All language subtitles for Impossible Engineering s03e05 Mega City Railway.eng

Narrator: TODAY
ON "IMPOSSIBLE ENGINEERING"...

THE LONDON CROSSRAIL,

EUROPE'S BIGGEST
CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.

Barrow:
THE NEW CROSSRAIL TRAINS

WILL CARRY 200
MILLION PASSENGERS

IN AND OUT OF LONDON EVERY YEAR.

IT'S VERY EXCITING.

Narrator: PUSHING URBAN
CONSTRUCTION TO ITS LIMITS...

Boyd: THESE MACHINES ALLOW YOU
TO PUMP 60 TONS AN HOUR.

IT'S QUITE AN ART TO SEE.

Narrator: ...ENGINEERS MUST LOOK
TO THE INNOVATIVE PIONEERS

OF THE PAST...

IT'S AMAZING THAT THEY WERE
ABLE TO BUILD THIS BRIDGE

IN THIS TORRENT.

AAH!

[ TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS ]

I LOVE THE INDUSTRIAL
REVOLUTION.

Narrator: ...TO MAKE
THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE.

LONDON -- ONE OF THE WORLD'S
MOST POPULATED MEGACITIES.

AS THE HOME OF ALMOST
NINE MILLION RESIDENTS,

WITH 31 MILLION VISITORS
EACH YEAR,

THIS NEARLY 620-SQUARE-MILE
METROPOLIS

IS GRINDING TO A HALT.

[ HORNS HONKING ]

IT'S A PROBLEM THAT ENGINEER

AND COMMUTER CAMILLA BARROW
EXPERIENCES EVERY DAY.

LONDON IS A FANTASTIC
PLACE TO LIVE.

EVERYONE WANTS TO BE HERE.
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.

HOWEVER, CATERING
FOR THESE PEOPLE

IN TERMS OF TRANSPORTATION
IS CRITICAL,

AND AS YOU CAN SEE RIGHT NOW,
IT'S BURSTING AT THE SEAMS.

Narrator: EVERY DAY,
MORE THAN 11 MILLION PEOPLE

UTILIZE LONDON'S VAST
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM,

INCLUDING 3 1/2 MILLION

RIDING THE LONDON
UNDERGROUND ALONE.

Barrow:
THE CURRENT LONDON UNDERGROUND

IS ABOUT 150 YEARS OLD,

AND IT'S A FANTASTIC SYSTEM
AND CATERS FOR A LARGE CAPACITY.

HOWEVER, IT WAS
NEVER ANTICIPATED

THAT IT WOULD CATER
FOR THIS AMOUNT OF PEOPLE.

Narrator:
TO SOLVE THIS SEEMINGLY INSURMOUNTABLE PROBLEM,

ENGINEERS ARE EMBARKING

UPON EUROPE'S BIGGEST
CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.

10,000 WORKERS SPREAD

ACROSS 40 DIFFERENT
CONSTRUCTION SITES

ARE CREATING A BRAND-NEW RAIL

NETWORK STRAIGHT THROUGH
THE CAPITAL'S HEART.

FOR OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE
MICHAEL BRYANT,

THIS PROJECT POSES
A SERIES OF COMPLEX CHALLENGE.

Bryant: UNDERNEATH LONDON IS
A VERITABLE LABYRINTH

OF TUNNELS FOR ALL SORTS
OF PURPOSES.

IT'S EXTREMELY COMPLEX.

LOTS OF THE BUILDINGS THERE,

PARTICULARLY THE LARGE
BUILDINGS, LIKE THE SHARD,

HAVE PILES THAT GO DOWN 20,

30, OR EVEN 40 METERS DOWN
INTO THE CHALK LEVEL,

SO IT REALLY IS LIKE
THREADING A NEEDLE.

Narrator:
STRETCHING 73 MILES,

THE NETWORK WILL PASS
THROUGH 40 STATIONS.

THE SYSTEM FEATURES
AN ASTONISHING 26 MILES

OF FRESHLY DUG TUNNELS,

INTRICATELY WOVEN THROUGH
THE EXISTING UNDERGROUND

RAIL SYSTEM, AND DEEP
BUILDING FOUNDATIONS

OF THIS COMPLEX
SUBTERRANE WORLD.

IN 2012, EIGHT GIGANTIC
1,100-TON TUNNEL-BORING MACHINES

OPERATING 24 HOURS A DAY,
7 DAYS A WEEK

BEGIN CREATING
THIS NEW NETWORK.

Barrow: RIGHT NOW,
CROSSRAIL IS A MEGAPROJECT.

IT'S VERY COMPLEX.

IT'S COSTING APPROXIMATELY
£15 BILLION.

Bryant: IT'S PROBABLY
THE TYPE OF CHALLENGE

THAT A CIVIL ENGINEER

WOULD DREAM OF THROUGH
MOST OF HIS OR HER CAREER.

Narrator: NOT ONLY DO ENGINEERS
HAVE TO FIND ROOM

FOR 26 MILES OF NEW TUNNELS.

THEY MUST ALSO CREATE SPACE
FOR 10 NEW STATIONS,

INCLUDING ONE SERVING
THE FINANCIAL DISTRICT,

CANARY WHARF.

ALL OF THE LAND IS FULL,
AS YOU CAN SEE UP THERE,

SO THE ONLY PLACE TO DO IT
WAS IN THE WATER.

THE CHALLENGE WAS TO DELIVER
A CONCRETE BOX

28 METERS BELOW WATER LEVEL.

THE OPTION OF FAILURE
JUST DID NOT EXIST.

Narrator: SO HOW DO YOU CREATE
A TRAIN STATION

DEEP INSIDE THE RIVER THAMES?

TO ACCOMPLISH THE IMPOSSIBLE,
ENGINEERS MUST LOOK

TO THE GREATEST
INNOVATORS OF THE PAST.

TRAVELING ALONG ROME'S
RIVER TIBER,

PROFESSOR RHYS MORGAN

IS IN SEARCH
OF AN ANCIENT STRUCTURE

THAT HAS WITHSTOOD THE POWER
OF MOTHER NATURE FOR MILLENNIA.

OH, WOW!

IT'S AMAZING THAT THEY WERE
ABLE TO BUILD THIS BRIDGE

THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO
IN THIS TORRENT.

OH!

AAH! AAH!

[ Laughing ] OH!

Narrator:
CONSTRUCTED IN 62 B.C.,

THE PONS FABRICIUS IS
THE OLDEST ROMAN BRIDGE

STILL STANDING.

Morgan: THAT'S A REAL STRONG
CURRENT THERE.

