The Anonymous Widower

And these pictures were taken inside the Canary Wharf station box

Note.

1. I think we can assume that the platforms and associated station tunnels are not small.
2. All underground platforms will have platform edge doors.
3. The stations will be fully air-conditioned.
4. Both picture sets were taken in 2013.

Will passengers be safer and less likely to contract the virus compared to the cramped stations of the Central Line?

Crossrail Will Increase Capacity On London’s Rail System

Crossrail will add nearly twenty per cent of extra capacity to London’s East-West rail network.

That will have two major effects.

• More passengers will use rail transport, rather, than buses or their own cars.
• There will be more space, that will make social-distancing easier on rail journeys.

I can’t see either increasing the spread of the covids.

Will Passengers Who Can, Swap To Crossrail From Other Lines?

Consider.

• The Central Line will have interchanges with Crossrail at Stratford, Tottenham Court Road, Bond Street and Ealing Broadway.
• Stratford and Ealing Broadway currently takes 52 minutes on the Central Line and will take 27 minutes on Crossrail.
• The Hammersmith and City Line will have interchanges with Crossrail at Whitechapel, Liverpool Street and Paddington.
• Whitechapel and Paddington currently takes 40 minutes on the Hammersmith and City Line and will take 13 minutes on Crossrail.
• The Jubilee Line will have interchanges with Crossrail at Canary Wharf, Stratford and Bond Street.
• Stratford and Ealing Broadway currently takes 32 minutes on the Jubilee Line and will take 15 minutes on Crossrail.

Looking at speed alone, there will be good reasons to change to Crossrail for many.

But there will also be journeys that currently require a change will be direct because of Crossrail.

• Slough and Liverpool Street or Canary Wharf
• Woolwich and Heathrow
• Gidea Park and Paddington,

And there will be round-the corner journeys with a cross-platform interchange at Whitechapel.

Ilford and Canary Wharf currently takes 33 minutes and will take 17 minutes after Crossrail opens.

I am absolutely sure, that after Crossrail opens, passengers will use the route for a faster journey and one because of more spacious trains and stations, a more socially-distanced one.

An Air-Conditioned Journey

The proportion of time on a typical journey in London, spent in an air-conditioned train or station will increase.

This can only be a good thing for fighting the covids.

Conclusion

It looks to my eye, that Crossrail will not increase the spread of the covids and it could be a powerful weapon to reduce the levels of the virus across London.

I think it should be opened as soon as possible.

Could Crossrail Be Opened In Sections?

Unlike some of London’s Underground lines, which were provided with below-ground turnbacks, there appears to be no turnback on Crossrail between Whitechapel and Paddington.

Compare that with the Piccadilly Line, which has turnbacks at Wood Green and Hyde Park Corner, which are near the end of the central tunnel.

Crossrail does have crossovers at Custom House, Whitechapel and between Farringdon and Tottenham Court Road, so could any of these be used to improvise a turnback.

What effects would there be if say a four trains per hour (tph) preview service were to be run between Abbey Wood and Whitechapel?

• It would allow Crossrail to test systems.
• It would improve connections to Canary Wharf.
• It would give Londoners and others a small cup of much-needed cheer.

I also doubt, it would increase the number of cases of the covids in London, if everybody behaved themselves.

It would need Abbey Wood, Woolwich, Custom House, Canary Wharf and Whitechapel stations to be certified safe to open.

• Abbey Wood station is already open for National Rail services and could surely be easy to finish and certify.
• Woolwich, Custom House and Canary Wharf are more or less independent buildings and again should be easy to open.
• Only Whitechapel looks difficult with a lot of work to do.

Perhaps the preview service should terminate at Custom House? But that doesn’t include the important Canary Wharf!

• Could trains just pass through Whitechapel station and still use the turnback? The platform edge doors would ensure safety.
• Could trains even use an improvised turnback on the Western side of Farringdon, where there is a crossover?
• As stations at Liverpool Street and Farringdon became available, they could be added to the route.

I’m sure that there’s a solution in there, that could allow Crossrail to open gradually, rather than as a big bang.

I hope Crossrail are looking at it, as the design and architecture of this railway could be a weapon in the fight against covids.