am i right in saying crossrail was on time and on budget before sadiq was mayor?
TFL have already got a massive hole in their budget, this is going to make it even wider.
Theres a few people on here I'd expect to make a comment like that but you were not one of them.
If you delve into that website I mention above you will find out the reasons for the delays. All about professional incompetence and the usual arse-covering that stems from it.
This is a DoT project, dating back to before the time London had a mayor. Honestly it goes back to the 1970's. In that time Paris has built four of these things. They are the RER lines and they were built so long ago that they now look a bit shabby.
Of course it's not Sadiq's fault, but it's bad news which he could have done without, especially as it's not mainly a TfL managed project.
In the same way that prison riots aren't the fault of the Secretary of State, but affect that politician's reputation, bad news sticks
Charlton were in the Championship before Sadiq Khan got voted in. I'm surprised some people on here haven't tried to pin that on him too.
I'm sure Carter can give you chapter and verse on exactly why big construction projects are delayed - but it boils down to this:
There are very few companies that can deliver a tender that size None of them want to do it because they make fuck all money on it - they make their money on easy to deliver projects with a bigger markup and margin The one that 'wins' the bid only does so as a loss-leader (flagship projects look good for a company) The 'winning' company will put a realistic programme together to deliver the project on time and to budget The client will throw their hands up in horror and say it needs to be half the cost and take half as long The 'winning' company will tell their programme manager to change it. They will tell them it's not possible to deliver the project on that timescale, then change it anyway because they don't have a choice, and the company will build in a slush fund to pay off the inevitable fines that will come with late delivery Lo and behold, the project is delivered 'late', the slush fund gets drained and the end customer (in this case, the public) gets reamed
Source: my current partner is a programme manager for a steel fab/erection company
I'm sure Carter can give you chapter and verse on exactly why big construction projects are delayed - but it boils down to this:
There are very few companies that can deliver a tender that size None of them want to do it because they make fuck all money on it - they make their money on easy to deliver projects with a bigger markup and margin The one that 'wins' the bid only does so as a loss-leader (flagship projects look good for a company) The 'winning' company will put a realistic programme together to deliver the project on time and to budget The client will throw their hands up in horror and say it needs to be half the cost and take half as long The 'winning' company will tell their programme manager to change it. They will tell them it's not possible to deliver the project on that timescale, then change it anyway because they don't have a choice, and the company will build in a slush fund to pay off the inevitable fines that will come with late delivery Lo and behold, the project is delivered 'late', the slush fund gets drained and the end customer (in this case, the public) gets reamed
Source: my current partner is a programme manager for a steel fab/erection company
I'm sure Carter can give you chapter and verse on exactly why big construction projects are delayed - but it boils down to this:
There are very few companies that can deliver a tender that size None of them want to do it because they make fuck all money on it - they make their money on easy to deliver projects with a bigger markup and margin The one that 'wins' the bid only does so as a loss-leader (flagship projects look good for a company) The 'winning' company will put a realistic programme together to deliver the project on time and to budget The client will throw their hands up in horror and say it needs to be half the cost and take half as long The 'winning' company will tell their programme manager to change it. They will tell them it's not possible to deliver the project on that timescale, then change it anyway because they don't have a choice, and the company will build in a slush fund to pay off the inevitable fines that will come with late delivery Lo and behold, the project is delivered 'late', the slush fund gets drained and the end customer (in this case, the public) gets reamed
Source: my current partner is a programme manager for a steel fab/erection company
That would be absolutely shocking if it didn't ring true with practically every large scale public project being overtime and over budget. Someone should be investigating this and there should be genuine public outcry.