THE FOUNDATIONS
MUST BE EXTRAORDINARY

TO DEAL WITH THAT RIVER.

Narrator: THIS BRIDGE
HAS ENDURED IT ALL --

WARS, EARTHQUAKES, FLOODS,
AND COUNTLESS NUMBERS OF PEOPLE,

HORSES, AND CARRIAGES.

BUT THE FOUNDATIONS
OF THE BRIDGE STILL ENDURE.

THE ROMAN CURATOR OF ROADS

LUCIUS FABRICIUS
COMMISSIONED THE BRIDGE.

Morgan:
THE VERY CORE OF THE BRIDGE,

THE FOUNDATION IN THE CENTER,

IS WHERE THE CLEVER BIT HAPPENED
ALMOST 2,000 YEARS AGO.

THE ROMAN ENGINEERS
HAD TO COME UP

WITH A REVOLUTIONARY METHOD
OF BUILDING

WHILE THE WATER
WAS IN FULL FLOW.

Narrator: WHAT THEY DESIGNED
WAS INGENIOUS.

IT'S KNOWN AS A COFFERDAM.

THE COFFERDAM FIRST REQUIRED

A RING OF TIMBER PILES

THAT WERE BOUND TOGETHER
AND DRIVEN INTO THE RIVERBED.

A SECOND, LARGER-DIAMETER
PILE POSTS

WAS THEN ADDED
TO ENCIRCLE THE FIRST.

THE GAPS BETWEEN THE PILES
WOULD BE FILLED WITH CLAY

TO WATERPROOF
THE CENTRAL ENCLOSURE.

SO THEY HAD TO PACK THE CLAY

ALL AROUND REALLY DENSELY.

AND THEN, WHEN THEY WERE HAPPY,

THEY WOULD REMOVE THE WATER
FROM INSIDE THE INNER RING.

LOOK AT THAT.
IT'S REALLY WORKING.

AND NOW I'M DOWN
TO THE RIVERBED.

WHEN ALL THE WATER WAS
REMOVED FROM THE INNER RING,

THE BUILDERS COULD START
WORKING ON THE FOUNDATIONS.

I'M GOING TO USE THIS STICK
AS THE CENTRAL PIER.

AND THERE YOU GO.
FANTASTIC.

ONCE THE FOUNDATIONS
WERE BUILT AND THE PIER

COULD BE PUT IN PLACE,

THE COFFERDAM COULD BE REMOVED,

AND THE REST OF THE BRIDGE
COULD BE BUILT AROUND IT.

AND THERE WE ARE,
ROMAN ENGINEERING AT ITS BEST.

Narrator: THE REVOLUTIONARY USE
OF A COFFERDAM

AT THE PONS FABRICIUS MEANS
THIS OVER-200-FOOT BRIDGE

STILL STANDS AS A TESTAMENT
TO ROMAN INNOVATION.

WHEN IT CAME TO BUILDING
SOLID STRUCTURES

IN THE WATER, ROMAN ENGINEERS

REALLY DID MAKE
THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE.

Narrator: THE ENGINEERING TEAM
AT CANARY WHARF

ARE TAKING
THE GROUNDBREAKING COFFERDAM

AND IMPLEMENTING IT
ON A GIGANTIC SCALE.

THEY DRIVE NEARLY
1,400-FOOT-LONG TUBULAR

STEEL PIPES INTO THE DOCK FLOOR

TO CREATE A COFFERDAM BIG ENOUGH

TO HOLD THE NEW
820-FOOT-LONG STATION.

BUT THIS BEHEMOTH
CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

COULD POSE MAJOR PROBLEMS
FOR THE HIGH-RENT NEIGHBORS.

Bryant: THE TRADITIONAL METHOD
OF CREATING A COFFERDAM

IS ACTUALLY TO HAMMER
STEEL MEMBERS INTO THE GROUND.

AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE,
THAT MAKES A LOT OF NOISE,

A LOT OF VIBRATION,
CREATES A LOT OF DUST --

MAJOR DISRUPTION.

SO WE HAD TO COME UP
WITH SOMETHING THAT WAS BETTER.

Narrator:
TO OVERCOME THIS HURDLE,

ENGINEERS UTILIZE
A NEW TECHNIQUE

CALLED SILENT PILING.

RATHER THAN HAMMERING THE PILES,
A STATE-OF-THE-ART MACHINE,

CALLED A GIKEN, DOES THE WORK.

WEIGHTED TO THE DOCK BED
AND USING POWERFUL HYDRAULICS,

IT SILENTLY TWISTS

AND PUSHES THE FIRST
THREE PILES INTO THE GROUND.

THE MACHINE THEN CRAWLS

ACROSS AND SECURES ITSELF
TO THOSE PILES,

USING THEM AS ANCHORS,
BEFORE PUSHING IN THE NEXT ONE.

THIS PROCESS IS REPEATED

UNTIL THE COFFERDAM WALL
IS COMPLETE.

Bryant: WE WENT FOR THE FIRST
THREE YEARS OF THE PROJECT

WITHOUT A SINGLE COMPLAINT
FROM ANY OF THE NEIGHBORS.

Narrator: ONCE THE COFFERDAM
WALLS ARE IN PLACE,

ENGINEERS CAN BEGIN
THE MAMMOTH TASK

OF REMOVING THE WATER.

Bryant: WE PROGRESSIVELY TOOK
OUT 98 MILLION CUBIC METERS

OF WATER FROM THE COFFERDAM,

AND THAT'S EQUIVALENT
TO 40 OLYMPIC SWIMMING POOLS.

Narrator:
336,000 TONS OF MATERIAL

ARE THEN EXCAVATED

UNTIL FINALLY ENGINEERS
REACH A SOLID FOUNDATION

60 FEET BELOW, FROM WHICH
TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION.

Bryant: SO WE HAVE FOUR FLOORS
BELOW WATER,

A FLOOR AT WATER LEVEL
THAT WE CALL PROMENADE,

AND THEN THERE'S TWO FLOORS
ABOVE AND THE ROOF GARDEN.

Narrator: AT MAXIMUM CAPACITY,
24 TRAINS AN HOUR

WILL CARRY A STAGGERING
68,000 PASSENGERS

A DAY ACROSS THE NETWORK
FASTER THAN EVER BEFORE.

BUT CREATING THIS STATION

IS ONLY A FRACTION
OF THIS MEGAPROJECT,

AND TO COMPLETE THE ROVING
UNDERGROUND SYSTEM,

ENGINEERS MUST LOOK
TO INNOVATIONS OF THE PAST...

