The Elizabeth Line officially opened in London today - and we went along to see whether it lived up to the hype.
The new Crossrail is estimated to have cost £19billion (far higher than the initial £14.8billion budget), with construction having begun over a decade ago.
The whole line hasn't opened at once - only the central section from Paddington Station to Abbey Wood is running – but this should still make life easier for commuters travelling from East to West or vice versa.
The remaining sections of the line, which will connect Reading and Heathrow Airport to Shenfield are due to be connected to the central tunnels in Autumn this year.
Still, that didn't stop swathes of commuters and trainspotters heading down to ride the shiny new train on its inaugural day of operations.
There was an interruption in the morning when people were evacuated at Paddington Station due to a fire alert, but services quickly resumed.
New Platforms and Stations
Commuters and tourists can now enjoy shiny new platforms and stations; nine of the Elizabeth Line stations are brand new including Paddington and Tottenham Court Road.
Pamela Kalman, 75, commented: “I’ve got to be the first to do everything so I came to ride the Elizabeth Line today. I climbed the Shard on the first day it opened so I decided to come here too.”
Her travel companion Stella Hewins, also 75, commented on the journey to the platform at Liverpool Street - and although it's step-free, it wasn't quite as smooth as hoped.
She said: “There’s miles of walking to get here. There are no seats, only places you can lean on and it’s a long way to go if you’re older.”
Most of the central section features wide and exceedingly clean platforms all bedecked in the bright purple of the new line.
Twitter user Olly Hatch noted: “Love the Elizabeth Line signage TFL.”
Sideways lifts
There are some futuristic touches such as the state-of-the-art incline lifts which run diagonally alongside the escalators at Liverpool Street and Farringdom.
The sideways lift shafts will help the Crossrail be the most accessible line on the network with almost all stations being step free.
TFL claims that the lifts are 50% more efficient using only half the energy of a standard lift to run.
They’re also cheaper to install as the lift space doesn’t need to be excavated.
On top of the lifts, Elizabeth Line platforms feature barriers with automatic doors much like those on the Jubilee which help to make people feel safer.
And, the real time displays showing when the next train will arrive are clear and bright on screens above the doors alongside a moving tube map of the upcoming route.
On the Tube
One extra feature that commuters will no doubt be thankful for during the summer; there's air conditioning.
It's a feature that Adam Williams, 27, was most keen on when heading to the Crossrail. He said: “I’m so excited it’s finally open. I can finally stop using the Central Line which gets so hot in Summer.”
The trains themselves are spacious and comfortable, and there are plenty of spots where you can sit or stand.
Rows of seats are more spaced out than on the likes of the Northern or Bakerloo lines, and there are plenty of handles for travellers to hold on to while standing.
There are priority seats near the doors, as well as four dedicated wheelchair spaces in the fifth carriage from the front which are separate from the multi-use spaces for buggies and cycles.
We found to be quieter than other lines; no screeches of metal or ear-piercing roars on the journey, even if some sections had a bit of noise.
Oh, and there's Wi-Fi too so you can scroll during your commute.
Running times
The new tube line will initially run every five minutes between 6.30am and 23.00pm Monday to Saturday, although there are plans to eventually turn it into a 24/7 service.
There will be extra services on Sunday June 5 to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
