Crossrail has started its twelve-week countdown process to handover the running of Paddington station to TfL. It follows on from Farringdon and Tottenham Court Road, which are in the handover pipeline, and Custom House which has already been handed over to TfL.

Paddington station has now reached its T-12 landmark, this means the station is now considered to be 12 weeks away from being ready for handover to TfL, who will operate the Elizabeth line.

Work at the station will now primarily focus on the testing and commissioning of systems ahead of the Elizabeth line opening. The railway is still on track to open in the first half of 2022.

Built below ground adjacent to the existing mainline station, the new station extends four levels below ground with entrances from above via a newly pedestrianised public area that connects to the existing national rail station and it also has a direct connection to the Bakerloo line via a pedestrian tunnel.

Crossrail will move into the next major stage of the project, with the start of Trial Running and intensive testing later this year.

When the railway opens customers will still initially have to change trains at Paddington National Rail station onto Elizabeth line services from the new station into central London. It will later complete the link when Elizabeth line trains run through the station and stop using the surface platforms.