FRENCH EXPLORERS HAVE LEFT HERE
TO TRAVEL THE GLOBE.

Narrator: ...TO MAKE THIS
IMPOSSIBLE RAIL SYSTEM POSSIBLE.

Narrator: DEEP BELOW
THE STREETS OF LONDON,

THE BIGGEST CONSTRUCTION PROJECT
IN EUROPE IS UNDERWAY.

A COMPLICATED NEW RAIL SYSTEM
WITH 26 MILES OF TUNNELS

AND 10 NEW STATIONS
IS UNFURLING.

IT'S A FANTASTIC PROJECT.

YOU'RE WORKING WITH SOME
OF THE TOP, TOP EXPERTISE

IN THE INDUSTRY.

IT'S VERY EXCITING.

Narrator: BUT CREATING
A COLOSSAL NEW RAILWAY ABOVE

AND BELOW ONE OF THE PLANET'S

MOST DENSELY
PACKED CITIES RAISES

SIGNIFICANT
ENGINEERING CHALLENGES.

THE MOST OBVIOUS ISSUE
IS WORKING AROUND

THIS MASSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE
THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE.

WE'VE GOT PEOPLE LIVING HERE,
PEOPLE WORKING HERE.

Narrator:
TO CARVE OUT A 130-FOOT-DEEP

LABYRINTH OF TUNNELS
BENEATH THE CITY,

EIGHT 10-MILLION-POUND
MEGA BORING MACHINES

ARE REQUIRED.

THESE MONSTERS
ARE 23 FEET IN DIAMETER

AND AS LONG
AS 14 DOUBLE-DECKER BUSES.

PROJECT MANAGER JULES BOYD

MUST MAKE SURE
LONDON'S INFRASTRUCTURE

AND RESIDENTS REMAIN INTACT.

Boyd: ONE OF THE CONSTRAINTS
ON THE CROSSRAIL OPERATION,

WHICH IS A MASSIVE OPERATION,

IS TO VIRTUALLY PASS
BY UNNOTICED TO OUR NEIGHBORS.

Narrator:
WHEN THE TUNNELS ARE DUG,

PROBLEMS CAN OCCUR

AS THE SURROUNDING
EARTH RESETTLES,

CAUSING CAVITIES,
OR SETTLEMENT TROUGHS,

TO APPEAR.

IF THE SETTLEMENT
TROUGH INCREASES,

A BUILDING'S FOUNDATIONS
COULD SHIFT,

CAUSING STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.

Boyd: THIS IS A REAL
HISTORICAL CENTER OF LONDON,

AND IT HAS TO BE PROTECTED.

Narrator:
SO HOW CAN ENGINEERS

KEEP THESE ANCIENT
BUILDINGS SAFE?

IT'S A CHALLENGE THAT WOULD
REQUIRE SOME INSPIRATION

FROM THE GREAT INNOVATORS
OF THE PAST.

TUNNELING UNDER CITIES
ISN'T NEW.

IN THE 6th CENTURY B.C.,

TO HAVE A SUPPLY OF FRESH WATER

THAT COULDN'T BE
CUT OFF BY ENEMIES,

THE RESIDENTS OF THE GREEK CITY
SAMOS DUG UNDERGROUND AQUEDUCTS.

THEY MUST BE GETTING
THIRSTY BY NOW.

CHEERS!

WHOO!

THE SOFT VOLCANIC ROCK
BENEATH NAPLES

MEANT HUGE NETWORKS
COULD BE DUG FOR BUSINESSES,

CHURCHES, AND EVEN A THEATER,
WHERE EMPEROR NERO

IS SAID TO HAVE PERFORMED.

OOH, HE'S ON FIRE TONIGHT.

LIMESTONE MINING UNDER
PARIS CREATED TUNNELS

FOR WHAT WOULD BECOME
THE WORLD-FAMOUS CATACOMBS,

WHERE THE BONES
OF SIX MILLION FORMER

INHABITANTS NOW RESIDE.

-UH-OH.
-[ GRUNTS ]

HOLD ON. PUSH.

BUT ANY CITY EXCAVATION
COMES WITH A RISK.

AH, THAT IS BETTER.

TO UNEARTH ONE OF THE GREATEST
ENGINEERING BREAKTHROUGHS,

DR. RHYS MORGAN IS EXPLORING

THE NORTHERN COAST OF FRANCE.

HERE AT THE HISTORIC DIEPPE
HARBOR ONCE STOOD A MASSIVE

LOCK CALLED A SLUICE GATE.

THIS LARGE SLUICE GATE
WOULD HAVE OPENED,

ALLOWING THE SHIPS TO COME IN
AND OUT OF THE HARBOR.

Narrator:
THE GATE HAD BEEN CONSTRUCTED

TO STOP THE BUILDUP OF SILT

AND PEBBLE DEPOSITS
AND WAS A VITAL TOOL

IN KEEPING THE HARBOR
ENTRANCE CLEAR.

IT WAS AROUND ABOUT THE END
OF THE 18th CENTURY

THAT THE SLUICE GATE
STOPPED WORKING,

AND THIS HAD A REAL IMPACT
ON THE ECONOMY.

Narrator: THE GATE'S FOUNDATIONS
NO LONGER HELD THEIR WEIGHT,

AND IN 1802,
FRENCH CIVIL ENGINEER

CHARLES BERIGNY
HAD AN INSPIRED IDEA.

SO THIS IS MY DEMONSTRATION
OF THE SLUICE GATE

AND THE PROBLEM THAT
WAS HAPPENING UNDERNEATH.

FIRST OF ALL, WE HAD THE ROCKS

ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SEABED.

ON TOP OF THE ROCK
WAS A SOFTER TOP LAYER,

AND IT WAS ON TOP
OF THIS SOFTER

TOP LAYER THAT THE FOUNDATIONS
OF THE SLUICE GATE SAT.

NOW, THE PROBLEM
WAS THAT THE WATER

COMING IN THROUGH THE HARBOR

WAS GOING UNDERNEATH THE
FOUNDATIONS OF THE SLUICE GATE,

AND IT STARTED WASHING AWAY

AND ERODING THE SOFTER
PARTICLES OF THE TOP LAYER,

AND THAT MEANT
THAT THE FOUNDATIONS

OF THE SLUICE GATE
WOULD BE DESTABILIZED.

BERIGNY'S SOLUTION TO
THE PROBLEM WAS BRILLIANT.

FIRST OF ALL, BERIGNY DRILLED

A SERIES OF HOLES
FIVE FOOT DEEP

THROUGH THE FOUNDATIONS
OF THE SLUICE GATE,

DOWN INTO THE SOIL
WHERE IT ERODED AWAY.

