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Londoners may not be able to use Crossrail in its entirety until 2022, MPs have warned.

In its latest report on the problem-plagued project, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said there are still significant risks which could further delay the start of services.

Services between Shenfield in the east and Heathrow and Paddington in the west were due to be up and running by the end of this year.

The report said: 鈥淐rossrail Ltd now plans to open the central section between October 2020 and March 2021 rather than December 2018 as originally planned.

鈥淭fL鈥檚 fare revenue will not increase significantly until the full railway opens, which could now be as late as spring 2022.鈥�

But the MPs said that the likelihood of meeting even these revised windows was 鈥渟till uncertain and there remain risks to manage鈥�.

The committee also said it had concerns about whether, after years of delays, motivating and incentivising contractors to prioritise Crossrail would become increasingly difficult.

To allay these concerns the PAC, which is chaired by Labour MP Meg Hiller, recommended Crossrail supply the committee with a new date 鈥渁s soon as they know when they expect the full railway to open鈥�.

MPs said the Department for Transport (DfT) needed to investigate whether its oversight of its delivery bodies, which include Crossrail Ltd, provided it with 鈥渁ppropriate accountability and governance arrangements over the life of programmes鈥�.

The investigation found that it was 鈥渦nacceptable that the [transport] department devolved so much accountability for taxpayers鈥� money鈥� to Crossrail鈥檚 management.

The report added: 鈥淭he department has repeatedly blamed the Crossrail Ltd board and executive and the overall 鈥榮ystem鈥� of management and governance for the failings of the programme.

鈥淗owever, the department is ultimately responsible for the successful delivery of the programme and ensuring that taxpayers鈥� money is being spent wisely.鈥�

It said the DfT, as one of the project鈥檚 sponsors, had played a 鈥渓eading role鈥� in establishing the arrangements which had given Crossrail 鈥渁n extreme version of autonomy鈥�.

A DfT spokesperson said: 鈥淭he department consistently challenged the leadership of Crossrail Ltd on the delivery of the project.

鈥淲hen problems became clear the department acted swiftly and effectively, changing the leadership of the board and strengthening governance structures.鈥� Towards the end of last year, Mark Wild was brought in as chief executive while Tony Meggs replaced Terry Morgan as chairman.

The DfT said it, and co-sponsor Transport for London, would continue to 鈥渟crutinise progress鈥� to ensure the railway was opened as soon as possible.