Trial Operations formed the final key phase of delivery towards successful completion of Stage 3 of the Crossrail project – opening of the Central Operating Section between Westbourne Park, Pudding Mill Lane and Abbey Wood as the Elizabeth line.
The Project Development Agreement (PDA) between Crossrail Ltd, TfL and the Secretary of State for Transport defined Trial Operations as ‘the undertaking by the Operators of tests and trials to prepare for and demonstrate that they are capable of operating the railway in accordance with the Sponsors Requirements and the Operators’ Safety Management Systems’.
The Joint Trial Operations Programme was originally developed in June 2017 in accordance with this definition in the PDA, and in line with the original Crossrail programme of delivery in August 2018. Following subsequent delays to the programme a further two major revisions were completed to the Joint Trial Operations Programme, culminating in v3.0 being signed 29th October 2021 ready for entry into Trial Operations.
Despite significant challenges, including the splitting of the programme into two phases, the Joint Trial Operations Programme was successfully concluded on the 23rd March 2022, and the evidence produced supported the entry into Revenue Service on the 24th May 2022. We delivered over 150 scenarios across five mass volume Volunteer Exercises (with almost 5,000 volunteers), over 50 Live Staff exercises (including three multi agency Emergency Service exercises), and almost 40 Planned and Unpublished exercises.
Were there surprises along the way and elements that didn’t go as were expected at the planning stage? – Absolutely!
Are there things we have learnt in hindsight that we can share with others to avoid similar challenges? – Certainly!
Are we happy that overall, we were able to successfully plan and deliver a large and complex Trial Operations programme, and identify areas of success that could be replicated in future similar programmes? – Definitely.
This report details some of the pitfalls and successes and we hope provides you with useful food for thought if you are embarking on a similar journey towards a period of Trial Operations.