AND THEN THIS WAS
THE REALLY INGENIOUS BIT.

HE GOT A PISTON PUMP,
WHAT HE CALLED A BLOW PUMP,

AND HE FILLED THAT
WITH CLAY GROUT.

AND WITH A SERIES
OF HAMMER BLOWS,

HE FORCED THE CEMENT DOWN
INTO THE SOIL BELOW.

THE CEMENT'S POURING
THROUGH THE HOLES,

FILLING UP THIS SUBSOIL BELOW

AND MAKING THOSE FOUNDATIONS
NICE AND STABLE.

Narrator: AS BERIGNY'S CLAY
GROUT WAS HAMMERED

THROUGH THE PREDRILLED HOLES,

IT SPREAD OUT BENEATH
THE MASONRY FOUNDATIONS,

SQUEEZING INTO
AND FILLING THE GAPS

CREATED BY THE EROSION.

AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME,
THE GROUT SET HARD.

OKAY.
WE'VE LEFT IT AWHILE.

WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW IT SET.

BECAUSE IT'S SOLIDIFIED,
IT JUST STAYS IN PLACE,

AND THAT WOULD HAVE REALLY
HELPED THE FOUNDATIONS

OF THE SLUICE GATE.

Narrator: BERIGNY'S WORK WAS
A RESOUNDING SUCCESS.

THIS WAS THE VERY
FIRST EXAMPLE,

FROM CHARLES BERIGNY,
OF INJECTION GROUTING,

AND IT'S USED IN CIVIL
ENGINEERING PROJECTS

ALL OVER THE WORLD TODAY.

FANTASTIC.

Narrator:
BUT ADAPTING THIS ENGINEERING

BREAKTHROUGH TO SUPPORT
AN ENTIRE CITY

IS ON AN ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT
PLANE OF DIFFICULTY.

TO KEEP LONDON
FROM FALLING DOWN,

THE CROSSRAIL TEAM
MUST ONCE AGAIN

MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE.

Narrator: IN LONDON,
ENGINEERS ARE WORKING

ON THE LARGEST CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT IN EUROPE --

THE CROSSRAIL.

BUT KEEPING THE CITY

STANDING ABOVE
THIS SPRAWLING NETWORK

OF HOLLOW TUNNELS RELIES

ON AN EARLY-19th-CENTURY
BREAKTHROUGH --

INJECTION GROUTING.

TAKING CHARLES BERIGNY'S
REVOLUTIONARY

ENGINEERING ONE GIANT
LEAP FURTHER,

THE CROSSRAIL TEAM ARE ADVANCING
THESE INJECTION TECHNIQUES

TO CREATE ONE
OF THE MOST SOPHISTICATED

STABILIZING SYSTEMS
ON THE PLANET.

UP ON THE CORNER
OF THIS BUILDING,

THERE IS ONE
OF THE MANY A.T.S.es.

THERE'S ANOTHER ONE UP HERE,
AND YOU'LL SEE TARGETS.

THESE ARE ESSENTIALLY PRISMS.

HIGH-TECH SURVEYING INSTRUMENTS

KNOWN AS AUTOMATIC
THEODOLITE SYSTEMS,

OR A.T.S.es, ARE PLACED
STRATEGICALLY ACROSS THE CITY.

THE A.T.S. FIRES A BEAM OF LIGHT
AT ITS RECIPROCAL PRISM.

ENGINEERS USE SPECIALIZED
COMPUTER SOFTWARE

TO CONTINUOUSLY MEASURE
THE ANGLE OF THE BEAM.

IF THE ANGLE
CHANGES TOO MUCH,

THIS CAN INDICATE
A SHIFT IN THE FOUNDATIONS.

IF ANY OF THESE
POINTS STARTS MOVING,

THEN THE GROUTING PROGRAM
CAN BE TUNED

TO ACTUALLY COMPENSATE
FOR ANY SETTLEMENT.

Narrator: UNDERGROUND, THE TEAM
IS REACTING TO NEW INFORMATION

FROM THE ABOVEGROUND A.T.S.es.

AT 10-FOOT INTERVALS
ALONG THE LENGTH

OF THE GROUTING TUNNEL
ARE A SERIES OF INJECTION

PIPES THAT FAN OUT ABOVE
THE TUNNELING WORK

AND BELOW
THE DELICATE BUILDINGS.

PRINCIPAL
ENGINEER CLIFF KETTLE IS

GETTING THE GROUT
TO ITS FINAL DESTINATION.

Kettle: SO GROUT COMES VIA
THE INJECTION LINE

FROM THE PILOTED PUMP,

WILL COME UP
THIS BORE HOLE,

WILL ISOLATE
THE INDIVIDUAL SLEEVE.

THIS RUBBER SLEEVE
WILL PUSH OPEN.

THE GROUT WILL EXIT HERE,
AT A FRACTURE IN THE GROUND,

AND IT WILL GO INTO THE GROUND.

Narrator: AS THE INJECTION RODS
ARE PUSHED INTO POSITION,

OVER SIX GALLONS
OF GROUT AT A TIME

ARE FORCED OUT THROUGH THE RODS

AND INTO THE FISSURES
OF THE GROUND,

ULTIMATELY LEVELING
THE FOUNDATIONS

AND LIFTING THE BUILDINGS
BACK INTO PLACE.

SOME OF THE FACADES OF THESE
BUILDINGS HERE ARE 70,000 TONS.

WE SEE ON A DAILY BASIS
THAT JUST THE INJECTION

OF MAYBE THREE OR FOUR
CUBIC METERS

OF GROUT CAN MOVE THAT
BUILDING SEVERAL MILLIMETERS.

Narrator: SPANNING FIVE YEARS,

IT'S THE BIGGEST
COMPENSATION PROJECT

THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN.

COMPENSATION GROUTING IS
ABSOLUTELY VITAL FOR THE PROJECT

BECAUSE IT DOES
SOMETHING THAT THERE

IS NO OTHER PROCESS FOR.

THERE ARE MANY LOCATIONS
ACROSS CROSSRAIL

WHERE THE EXCAVATION
COULDN'T HAVE BEEN COMPLETED

WITHOUT THE PROTECTION PROVIDED
BY COMPENSATION GROUTING.

Narrator: EXCAVATING
TUNNELS SAFELY IS ONE THING,

BUT CONVERTING THEM INTO
A HIGH-TECH RAIL NETWORK

IS A GREATER CHALLENGE.

