The opening of London’s new east-west railway Crossrail has been delayed and services will not begin until autumn next year.
The £15bn scheme to run trains through the capital, which will ease overcrowding on current routes, was due to begin in December.
However, the project – which will eventually be called the Elizabeth Line – is running behind schedule and will now open about nine months later than planned.
When it finally opens, the new 97km (60-mile) line will run from Reading and Heathrow in the west, through 42km (26 miles) of tunnels under London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.
There had been speculation that the first sections of the line wouldn’t open on time. It was confirmed by a spokesman for the project on Friday.
More time is needed to complete "final infrastructure and extensive testing" to ensure a "safe and reliable railway" is delivered, according to Crossrail Limited.
The new railway, operated by Transport for London, will be fully integrated with London’s existing transport network.
It will stop at 41 accessible stations – 10 of them brand new – and is expected to serve around 200 million passengers each year.
Services were due to begin running by the end of the year, but the central section between Paddington and Abbey Wood will not be opened until autumn 2019.
Rail minister Jo Johnson announced last month that the scheme’s budget has been increased from £14.8bn to £15.4bn due to "cost pressures".
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The railway is known as Crossrail during the construction phase but will become the Elizabeth line once services begin.
Crossrail Limited described the 10-year project as "hugely complex", stating that the original timetable for testing has been reduced by contractors needing more time to complete work in the central tunnels and develop software.
The firm insisted that "the focus remains" on opening the full east-west line "as soon after the central tunnels open as possible".
Simon Wright, Crossrail Limited chief executive, said: "The Elizabeth line is one of the most complex and challenging infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the UK and is now in its final stages.
"We have made huge progress with the delivery of this incredible project but we need further time to complete the testing of the new railway.
"We are working around the clock with our supply chain and Transport for London to complete and commission the Elizabeth line."
Sponsored by TfL and the Department for Transport, Crossrail Limited was formed in 2001, and received permission to build a new railway across the capital when the Crossrail Act was passed in 2008.
It broke ground at Canary Wharf in May 2009 and began tunnelling in May 2012.
The Queen unveiled the new logo for the Elizabeth Line in February 2016, and new trains that will be used on the railway entered service in June last year on TfL Rail.
Three separate services were due to open in December: Paddington to Abbey Wood in south-east London, Paddington to Heathrow and Liverpool Street to Shenfield, Essex.
Direct services from Paddington to Shenfield and Paddington to Abbey Wood were due to begin in May 2019, with the remaining sections of the line opening in December 2019.
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