Originally planned to open just before last Christmas, London’s Crossrail £15bn megaproject is now running about £2bn over budget and more than a year late. Oh, and by the by, the man running it – Mark Wild, its third chief executive in the last year – says staff morale has fallen “off the cliff” and he doesn’t know when it’ll be finished.

When Crossrail announced it would miss its December opening date, blame for the delays was put principally on the complex signalling systems needed to ensure the safe running of the new trains. However, newly released documents and public testimony by current and former executives paint a picture that is altogether more damning for UK construction – of half-built stations, no agreed completion dates and productivity through the floor.

Given the sensitivity of the project, and the fact so many firms are on Crossrail’s payroll, it is hard to find people involved in the scheme who are willing to discuss these problems in public. However, Building has spoken to a number anonymously, including a senior source on the project itself. So, what light has this shed on what really happened on Crossrail, and what does it all mean for UK construction?

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