TO ACCOMPLISH
THIS MONUMENTAL TASK,

PROJECT MANAGER JULES BOYD

IS EXCAVATING
THESE SPRAWLING TUNNELS

WITH MASSIVE
TUNNEL-BORING MACHINES.

Boyd: THE TBM's OBVIOUSLY
A BIG MACHINE.

IT'S THE FACTORY THAT BUILDS
SEGMENTS OF ONE SIZE.

IT'S BUILDING VERY FAST.

Narrator: AS TBMs DIG,

THEY AUTOMATICALLY LINE
THE FRESHLY EXPOSED CLAY

WITH PREFABRICATED
CONCRETE SLABS,

QUICKLY SHORING UP
AND SEALING THE WALLS.

BUT WHEN THEY ARRIVE
AT A FUTURE STATION SITE,

THESE ENGINEERING BEHEMOTHS
HIT THEIR LIMITS.

Boyd: IT'S NOT VERY FLEXIBLE
IN TERMS OF SIZE.

IT WILL BUILD ONE
SIZE TUNNEL ONLY,

WHICH IS WHAT IT'S MADE IT DO.

Narrator:
AND TO SCULPT MORE COMPLEX, CATHEDRAL-LIKE STATIONS,

ENGINEERS MUST ADDRESS
A SERIOUS PROBLEM.

IF THE FRESHLY EXPOSED CLAY
IS LEFT UNLINED FOR TOO LONG,

THE UNSTABLE WALLS
COULD COLLAPSE.

TO PREVENT DISASTER,
ENGINEERS MUST WORK FAST

AND DRAW FROM
THE PIONEERS OF THE PAST.

Alvey: THE TECHNIQUES
THAT ARE USED HERE

EVENTUALLY LED TO AN INNOVATION

THAT WOULD REALLY HAVE
A HUGE IMPACT

ON THE ENGINEERING WORLD.

Narrator:
MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE.

Narrator: ENGINEERS IN LONDON

ARE DOING
THE SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE,

CREATING A NEW RAIL
SYSTEM BOTH OVER

AND UNDER THE CITY'S
CONGESTED CORE,

BUT TO ACCOMPLISH
THIS IMPOSSIBLE TASK,

THE CROSSRAIL TEAM
MUST DRAW ON THE WORK

OF AN UNLIKELY INNOVATOR.

AT THE FAMED NATURAL HISTORY
FIELD MUSEUM IN CHICAGO,

SCIENCE ADMINISTRATOR MARK ALVEY

IS DISCOVERING HOW ONE MAN'S
PASSION FOR PRESERVATION

HELPED CREATE A REVOLUTIONARY
ENGINEERING TOOL.

Alvey: THESE ARE THE FIELD
MUSEUM'S FAMOUS

FIGHTING BULL ELEPHANTS.

THEY WERE MOUNTED
OVER 100 YEARS AGO,

AND THEY'RE STILL ONE
OF OUR MOST ICONIC EXHIBITS.

Narrator: CREATED BY EXPLORER
AND THE SO-CALLED FATHER

OF MODERN TAXIDERMY
CARL AKELEY,

THEY MARK A MILESTONE
IN NATURAL HISTORY DISPLAY.

Alvey: CARL AKELEY WAS
THE MUSEUM'S CHIEF

TAXIDERMIST FROM 1896 TO 1909,

AND HE EXPERIMENTED
WITH VARIOUS SCULPTING

TECHNIQUES INVOLVING CLAY
AND PLASTER.

HIS TECHNIQUES
WERE REALLY REVOLUTIONARY.

Narrator: NOT ONLY DID AKELEY

WANT TO DISPLAY THE ANIMALS
IN LIFELIKE DETAIL,

BUT THEIR SURROUNDING
ENVIRONMENT, TOO.

Alvey:
AND THE TECHNIQUES THAT HE USED

IN CREATING ARTIFICIAL ROCKS,

LIKE THE ONES YOU SEE HERE,

EVENTUALLY LED TO AN INNOVATION

THAT WOULD REALLY HAVE
A HUGE IMPACT

ON THE ENGINEERING WORLD.

Narrator: DURING HIS SEARCH
FOR LIFELIKE PERFECTION,

AKELEY DEVELOPED A NEW WAY
OF COVERING FAKE ROCKS

WITH PLASTER OF PARIS.

Alvey:
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT

IF WE WERE TO TRY
TO PAINT IT BY HAND,

IT'D BE VERY TIRING

AND END UP
WITH VERY UNEVEN RESULTS.

NOW, IF I USE MY GUN HERE,

YOU CAN SEE YOU GET A MUCH
MORE EVEN CONSISTENCY.

IT GOES ON FASTER.

YOU CAN COVER YOUR SURFACE
MUCH MORE QUICKLY.

Narrator: PREVIOUSLY
HOUSED IN A DIFFERENT BUILDING,

THE MUSEUM'S DIRECTOR
ASKED IF AKELEY

COULD MAKE SOMETHING
ON A BIGGER SCALE

TO FIX THE MUSEUM'S
CRUMBLING WALLS,

SO AKELEY CAME UP WITH
A GAME-CHANGING SOLUTION.

HE DEVISED A WAY OF SHOOTING
DRY PLASTER THROUGH ONE HOSE

THAT WOULD MEET
A JET OF WATER

UNDER GREAT PRESSURE IN ANOTHER,

MIXING AT THE NOZZLE.

WITH THIS, AKELEY CREATED
THE WORLD'S FIRST CEMENT GUN,

AND HE WENT ON TO PLASTER
THE EXTERIOR OF THE MUSEUM.

Alvey: THE CEMENT GUN
WAS SOON MODIFIED,

IMPROVED, AND ADAPTED

FOR ALL KINDS OF INDUSTRY

AND TO CREATE ANIMAL
ENCLOSURES IN ZOOS.

Narrator: WHAT AKELEY ACHIEVED
WOULD BE A TEMPLATE

FOR ALL MODERN CEMENT GUNS
ACROSS THE WORLD,

EMPHATICALLY TRANSFORMING
THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.

IT'S BEEN USED FOR ANYTHING

FROM BESPOKE ARCHITECTURE...

TO POOL LINING...

AND EVEN CLIFF STABILIZATION.

Alvey:
CARL AKELEY WAS A REAL PIONEER.

HIS CONTRIBUTIONS
TO THE WORLD

OF ENGINEERING
ARE TRULY REMARKABLE.

Narrator: AT CROSSRAIL,
A PREMIXED WET CONCRETE KNOWN

AS SHOTCRETE IS PUMPED THROUGH
A SPECIALLY ADAPTED,

SUPERSIZED, AND AUTOMATED
VERSION OF AKELEY'S MACHINE.

