A ‘lack of trained staff’ on Crossrail results in ‘inefficient working’

A lack of trained staff coupled with difficulties with site access and unapproved maintenance plant is resulting in an “inefficient working” environment on the Crossrail project, according to Jacobs latest publicly available project representative (Prep) report.

The report, Prep 13, adds that “schedule impacts […] will be difficult to avoid” as the result of “inefficient working” practices out in place since Crossrail entered into trial running.

It adds that a “focus on short term milestones” has come at the expense of a longer “strategic plan”.

“With details still emerging, it appears from the first few weeks of the Trial Running period that the revised arrangements […] have resulted in inefficient working.

“Issues include practical and procedural problems with safe site access under the RfLI ROGS Rule Book, a lack of trained and competent safety supervisory resource, and difficulties with use of unapproved maintenance plant.

“While we are aware that these issues are being slowly resolved, schedule impacts upon subsequent critical activities will be difficult to avoid.”

The report adds that Crossrail was negatively impacted at the start of trial running as a “significant number” of workers took holiday at the same time.

Concerns that Crossrail’s workforce is over-stretched and under-resourced were first raised by the project’s representative Jacobs in January and by the London Assembly.

In February, Wild admitted that there was a risk that engineers working on Crossrail could leave to work on HS2 and emphasised the importance of securing resources.

Concerns were also raised that changes to tax regulation could lead to a lack of assurance workers to complete outstanding work, with Jacobs urging Crossrail bosses to push back its schedule to ease the “intense pressure” on those assurance workers. 

Jacobs’ latest Prep report also warns that Crossrail’s revised delivery schedule risks being “overly optimistic”.

It adds: “We are concerned that CRL may develop a revised schedule that presents an overly optimistic position that is target date driven and constrained by stakeholder expectation.”

Despite Jacobs concerns, Crossrail has continued to progress with its extensive testing of the railway.

As reported earlier this week, Crossrail has upped the number of trains running through the Central London tunnels from four per hour, to eight per hour.

Testing is now gathering momentum with the Elizabeth line service due to run 12 trains per hour in each direction when it opens to the public. This will then increase to 24 trains per hour after the central section is opened.

Trial running will be paused for an 18 day construction blockade at the end of June to complete outstand works at stations and on the routeway.

The blockade will focus on completing outstanding construction work at Bond Street and Canary Wharf stations, along with work to the routeway.

Source A ‘lack of trained staff’ on Crossrail results in ‘inefficient working’ | New Civil Engineer

Department of Civil EngineeringDepartment of Civil Engineering – International Burch University (ibu.edu.ba)