The predicted costs of Crossrail are set to rise again by as much as £650 million to more than £18 billion. Phased openings, now set to begin in 2021, will mean initial Elizabeth Line services to Shenfield will start from Liverpool Street main line, and Reading and Heathrow services will start from the main line platforms at Paddington. Opening in phases both east and west was always intended after the central section had been launched in December 2018, but although the central section is not now expected to open until 2021, the rest of the programme will then continue in stages as before. This means that initially only the outer London station at Abbey Wood will be served by trains running through the central London tunnels to Farringdon, Tottenham Court Road and Paddington. Transport for London also admits that even then Bond Street station is unlikely to open with the rest of the central section, because of ‘design and delivery challenges’.