AT THE NOZZLE END,
HIGH-PRESSURE AIR

IS USED TO ACCELERATE
THE MIX TOWARDS ITS TARGET.

Boyd: HISTORICALLY,
PEOPLE USED TO SPRAY BY HAND.

THESE MACHINES
ALLOW YOU TO PUMP UP

TO MAYBE 60 TONS AN HOUR.

Narrator:
THIS SOPHISTICATED FAST-CURING

MIX OF SHOTCRETE STABILIZES
THE WALLS

AND FORMS THE
PERMANENT TUNNEL LINING.

Boyd: THIS IS THE SHOTCRETE.

IT'S ESSENTIALLY A CONCRETE MIX
WITH SMALL AGGREGATE.

IT'S GOT THESE THINGS,

WHICH ARE LIKE SMALL
HIGH-TENSILE STEEL FIBERS.

THEY'RE LIKE REINFORCING BAR,
EFFECTIVELY, ON A MICRO SCALE.

I'VE WORKED ON
QUITE A LOT OF TUNNELS.

THIS IS EXCITING.

THERE'S A LOT GOING ON,

AND WE'RE CHANGING THE CULTURE

TO ONE THAT IS
INFINITELY MORE SAFE

THAN IT HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY.

Narrator:
WITH A STAGGERING 26 MILES

OF BRAND-NEW TUNNELS
NOW CONSTRUCTED,

THE MOMENTOUS TASK OF CREATING

A HIGH-TECH RAILWAY
IS IN PROGRESS.

WE'RE NOW IN OUR TUNNEL
FIT-OUT PHASE.

WE'RE PUTTING
IN OUR VENTILATION,

ALL OUR HIGH-VOLTAGE
POWER AND SIGNALING.

AND IT'S STARTING TO LOOK
LIKE HOW IT'LL LOOK

WHEN TRAINS WILL RUN THROUGH IT.

Narrator: AND THE BIGGEST
AND MOST CHALLENGING JOB

IS LAYING THE TRACKS.

Barrow: ON OUR PROJECT, WE HAVE
FOUR DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRACK.

THERE'S APPROXIMATELY
108 METERS IS EACH SECTION,

AND YOU'VE GOT
ABOUT 47 KILOMETERS

OF THIS ACROSS THE PROJECT.

Narrator: BUT JUST HOW DO YOU
INSTALL THIS MANY MILES

OF RAIL THROUGH
AN ELABORATE TUNNEL SYSTEM?

TO DO THIS, ENGINEERS
MUST LOOK TO THE PAST...

[ TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS ]

WHAT INCREDIBLE FEATS
OF ENGINEERING.

I LOVE THE INDUSTRIAL
REVOLUTION.

Narrator: ...TO MAKE
THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE.

Narrator: THE LONDON CROSSRAIL
IS EUROPE'S LARGEST

CONSTRUCTION PROJECT,

EXTENDING THE CITY'S EXISTING
UNDERGROUND TRANSIT SYSTEM

BY AN IMPRESSIVE 26 MILES.

BUT TO INSTALL SO MANY MILES
OF NEW TRACK,

MODERN ENGINEERS MUST LOOK
TO BREAKTHROUGHS FROM THE PAST.

[ BELL CLANGING ]

[ TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS]

WHAT INCREDIBLE FEATS
OF ENGINEERING.

I LOVE THE INDUSTRIAL
REVOLUTION.

Narrator: ARCHITECTURAL
HISTORIAN JEN MASENGARB

IS IN CALIFORNIA

DISCOVERING THE SECRETS
BEHIND ONE OF AMERICA'S

MOST AUDACIOUS
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.

Masengarb:
IN THE EARLY 1800S,

IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN
MORE THAN SIX MONTHS

TO CROSS THE CONTINENT BY HORSE.

BUT ALL THAT CHANGED
ON JULY 1, 1862.

Narrator: THE SIGNING
OF THE PACIFIC RAILWAY ACT

BY ABRAHAM LINCOLN

AUTHORIZED TWO COMPANIES TO
BUILD AN 1,800-MILE-LONG RAILWAY

BETWEEN CALIFORNIA AND NEBRASKA.

Masengarb:
AND THE TWO RAILROAD COMPANIES HAD AN INCENTIVE TO MOVE FAST

BECAUSE THEY WERE PAID
BY THE MILE --

$32,000 PER MILE.

AND SO THEY WERE OFF,
UNION PACIFIC

STARTING IN THE EAST
AND MOVING WEST, CENTRAL PACIFIC

STARTING IN THE WEST
AND MOVING EAST,

RACING ACROSS THE CONTINENT
TO EACH OTHER.

Narrator:
DESPITE THE CHALLENGING TERRAIN,

UNION PACIFIC WORKERS

WERE SOON LAYING
AN ASTONISHING 4.2 MILES

OF TRACK A DAY.

KEY TO THEIR STAGGERING PROGRESS

WAS A METHOD DEVISED
BY TWO BROTHERS,

JACK AND DAN CASEMENT.

THE CASEMENTS' METHOD
INVOLVED CREATING

AN ENTIRE MOVING CITY.

LOCOMOTIVES
PULLED SLEEPING BERTHS,

DINING CARS, AND KITCHENS,

PROVIDING EVERYTHING
FOR THOUSANDS OF WORKERS.

THIS MIGHT LOOK LIKE
JUST A SIMPLE CART,

BUT IT'S GOT A COUPLE
REALLY COOL FEATURES.

EACH CART HAD THESE
TWO IRON BARS

ALONG THE FRONT AND THE BACK,

WHICH MADE IT POSSIBLE
FOR THE IRON RAILS

TO SLIDE TO THE EDGE.

AND THEN THESE ROLLERS

POSITIONED THE RAIL
RIGHT INTO PLACE,

SO IT COULD BE SLID
RIGHT DOWN ON THE TIES.

IT SAVED VALUABLE SECONDS,

AND ALL THOSE SECONDS
ADDED UP ALONG

THE PROJECT
REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE.

Narrator: FOR THE INGENIOUS CART
TO BE EFFECTIVE,

THE WORKERS SPLIT
INTO TWO TEAMS.

THE FIRST TEAM
USED A HORSE AND WAGON

TO DELIVER THE RAILWAY TIES
TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE,

LAYING THEM IN PLACE
WITH A PAIR OF TONGS.

AT THE SAME TIME,
ANOTHER CREW WOULD BE

IN THE BACK, LIFTING THE RAILS
INTO POSITION ON THIS CART.

TWO MEN AT THE FRONT
OF EACH RAIL,

TWO MEN AT THE BACK.

