Everything you need to know about the Elizabeth line
Elizabeth line London Opening
Our newest railway will – when fully open – add around 10% more capacity to central London’s rail network as well as an estimated £42bn to the UK economy.
Photo/Video Credit Brian Crow and Paul Michael Woodman
Elizabeth line London Opening – Photos
Elizabeth line London Opening
High-frequency services connecting to more places – for many the new railway means shorter journey times between popular destinations in the Capital. The travel experience is more comfortable on the spacious trains and in the new and newly refurbished stations.
Elizabeth line London Opening
Opening stage
The Elizabeth line is initially operating as three separate railways – services from Reading, Heathrow and Shenfield will connect with the central tunnels from autumn this year. When the final stage is complete, customers will be able to travel seamlessly from Abbey Wood to Heathrow and Reading, and from Shenfield to Heathrow.
From 24 May 2022 (subject to final safety approvals)
- Services running as TfL Rail were rebranded as the Elizabeth line
- The central section opened, adding nine new stations to the TfL network (Bond Street will open to Elizabeth line customers later in 2022)
- Service starts with 12 trains an hour (a train every 5 minutes) running between Paddington and Abbey Wood from 06:30-23:00, Monday to Saturday.
Work will continue outside those hours, on Sundays (except for the weekend of the Platinum Jubilee, Sunday 5 June 2022) and select full weekends to allow for any testing and software updates. By doing so, we can bring forward the next phase of the Elizabeth line to this autumn. The number of trains running through the central area and direct journeys from the east and west is expected to nearly double in autumn 2022.
The line operates in London as three separate railways, in the east, west and through central London. Elizabeth line customers travelling between:
- Shenfield and the central section of the route will need to change trains at Liverpool Street, walking to/from the new Elizabeth line Liverpool Street station
- Reading or Heathrow and the central section will need to change trains at Paddington, walking to/from the new Paddington Elizabeth line station
- Paddington and Abbey Wood only – no changes needed
Customers who need level access should speak to a member of staff at the start of their journey .
Elizabeth line London Opening
From autumn 2022
The lines from Reading, Heathrow and Shenfield will connect with the central tunnels. This means customers travelling:
- From Reading and Heathrow can travel east all the way to Abbey Wood without changing at Paddington
- From Shenfield can travel west all the way to Paddington without changing at Liverpool Street
By May 2023
- The separate sections of Elizabeth line are fully connected and services run to the final timetable
- 24 trains an hour will run at the busiest times between Paddington and Whitechapel.
Elizabeth line London Opening
Opening hours
The Elizabeth line has these opening hours in the central section between Paddington and Abbey Wood until autumn 2022:
- Services run 06:30-23:00, Monday to Saturday
- No Sunday services. A special service will operate on Sunday 5 June 2022 for the Platinum Jubilee weekend running from 08:00-22:00
- Services between Liverpool Street and Shenfield, and Paddington to Heathrow and Reading operate on Sundays, aside from any planned weekend closures
As part of testing and software updates, there’ll be planned closures on the Elizabeth line between Abbey Wood and Paddington on weekends of 11-12 June, 30-31 July and 29-30 October 2022.
Fares and ticketing
- Customers need to touch out at Paddington and Liverpool Street to change for trains towards Reading, Heathrow or Shenfield, although daily and weekly price capping applies
- Contactless pay as you go is accepted throughout the Elizabeth line
- Oyster pay as you go and valid Travelcards are accepted but not west of West Drayton
- Customers using Oyster to pay as you go who want to travel to or from stations beyond West Drayton will need to use contactless instead or buy a paper ticket
- TfL concessions are accepted
- Customers with a Railcard discount set on their Oyster card benefit from 1/3 off off-peak pay as you go fares
Main features
The Elizabeth line is one of the most complex digital railways in the world, and includes pioneering technology and design.
Elizabeth line stations
Forty-one new and improved stations are served by the Elizabeth line.
Elizabeth line trains
The fleet of 70 specially-designed Class 345 trains were built by Bombardier Transportation (now Alstom) in Derby.
Improved accessibility
All Elizabeth line stations are step free from street to platform, apart from Ilford. Network Rail expects to make that station step free in summer 2022.
Station staffing
All Elizabeth line stations are staffed from the first to the last train, with a ‘turn up and go’ service offered to anyone needing assistance.
Cycles on public transport
Find out when and where you can take non-folded bikes on the Elizabeth line on the Cycles on public transport page.
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