Crossrail: Leadership, Complexity, and Recovery in a UK Megaproject

This case examines the Crossrail project which has been later branded the Elizabeth Line, one of the UK’s most ambitious infrastructure initiatives. By drawing entirely on publicly available secondary data, it explores the project’s original objectives, delivery strategy, and subsequent challenges, including schedule slippage, systems integration difficulties, and governance challenges. The case places students in the position of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) during a critical turning point in 2019, following severe delays and cost escalations that placed the project under intense public and political scrutiny. Students are invited to analyse how governance structures, risk management practices, and leadership decisions shaped the project’s trajectory. The case is suitable for postgraduate project management courses and professional programmes, with themes including leadership in complex programmes, schedule management, stakeholder coordination, and systems integration in megaprojects.