I'm sure Carter can give you chapter and verse on exactly why big construction projects are delayed - but it boils down to this:
There are very few companies that can deliver a tender that size None of them want to do it because they make fuck all money on it - they make their money on easy to deliver projects with a bigger markup and margin The one that 'wins' the bid only does so as a loss-leader (flagship projects look good for a company) The 'winning' company will put a realistic programme together to deliver the project on time and to budget The client will throw their hands up in horror and say it needs to be half the cost and take half as long The 'winning' company will tell their programme manager to change it. They will tell them it's not possible to deliver the project on that timescale, then change it anyway because they don't have a choice, and the company will build in a slush fund to pay off the inevitable fines that will come with late delivery Lo and behold, the project is delivered 'late', the slush fund gets drained and the end customer (in this case, the public) gets reamed
Source: my current partner is a programme manager for a steel fab/erection company
Far too often do contractors think the rail is similar to commercial They need to factor in non combustible/ blastproof materials, along with fire regulated materials. This where they come a cropper, getting the whole assurance/approval in place. I am currently working on the media advertising side. Our program of works now looks weeks ahead :-)
I'm sure Carter can give you chapter and verse on exactly why big construction projects are delayed - but it boils down to this:
There are very few companies that can deliver a tender that size None of them want to do it because they make fuck all money on it - they make their money on easy to deliver projects with a bigger markup and margin The one that 'wins' the bid only does so as a loss-leader (flagship projects look good for a company) The 'winning' company will put a realistic programme together to deliver the project on time and to budget The client will throw their hands up in horror and say it needs to be half the cost and take half as long The 'winning' company will tell their programme manager to change it. They will tell them it's not possible to deliver the project on that timescale, then change it anyway because they don't have a choice, and the company will build in a slush fund to pay off the inevitable fines that will come with late delivery Lo and behold, the project is delivered 'late', the slush fund gets drained and the end customer (in this case, the public) gets reamed
Source: my current partner is a programme manager for a steel fab/erection company
That would be absolutely shocking if it didn't ring true with practically every large scale public project being overtime and over budget. Someone should be investigating this and there should be genuine public outcry.
It’s not just large scale projects, it’s just about every project I’ve ever dealt with. I had one which was projected to finish in April. I was told to make it finish in December as the CEO wanted it by year end. In the end I was told to set the end date on the project software so it forced everything into that end date. We had some people scheduled for 120 hours work a week. It completed in April, and nobody, not even the CEO was surprised.
I'm sure Carter can give you chapter and verse on exactly why big construction projects are delayed - but it boils down to this:
There are very few companies that can deliver a tender that size None of them want to do it because they make fuck all money on it - they make their money on easy to deliver projects with a bigger markup and margin The one that 'wins' the bid only does so as a loss-leader (flagship projects look good for a company) The 'winning' company will put a realistic programme together to deliver the project on time and to budget The client will throw their hands up in horror and say it needs to be half the cost and take half as long The 'winning' company will tell their programme manager to change it. They will tell them it's not possible to deliver the project on that timescale, then change it anyway because they don't have a choice, and the company will build in a slush fund to pay off the inevitable fines that will come with late delivery Lo and behold, the project is delivered 'late', the slush fund gets drained and the end customer (in this case, the public) gets reamed
Source: my current partner is a programme manager for a steel fab/erection company
I'm sure Carter can give you chapter and verse on exactly why big construction projects are delayed - but it boils down to this:
There are very few companies that can deliver a tender that size None of them want to do it because they make fuck all money on it - they make their money on easy to deliver projects with a bigger markup and margin The one that 'wins' the bid only does so as a loss-leader (flagship projects look good for a company) The 'winning' company will put a realistic programme together to deliver the project on time and to budget The client will throw their hands up in horror and say it needs to be half the cost and take half as long The 'winning' company will tell their programme manager to change it. They will tell them it's not possible to deliver the project on that timescale, then change it anyway because they don't have a choice, and the company will build in a slush fund to pay off the inevitable fines that will come with late delivery Lo and behold, the project is delivered 'late', the slush fund gets drained and the end customer (in this case, the public) gets reamed
Source: my current partner is a programme manager for a steel fab/erection company
Autumn 2019 looks optimistic to me. Work near Farringdon and the workforce there have all but disappeared! And the station looks a world away from being finished.
Compare that to a year ago when you could hardly move for crossrail bods.
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Nobody minds delays if they are told about them in sensible time with a sensible explanation
Her actual title is Erection Planner and Manager
They need to factor in non combustible/ blastproof materials, along with fire regulated materials.
This where they come a cropper, getting the whole assurance/approval in place.
I am currently working on the media advertising side. Our program of works now looks weeks ahead :-)
Compare that to a year ago when you could hardly move for crossrail bods.
Something going on.
Transport officials said in August that the new rail line, which is almost £600m over budget, would open nine months after its scheduled launch.
A National Audit Office (NAO) probe is now planned for early 2019.
The project's joint sponsors, Transport for London (TfL) and the Department for Transport (TfL), said they would assist the NAO's investigation.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-46316587