64.2 F
London
HomeLondon NewsCrossrail is Coming: Frequently Asked Questions about the New Elizabeth Line Opening...

Crossrail is Coming: Frequently Asked Questions about the New Elizabeth Line Opening May 24th

London Forecast

London
overcast clouds
64.2 ° F
66 °
62.1 °
84 %
3.5mph
100 %
Sat
71 °
Sun
72 °
Mon
78 °
Tue
79 °
Wed
72 °
USD - United States Dollar
GBP
1.35
EUR
1.14
CAD
0.73
AUD
0.65

Popular London Tours

Popular

Eurostar plans direct trains to Frankfurt and Geneva from London St Pancras

Eurostar has unveiled ambitious plans to extend its high-speed...

Greenwich Park Welcomes Back Its Graceful Residents After Four-Year Absence

Recent imagery has captured the successful reintroduction of deer...

London Alert: Capital’s Cultural Treasures Unlock Doors for Public Access This Weekend

Photo Credit: Aaron Hargreaves Foster + Partners This weekend marks...

Great London Icons: The Police Box – London’s Blue Guardian

Standing as sentinels on London's streets for over a...

Share

The long-awaited Elizabeth line will finally open on May 24.

Here are 10 key questions that have been asked about it and about what impact it will have on transport journeys in London.

What area will the Elizabeth line cover?

It will run from Reading in Berkshire and Heathrow Airport in west London, to Shenfield in Essex and Abbey Wood in south-east London, via the center of the capital.

Crossrail is Coming: Frequently Asked Questions about the New Elizabeth Line Opening May 24th
Full map of the finished line

Can I travel direct between those places from May 24?

Unfortunately not. The Elizabeth line will initially operate as three separate railways, with a change of trains required at Paddington and Liverpool Street.

When will they be integrated?

That is expected to happen in the autumn.

What is it currently like to travel through central London?

Many passengers travel by Tube on the Central line for east-west journeys across the capital.

These trains are often crowded and get hot in the summer due to not having air-conditioning.

(PA Graphics)
(PA Graphics)

How will Elizabeth line trains compare?

They will be much more comfortable, featuring walk-through carriages, wi-fi, travel information screens, and air-conditioning.

How about the stations?

Ten new Elizabeth line stations will open in central London.

They will be lighter, brighter, and larger spaces than the vast majority of London Underground stations.

What will be the impact on journey times?

Many journeys within London will be quicker by the Elizabeth line than by Tube.

According to travel app Citymapper, platform-to-platform journeys between Liverpool Street and Paddington will be cut from 18 minutes to 10 minutes.

Crossrail
A Transport for London employee stands on the platform at the Canary Wharf Elizabeth line station (Jonathan Brady/PA)

How about if I am traveling longer distances?

Elizabeth line trains will stop at local stations, so journeys will be slower compared with the fastest mainline services between locations such as Reading and Paddington, or Shenfield and Liverpool Street.

But once the three sections are integrated, many passengers will benefit by not having to change between trains and Tube services.

What impact will the new line have on capacity?

It will boost rail capacity in central London by 10%.

What about fares?

Elizabeth line journeys in central London will cost the same as equivalent Tube fares and you can use your Oyster Card on *most* of the new line.

Fares on services currently operated by TfL Rail will be unchanged.

Free London Weekly Newsletter

A Little Bit of London In Your Inbox Weekly. Sign-up for our free weekly London newsletter. Sent every Friday with the latest news from London!

Book London Tours Now!

1 COMMENT

Comments are closed.