A Regional Scale Groundwater Monitoring Programme for the Crossrail Project: Strategy and Implementation

The Crossrail project is a new underground railway crossing London from west to east. The project involves the construction of 2×21 km of twin bore tunnel, 5 portals and 8 new underground stations. Supporting the railway are 20 cross passages and 5 permanent shafts. Additionally, temporary construction shafts were required to facilitate access to tunnelling works and a further 21 shafts for compensation grouting. In the west the route is entirely within tunnel running above and below existing tube lines at Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel and Canary Wharf. In the east, the route alternates between surface and tunnel by utilising the former North London Line route through Silvertown, the Connaught Tunnel and North Woolwich. The route continues in tunnel under the River Thames to Woolwich and beyond to Plumstead.