AND THEN THIS CART WOULD BE
PUSHED TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE.

WHEEL OUT.

AS THE CART MOVED
INTO POSITION,

IT WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY
OF TWO WORKERS

AT THE FRONT TO GRAB THE RAIL

WITH THEIR TONGS
AND PULL IT OFF THE CART

AND THEN TWO WORKERS IN THE BACK

TO ALIGN THE TWO RAILS.

THE FOREMAN WOULD YELL
"GOOD IRON,"

AND THE CART
WOULD MOVE FORWARD.

-GOOD IRON.
-MORE HERE.

Narrator: BEHIND THE CART,
OTHER MEN, CALLED STRAPPERS,

SPLICED THE RAILS
TOGETHER AT THE JOINTS.

BEHIND THE STRAPPERS,

SPIKERS SECURED THE RAILS
TO THE WOODEN TIES WITH SPIKES.

AND THEN MORE CARTS
CAME FROM BEHIND

WITH MORE MATERIALS TO LAY.

HEARING OF UNION
PACIFIC'S SUCCESS,

CENTRAL PACIFIC ALSO ADOPTED
THIS SWIFT TECHNIQUE.

THE CASEMENT METHOD
REVOLUTIONIZED TRACK LAYING,

AND BY MAY 10, 1869,

JUST FIVE YEARS
AFTER WORK HAD STARTED,

THE TWO CONSTRUCTION CREWS MET,

AND A GOLDEN SPIKE WAS PLANTED

TO MARK THIS AMERICAN
ENGINEERING TRIUMPH --

THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILWAY.

AT CROSSRAIL, THE ENGINEERS
ARE TAKING THE CASEMENT METHOD

AND GIVING IT
A 21st-CENTURY UPGRADE.

Barrow: BEHIND ME IS
THE MULTIPURPOSE GANTRY,

AND REALLY, MPG IS
A REAL-LIFE TRANSFORMER.

WE HAVE FOUR OF THEM
ON THIS PROJECT

THAT WERE DESIGNED
FOR CROSSRAIL.

Narrator: THESE MODERN-DAY,

MILLION-DOLLAR CASEMENT
TROLLEY CARS

DRAG 350-LONG SECTIONS
OF STEEL RAIL INTO POSITION

AND PLACE THEM ON BOTH SIDES
OF THE TUNNEL FLOOR.

YOU'VE GOT APPROXIMATELY
47 KILOMETERS ALONG ROUTED RAIL,

SO A LARGE AMOUNT
OF TRACK WE NEED

TO INSTALL, ALL THROUGH
UTILIZATION OF THE MPG.

Narrator:
NEXT, THE TIES, OR SLEEPERS,

ARE POSITIONED IN BETWEEN
THE RAIL SECTIONS.

THIS MPG CAN LIFT UP 28 SLEEPERS

IN ONE GO AND POSITION THEM

IN EXACTLY
THE CORRECT LOCATION.

ACROSS THIS PROJECT,

WE HAVE ABOUT 70,000 SLEEPERS
WE'RE TRYING TO LAY.

Narrator: FINALLY,
THIS VERSATILE MACHINE LIFTS

THE RAIL ONTO THE TIES,

AND CONCRETE IS POURED TO SECURE
THE RAILWAY INTO POSITION.

THE MPG IS A REAL SOLUTION
TO ADDRESS THE COMPLEXITIES

AND THE MAGNITUDE OF THE TASK

WE HAVE WORKING
IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.

Narrator:
BUT BUILDING AN INTRICATE AND MASSIVE RAIL NETWORK

LIKE CROSSRAIL IS ONE THING.

ENSURING THE SAFETY OF THE 200
MILLION YEARLY PASSENGERS

IS A DIFFERENT STORY.

TO ACCOMPLISH THIS,

ENGINEERS MUST LOOK TO
A NOVEL INNOVATION

FROM THE PAST...

Tobias: THIS IS THE WORLD-FAMOUS
CONEY ISLAND,

A PLACE THAT'S PROVIDED
ENTERTAINMENT AND THRILLS

FOR OVER 100 YEARS.

Narrator: ...TO PRODUCE MORE
IMPOSSIBLE ENGINEERING.

Narrator: CROSSRAIL --
EUROPE'S LARGEST

INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT.

THIS MASSIVE CONSTRUCTION

IS GEARING UP TO COMPLETELY
CHANGE THE FACE OF TRAVEL

FOR MILLIONS ACROSS LONDON.

THIS $18 BILLION NETWORK

IS IN THE FINAL STAGES
OF CONSTRUCTION.

Barrow:
THE NEW CROSSRAIL TRAINS WILL CARRY 200 MILLION PASSENGERS

IN AND OUT OF LONDON
EVERY YEAR.

Narrator:
BUT HOW WILL ENGINEERS TRANSPORT

AN EXTRA 200 MILLION PASSENGERS

SAFELY FROM STREET LEVEL

TO STATIONS AS MUCH
AS 130 FEET BELOW GROUND?

TO ADDRESS THIS CHALLENGE,

THEY LOOK TO THE UPLIFTING WORK

OF AN INNOVATOR OF THE PAST.

MECHANICAL ENGINEER
MICHAEL TOBIAS IS EXPLORING

A THRILL-SEEKER'S PARADISE
IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK,

IN SEARCH OF
THE UNLIKELY ORIGINS

OF AN EVERYDAY
PIECE OF ENGINEERING.

Tobias: THIS IS THE WORLD-FAMOUS
CONEY ISLAND,

A PLACE THAT'S PROVIDED
ENTERTAINMENT

AND THRILLS TO NEW YORKERS
FOR OVER 100 YEARS.

Narrator: UP UNTIL THE 1930s,

THIS ICONIC ATTRACTION
WAS THE LARGEST IN THE U.S.

Tobias: INCREDIBLE.

BUT IN 1891,
HERE AT CONEY ISLAND,

AMERICAN INVENTOR
JESSE WILFORD RENO

PIONEERED AN ALTOGETHER
DIFFERENT TYPE OF RIDE.

RENO'S INVENTION WAS
A PROTOTYPE

OF THE WORLD'S FIRST
WORKING ESCALATOR.

Narrator:
AND IT CAUSED A SENSATION.

NAMED THE INCLINED ELEVATOR,

RENO'S ASCENDING MOVABLE WALKWAY

REPORTEDLY CARRIED 75,000 PEOPLE

IN JUST THE FIRST FEW WEEKS.

RENO'S DESIGN WAS
A SLOPED WALKWAY,

VERY SIMILAR TO
HOW A CONVEYER BELT WORKS.

