The Elizabeth line (Crossrail) has officially opened to the public, increasing central London’s rail capacity by 10 percent and improving transport links across the UK capital.
The new line will reduce journey times and fares for thousands of commuters across London, with trips from Abbey Wood to Paddington now taking just 29 minutes and costing 4.30 GBP. This compares favourably to the previous 58 minute journey that cost 6.30 GBP.
The project cost almost 19 billion GBP and was supported by 9 billion GBP in government funding and a 2.3 billion GBP investment from Network Rail. The new line is expected to bring an estimated 42 billion GBP to the UK economy and has created more than 55,000 jobs and 1,000 apprenticeships over the past 14 years.
“Today is an historic day as the Elizabeth line opens to passengers. This is a huge moment, not just for London but the entire country – particularly in this special Jubilee year. This brand new line is the most significant addition to our transport network in decades. It will add billions to our economy and is set to serve up to 200 million passengers each year. I'm sure passengers will enjoy the modern trains, beautiful step-free stations and the reduced journey times across the capital and the South East. The Elizabeth line is much more than just a new railway – it will provide a crucial economic boost to the whole country and help to turbo-charge our recovery from the pandemic.”
The Elizabeth line will run 12 trains per hour Monday to Saturday, with work continuing during engineering hours and on Sundays before more intensive services begin in autumn. Each train will have the capacity to carry up to 1,500 passengers.
Customers can now plan their journeys on the Elizabeth line using the TfL Go app and Journey Planner. The new line has been integrated with the existing TfL network, providing connections to the Tube, DLR, London Overground, and National Rail services. All Elizabeth line stations will be staffed from the first to the last train.
