balance of the various factors.
0:54:00 > 0:54:01So, good. Yeah, good.
0:54:04 > 0:54:08With the cloud design agreed, the glass printers can roll.
0:54:11 > 0:54:16These machines print tiny dots of ceramic ink onto the glass panes.
0:54:16 > 0:54:17Viewed from the ground,
0:54:17 > 0:54:21the dots high on the canopy will form distinct cloud shapes.
0:54:26 > 0:54:30They heat each pane to over 300 degrees in a special oven
0:54:30 > 0:54:33to bake the ink into the glass and strengthen it.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39With 220 panels to print, bake and then ship,
0:54:39 > 0:54:41there's a huge amount of work to do.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50There's now just a matter of weeks to go
0:54:50 > 0:54:53until phase one of Crossrail launches
0:54:53 > 0:54:56and the first trains start running overground from Liverpool Street.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00Engineers across all 40 worksites
0:55:00 > 0:55:02face a brutal race to the finishing line.
0:55:04 > 0:55:05All across London,
0:55:05 > 0:55:08every station is feeling the pressure and is feeling the heat.
0:55:08 > 0:55:12The launch is in touching distance.
0:55:12 > 0:55:13We're in the home straight now.
0:55:18 > 0:55:21With more than 20 platforms to fit out...
0:55:21 > 0:55:22Are you ready?
0:55:25 > 0:55:27..70 escalators to install...
0:55:27 > 0:55:29Two notches up again!
0:55:32 > 0:55:34..and ticket halls to paint and furbish...
0:55:34 > 0:55:36Whoa! Whoa!
0:55:37 > 0:55:40..meeting this deadline will be tight.
0:55:45 > 0:55:47The pressure is on workers at Paddington,
0:55:47 > 0:55:50who have yet to install the 220 panes
0:55:50 > 0:55:52that make up its great glass canopy.
0:55:53 > 0:55:57If any one small component is not finished or doesn't work,
0:55:57 > 0:55:59then you have nothing at all. It is a huge challenge.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10London, Liverpool Street station.
0:56:11 > 0:56:15Today is the big day that everyone has been working towards.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18The complete Crossrail line
0:56:18 > 0:56:21is scheduled to open to passengers in phases over the next 18 months.
0:56:21 > 0:56:24But after eight years of construction work,
0:56:24 > 0:56:28phase one of operations begins right now.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31This is the first train that will run
0:56:31 > 0:56:34on the eastern overground branch of the new route.
0:56:34 > 0:56:38This is a test run to check how the train handles on the tracks
0:56:38 > 0:56:41before it carries its first passengers just a few days from now.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44Today, people will be seeing the train for the first time.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46It's like Christmas morning.
0:56:46 > 0:56:48I get really nervous,
0:56:48 > 0:56:50just in case people don't like it as much as I do.
0:56:56 > 0:56:57So graceful.
0:56:57 > 0:57:01A real testament to everything this project's all about.
0:57:04 > 0:57:06I wasn't expecting it to be as quiet as it was.
0:57:06 > 0:57:07It seemed to kind of glide into the platform.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11It's not like the usual commuter trains we see in London.
0:57:11 > 0:57:14But it looks dead exciting.
0:57:14 > 0:57:17- And what is it like to drive? - Quick. It's very responsive.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19It's certainly an improvement to what we're used to.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23Oh... It's got that new car smell about it.
0:57:23 > 0:57:24It definitely feels brand-new.
0:57:24 > 0:57:27We really are seeing into the future today.
0:57:27 > 0:57:28CHEERING
0:57:28 > 0:57:31It's taken the ingenuity of more than 10,000 workers...
0:57:31 > 0:57:33OK!
0:57:33 > 0:57:36..putting in 100 million hours of labour,
0:57:36 > 0:57:39excavating seven million tons of earth...
0:57:40 > 0:57:44..and laying more than 1,000 Olympic swimming pools of concrete...
0:57:45 > 0:57:46All right, Joe!
0:57:46 > 0:57:49..to reach the point where the first Crossrail train
0:57:49 > 0:57:50is up and running.
0:57:50 > 0:57:51I couldn't be happier.
0:57:51 > 0:57:53You can see all the passion,
0:57:53 > 0:57:58the care, the thought that's gone in to making it spectacular.
0:57:59 > 0:58:01Lots of companies have come together,
0:58:01 > 0:58:03designed, built this new railway.
0:58:03 > 0:58:05It's a really glowing example of modern British engineering
0:58:05 > 0:58:07at its finest, I think.
0:58:11 > 0:58:13To find out more about urban infrastructures
0:58:13 > 0:58:15and how cities are made,
0:58:15 > 0:58:18order this free poster produced by the Open University.
0:58:19 > 0:58:23Call 0300 303 3460,
0:58:23 > 0:58:26or go to bbc.co.uk/crossrail
0:58:26 > 0:58:30and follow the links to the Open University.