8 Stunning Images Of London's Gargantuan New Crossrail Tunnels

Crossrail isn't due to carry passengers across the capital until 2019 but its network of tunnels is 90% finished. And at the moment it looks like something from a sci-fi film.

1. Crossrail, the railway network linking east and west London, is years away from being finished, but its tunnels are almost done.

crossrail.co.uk

Above, you can see the view from what will be Paddington Crossrail station. Crossrail will serve 40 stations, covering more than 100km from Reading and Heathrow to Shenfield and Abbey Wood.

2. As you can see here, the tunnel where the platform will be at Bond Street Crossrail station is now finished.

crossrail.co.uk

The point is to reduce congestion in the capital – Crossrail claims it will add 10% more transport capacity and reduce travel times in and out of the city.

3. The platforms at Bond Street will be 260 metres long.

crossrail.co.uk

Crossrail's tunnels will be finished by spring next year and six of the eight tunnelling machines have reached their destinations, with work starting on preparing the stations themselves due to start after that.

4. Crossrail predicts that 220,000 passengers will use Bond Street Underground and Crossrail station on a daily basis.

crossrail.co.uk

Crossrail is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects of recent times, costing £15.8 billion and employing 10,000 people over its lifetime.

5. The tunnelling, which has been taking place underneath the city 24 hours a day for the last two years, is coming to an end.

crossrail.co.uk

6. This 150-metre, 1,000-ton tunnelling machine, seen here at Whitechapel, is named Elizabeth. It's one of eight that have been used.

crossrail.co.uk

7. Crossrail estimates that 150,000 people a day will use Farringdon from 2019 for Crossrail, underground, and overground rail links.

crossrail.co.uk

8. Some 200,000 passengers a day are expected to use the Tottenham Court Road station, Crossrail says.

crossrail.co.uk

But you'll have to wait until 2019 to ride on a Crossrail train – and while the government is confident of its delivery on time, some MPs have warned that there are "considerable risks" when it comes to timing for projects of this size.