THERE'S TWO GEARS,
AT THE TOP AND THE BOTTOM,

A MOTOR ON THE TOP
PULLING THE WALKWAY UP,

DOWN, AND OVER AGAIN.

Narrator: WITH ITS STEEP INCLINE
OF 25 DEGREES

AND A 7-FOOT RISE,

RENO ATTACHED STRIPS OF WOOD,

OR CLEATS, TO THE TREADS
TO PROVIDE TRACTION.

AND MOST INGENIOUS OF ALL,
AT THE END OF THE ASCENT,

THE CLEATS DISAPPEARED THROUGH
A RECIPROCAL SET OF CONE-LIKE

PRONGS THAT SAFELY LIFTED
THE PASSENGERS' FEET OFF

THE DISAPPEARING TREADS,

ENABLING THE TRACK'S
CONTINUOUS MOTION.

RENO'S INVENTION WAS SOON

INSTALLED IN NEW YORK'S
TRANSPORT SYSTEM.

AND ELSEWHERE IN NEW YORK,

OTHER ENGINEERS
WERE ALSO WORKING

ON THEIR OWN ESCALATOR DESIGNS.

IT WAS HERE AT MACY'S
FLAGSHIP STORE

WHERE ELISHA OTIS,
INVENTOR OF THE ELEVATOR,

INSTALLED ONE OF HIS
EARLIEST ESCALATORS.

Narrator: BUT OTIS' PLANS
INCORPORATED STEPS.

AND BY COMBINING THEM WITH
RENO'S CLEAT AND COMB DESIGN,

THE ESCALATOR MADE

FOR A SMOOTH RIDE
AND SAFE EXIT.

Tobias: INSTALLED IN 1927,
THESE ARE THOUGHT

TO BE THE WORLD'S
LAST-REMAINING WOODEN

STEP ESCALATORS
ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.

Narrator:
EACH STEP IN THE ESCALATOR HAS TWO SETS OF WHEELS,

WHICH ROLL ALONG
TWO SEPARATE TRACKS.

THE UPPER SET ARE PULLED
BY THE ROTATING CHAINS

WHILE THE OTHER SETS
SIMPLY FOLLOW BEHIND.

THE TRACKS ARE SPACED APART

SO THAT EACH STEP
WILL ALWAYS REMAIN LEVEL.

AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM
OF THE ESCALATOR,

THE TRACKS LEVEL OFF
TO A HORIZONTAL POSITION,

FLATTENING THE STAIRWAY.

Tobias: THESE ESCALATORS STAND
AS A TESTAMENT

TO THE ENGINEERING BRILLIANCE

OF THE MEN INVOLVED
AND FORM THE BLUEPRINT

FOR ALL MODERN ESCALATORS.

Narrator: BACK IN LONDON,
ENGINEERS ARE

INSTALLING A WHOPPING
81 ESCALATORS.

BUT TO FIT SO MANY,

SOME OVER 200 FEET IN LENGTH

AND WEIGHING ALMOST 50 TONS,

PROJECT MANAGER JULES BOYD
AND HIS TEAM OF ENGINEERS

MUST CREATE THEIR OWN
ENGINEERING FIRSTS.

Boyd: HERE, YOU SEE,
THIS IS THE ESCALATOR

THAT ALL OF THE PASSENGERS

THAT WILL USE
WHITECHAPEL STATION

WILL COME DOWN THIS,

AND IT'S ACTUALLY VERY STEEP,
AS YOU CAN SEE.

Narrator: HANGING FROM THE RAILS
EMBEDDED INTO THE TUNNEL ROOF,

THIS SPECIALLY ADAPTED MACHINE

EXCAVATES THIS VAST CAVERN,

BUT INSTEAD OF DIGGING
FROM THE TOP DOWN

IN THE USUAL WAY,

LIMITED ACCESS FROM THE STREET

MEANS THE SPIDER-LIKE MACHINE

MUST CLAW ITS WAY UPWARDS.

Boyd: THIS IS QUITE UNIQUE.

THIS IS THE FIRST ESCALATOR

WHERE THE TUNNEL
WAS DONE UPHILL.

I'M NOT AWARE OF THAT
EVER BEING DONE

ANYWHERE IN THIS COUNTRY BEFORE.

IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DO

BECAUSE EVERYTHING
IS AT 30 DEGREES.

IT'S QUITE AN ART TO SEE.

Narrator:
BECAUSE OF THE DEDICATION

OF THOSE BUILDING THEM,
THE 8,200 FEET OF NEW ESCALATORS

WILL DELIVER 200
MILLION PASSENGERS

EACH YEAR
TO THE PLATFORMS BELOW.

THE UNPRECEDENTED
AND AMBITIOUS CROSSRAIL PROJECT

IS REWRITING THE RULES
OF UNDERGROUND CONSTRUCTION.

Barrow: WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT NOW,
IT'S AMAZING TO THINK THAT,

IN A COUPLE OF YEARS' TIME,
THIS WILL BE OPEN,

THE ELIZABETH LINE.

IT'LL BE UP AND RUNNING
AND OPERATIONAL.

Narrator: WITH OVER 100 MILLION
WORKING HOURS

ALREADY COMPLETED,

THE LARGEST CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT IN EUROPE

IS A TESTAMENT
TO THE INSPIRATIONAL INNOVATIONS

OF THE PAST...

[ TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS ]

...AND THE INGENUITY OF THOSE
BUILDING IT TODAY.

Bryant: TO SEE THE WHOLE
PROCESS FROM START

TO FINISH HAS
JUST BEEN REMARKABLE.

I MEAN, I'M GETTING TOWARDS
THE END OF MY CAREER.

I DOUBT I'LL DO ANOTHER
ONE OF THESE,

BUT YOU NEVER KNOW.
[ LAUGHS ]

Narrator: OPENING IN 2018,
THE ENORMOUSLY COMPLEX

AND GROUNDBREAKING
CROSSRAIL REMAINS

ON TRACK AND IS SUCCEEDING IN
MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE.

Barrow: IF YOU THINK OF ALL
THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE

THAT WORKED ON THIS PROJECT,

THE BILLIONS OF POUNDS
THAT WERE SPENT CONSTRUCTING IT,

THE CHALLENGES
WE'VE MANAGED TO OVERCOME,

I THINK IT'LL BE
A FANTASTIC ACHIEVEMENT.

IT'S A REAL FEAT FOR THE U.K.
RAIL INDUSTRY.

Repair and Synchronization by
Easy Subtitles Synchronizer 1.0.0.0