Crossrail chaos as work begins at Paddington

Commuters were thrown into confusion today as work on the new Crossrail project got under way at Paddington.

Pedestrian, bus and taxi routes were all disrupted following the closure of several routes around the station.

Problems surfaced yesterday evening - the first day of the diversions - as excavation work began to build the new high speed rail link underneath Eastbourne Terrace and Departures Road.

Several exits out of the railway station were closed and buses and taxis were re-routed.

Passengers complained they had missed rail connections because there were not enough warnings about the works, which are due to continue until 2014.

Crossrail bosses said they undertook a large public consultation to warn of the changes, which were announced last month. But the organisation's brand ambassadors, posted at Paddington last night, admitted passengers had been left confused.

A spokesman for Crossrail said it would be "monitoring the situation closely to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum".

Matildeh Bonniec, 19, a French student studying law at King's College, said: "I use the station every day but no one told me the works were going to be happening. It is annoying to come here and find out on the spot."

Nina Huelsken, 31, who lives in Chelsea, said: "Every time I'm here the station changes and it is very confusing. The station is missing signs and directions so I don't know where to go."