The service provided by Crossrail will be delayed.

As an aside .

Did anybody else watch either or both of the 2 BBC documentaries " The Fifteen Billion Pound Railway "? Mind blowing .

Considering Crossrail is the biggest construction project in Europe I am not surprised at this news.

It's a phenomenal piece of construction covering 42 miles of new underground tunnels, stretch more than 60 miles / over 100km , and thousands of engineers and workers have been employed on the project.

Thanks Elegran it would be good if perhaps England could take some advice from Scotland about the lessons learned.

Jane10 and those who have praised the new Queensferry Crossing are both right - not "fake news", just a different side of the news. In The New Civil Engineer 2nd August, 2018 I read -

"In its report on the [Queensferry] crossing, Audit Scotland lauded the project despite it opening eight months late and with a series of snagging defects still outstanding.

The report attributed the eight month delay to bad weather and said despite this, it had still been delivered for £1.34bn, about £250M less than the original cost estimate of £1.6bn.

It went on to say the project had had “strong and consistent” leadership, an open and transparent approach, “timely” decision-making, and positive working relationships with the contractors.

It also said there had been a “drive and ambition of those involved in delivering the project to do it well and get it right first time”.

Although the body has given the project praise, it said Transport Scotland could have managed the public’s expectations better by “communicating more widely that further work and snagging would be required” when the Queensferry Crossing opened."

The handling if the project still compares favourably with that of the Scottish Parliament building. Perhaps "lessons have been learnt"?

We were so looking forward to Crossrail as we could then easily get to Heathrow. But we're not surprised. Rail services here are disrupted every day by something or other and there's engineering every weekend. It all needs ripping out and starting again rather than just patching up imho.
There is an amusing sign on our trains that tells us that we will be getting new trains "next year"......a bit like jam tomorrow then!

Trisher that’s how I would like to think of HS2 too, but even at this amorphous stage it is having a profound effect on people’s lives up here.

Trisher's quote is an out of date one.

Just Google Queensferry crossing delays. Lot more work to go on over the next months.
I'm glad that at least 3 people weren't held up near or on it. Unfortunately there are many more complaints than that about it. DH for one on Friday. He gave up and went another route. Others have resorted to using the old bridge which is now only for public transport. No point in constant tit for tat and wishful thinking. Its not completed and even the transport minister admits that!

On my last visit to Scotland, in May, I was driven to and from the Airport via the Queensferry Crossing which I found most impressive. Complemented the other two bridges perfectly. I've never heard a whisper about its being unfinished.

No 18 month delay-just 9 months and it came in under budget
The projected cost of the new bridge was reduced again in October 2014 when the upper limit was lowered by £50m to £1.4bn.
Nicola Sturgeon, who was then deputy first minister, said the project would be completed by the end of 2016.
The final cost of the bridge is said to be £1.35bn, well within budget, but the opening date has slipped by nine months, mainly due to the weather.

Don't know how to post link to article stating 18 month delay to completion. Michael Matheson the transport minister announced it. Check the Scotsman.

Can only speak from my own experience and that of friends who regularly use the crossing!
I am not an avid SNPer but see no reason to be forever negative.
I 'm now wondering when the carping will start about Dundee 's V&A which opens mid-September!

Evidence then please Jane10 we have a link and 2 posters who have used the bridge, but nothing from you.

Nope not fake news! There are none so blind as avid SNP ers. Delays mentioned daily by commuters.

Used the new bridge recently on way to airport. Quick, smooth, no holdups and what paddy didn't mention was, it is a beautiful structure.
The iconic Forth rail bridge next to the striking road bridge and now this spectacular new crossing!
Affy bonny!

Thanks trisher some folk wont ackowledge anything good the SNP government do .Over 24 MILLION cars crossed in its first year ,although as they are SNP figures I expect Jane will tell you they are wrong and only 25 cars made it safely across

It was last Sunday when we went across the new bridge. I didn’t realise it had just opened, we were trying to follow the Satnav and it didn’t know of it’s existence.

Mmm Fake news Jane10?

We went across that bridge this summer paddyanne, our Satnav showed that we were in the middle of the water .

Thanks paddyanne

Queensferry Crossing - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensferry_Crossing

The Queensferry Crossing is a road bridge in Scotland. It was built alongside the existing Forth Road Bridge and carries the M90 motorway across the Firth of ...
Construction cost‎: ‎£1.35 billion
Constructed by‎: ‎Forth Crossing Bridge Constru...
Construction end‎: ‎27 August 2017
Longest span‎: ‎650 metres (2,133 ft)

of course its finished its in use every single day,We use it regularly.It was "closed2 for the normal essential checks for twwo days after it opened but I have heard only good reports about it and the effects on the traffic in the area .Jane is not a Holyrood fan so nothing they do will ever make her happy !!

Greyduster I think of HS2 as much like the "Bogey Man" I heard stories about as a child. I am almost sure it doesn't really exist, but there is a nagging doubt at the back of my mind that something is lurking in the cupboard under the stairs

So is it finished? Any evidence?

That bridge is still having work done to it. It's extremely frustrating for poor commuters. If only it really had been completed on time.

So it can be done paddyann I wondered if there was some restriction on penalty clauses that stopped them from being used in government contracts. If that isn't the case why on earth aren't they used? Is it some way of paying government money to companies so the shareholders benefit?