Crossrail built the Elizabeth line, a railway across London with new tunnels and stations, delivered by many contractors over more than a decade and opened in 2022. Its information management is one of the most widely cited BIM programmes in infrastructure, because the project published its approach and lessons in the Crossrail Learning Legacy.
At a glance
| Project | Crossrail, now the Elizabeth line, London, UK |
| Client | Crossrail Ltd (Transport for London and the Department for Transport) |
| Approach | A common data environment as a single source of truth, with an asset information system for the future operator |
| Practice followed | BS 1192:2007 and PAS 1192-2, the forerunners of ISO 19650 |
| Published | Crossrail Learning Legacy, information management theme |
What was done
- A common data environment was the project information team's first task, set up so that every contractor delivered into one controlled place.
- Simple models, linked data: the federated 3D models were kept deliberately light, with asset details held in linked databases rather than in the geometry.
- Asset information for the operator: contractors delivered asset information into an asset information management system, so the information could pass to those who would run and maintain the railway.
- Principles and training: the project published BIM and information handover principles and set up training for the people who had to apply them.
What it shows
Crossrail shows information management at programme scale: the point is not one perfect model but consistent rules, one place for information and a planned handover to the operator. Keeping the models simple and the data in databases made it practical across many contractors and tools.
Often misquoted
- "Crossrail invented the CDE." The CDE idea came from earlier UK practice (BS 1192); Crossrail applied it at a very large scale.
- "All the asset data lived in the 3D model." The project deliberately kept asset data in linked databases.
Where to read more
The Crossrail Learning Legacy website, especially Crossrail Project: Application of BIM and Lessons Learned, Crossrail BIM Principles and Information Handover Principles.